Regardless of the decade, most movie lovers have a soft spot for the films they grew up on. And they often have a similar soft spot for the actors and actresses who starred in them. That’s certainly the case for me, a proud kid of the 1980s. Sitting among the many names for me is Sylvester Stallone and Jason Patric. Both starred in several movies that I still love from the 1980s and beyond. And while their careers followed different paths, it’s great to seem them still making movies.
Stallone and Patric co-star in “Armor”, a new action-thriller from director Justin Routt. It’s a movie built on a simple and straightforward premise that’s ripe with old school action movie potential. Unfortunately “Armor” never hits its stride or builds the kind of excitement that it needs. And while they try, neither Routt or screenwriters Cory Todd Hughes and Adrian Speckert can generate enough depth to fill its light 88 minutes.
Patric tries to add some character playing James Brody, a man struggling with alcohol since the tragic death of his wife. James puts up a good front. He has everyone around him convinced he’s six years sober. He even goes as far with his ruse as to host regular AA meetings at a local church. In reality he hasn’t stopped drinking; he’s just gotten good at hiding it.
“Armor” is set during a sweltering hot Mississippi summer where James works as a security guard and driver for an armored truck company. He works alongside his son Casey (Josh Wiggins) who over time has grown bored with their job’s mundane routine. “I’d kill for some action”, the misguided young Casey says. If there ever was a kiss of death in an action movie it’s a statement like that.
Elsewhere we’re introduced to Rook (Stallone), the leader of a team of thieves who we see loading up automatic weapons, putting on bulletproof vests, and ironing out the final details of an upcoming heist. There’s nothing at all memorable about the underdeveloped team. Rook only stands out because he’s played by Sly. The rest of crew consists of a small variety of uninteresting archetypes.
While making a routine stop at a local credit union, James discovers an extra box to be picked up that’s not on their ledger. At first he declines to take it. But after the obnoxious bank president threatens to expose him for holding AA meetings on company time, James breaks protocol and sets out with the extra cargo. Bad idea.
Just outside of town, their truck is rammed by a black van that diverts them off route and across a closed rural Mississippi River bridge where another van waits on the other end. James and Casey find themselves blocked on both sides with nowhere to go as Rook and his heavily armed entourage converge. The majority of the film consists of a low stakes chess match between James and Casey in the back of the armored truck and a frustrated Rook who’s trying to get inside.
Despite its ripe scenario, “Armor” has a hard time mustering much excitement. Much of the time is spent with the two sides verbally jousting. We get a few pauses as Rook inexplicably steps back for stretches that only exist so that James and Casey can have some much needed father-son reconciliation time inside the truck. We do get a little tension within Rook’s crew, namely from the wildly over-the-top psycho named Smoke (Dash Mihok). But it’s a predictable angle with an obvious end.
“Armor” does deliver a couple of decent action scenes that make the most of the film’s obvious budget constraints. And screen vets Patric and Stallone do the best they can amid the hackneyed plot contrivances, room temperature family drama, and cheesy music drops. But try as they may, neither can energize the movie to the point of overcoming its frustrating flaws. “Armor” opens November 22nd in select theaters and on VOD.
VERDICT – 2 STARS
Keith & the Movies 