Armored DVD
Starring: Matt Dillon, Jean Reno, Laurence Fishburne, Skeet Ulrich
Director: Nimrod Antal
Rating: 3/5
War veteran, Ty Hackett, is hired to work as security guard by the Eagle Shield Security where his old friend Mike Cochroone works.
Ty is having financial difficulties after the death of his father, and is raising his brother Jimmy alone. He teams up with Mike's brother-in-law, Baines, and their coworkers Quinn, Palmer and Dobbs.
One night, Mike invites Ty to join in the robbery of two armored trucks transporting forty-two million dollars.
Armed with a seemingly fool-proof plan, the men plan on making off with a fortune with harm to none. But when an unexpected witness interferes, the plan quickly unravels.
Alright this isn't a heist movie that's going to set the world alight but it's a solid film that is well worth a watch.
Antal has assembled a great cast of Matt Dillon, Laurence Fishburne and Jean Reno and this is what keeps the movie pushing forward.
But what is great about this film is Antal keeps it simple there is not romantic sub-plot that so often ruins this type of movie and there is no clever twist that you spot coming a mile off.
While it does take a while to get going once the robbery takes place the movie picks up the pace as the group are faced with scenarios that they were not prepared for and it becomes a testosterone fuelled race against time.
And while the movie fizzes with potential it never really explodes, which is a real shame as it could have been a really good addition to the heist movie genre instead of being a little lack lustre.
Stuck in a an abandoned stockyard the movie does have echoes of Reservoir Dogs but the claustrophobic nature of their surroundings is not fully explored or exploited as it plods to the finish rather than races in a flurry of excitement.
Plus there is no real character development we don't really discover why the group want to take the money, except Ty who is struggling to keep hold of his house, as good actors such as Dillon and Fishburne are not used to their full potential.
Armored is by no means a bad movie it will keep you happily entertained for a couple of hours but it could have been so much more.
Armored is out on DVD
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw