‘Armor’ Review
Stars: Jason Patric, Josh Wiggins, Sylvester Stallone, Dash Mihok, Josh Whites, Jeff Chase, Joel Cohen, Erin Ownbey | Written by Cory Todd Hughes, Adrian Speckert | Directed by Justin Routt
James Brady (Jason Patric; Narc, The Lost Boys) wakes up and reaches for Tums and aspirin for his hangover before stumbling to the kitchen for some vodka, skillfully hidden in a carton of orange juice. Why? Because it seems to be a law that the leads of films like these have to have a troubled past and a drinking problem. His son Casey (Josh Wiggins; Apollo 10½: A Space Age Childhood, Greyhound) picks him up from his AA meeting in an armoured car, and they start another day of deliveries.
But as they go through their day, Rook (Sylvester Stallone; Tulsa King, Eye See You) and his crew, which includes Smoke (Dash Mihok; Punisher: War Zone, Deep Water), Echo (Josh Whites; MK Ultra, Mysterious Circumstance: The Death of Meriwether Lewis) and Viper (Jeff Chase; Swamp Shark, Escape Plan: The Extractors) are watching them. And with names like that, you know it can’t be a good thing.
And it isn’t because a day later, father and son find themselves trapped on a remote bridge with several heavily armed men trying to get something they’re carrying. Could it be the case that the bank manager (Joel Cohen; Cash Out) insisted they take even though it wasn’t on their manifest?
Despite what director Justin Routt (If I Were Dictator, The Test) and writers Cory Todd Hughes and Adrian Speckert may want you to believe, Armor is not an action film, it’s more of a thriller with a large helping of drama added on. Apart from a couple of scenes of Rook and his crew getting ready, the first half hour is almost all domestic drama. And once they find themselves trapped on the bridge, there’s more of it. That includes a long flashback explaining why James needs AA, his insistence on being a cop even when he was off duty led to a crash that killed his wife Trisha (Erin Ownbey; My Best Friend’s Exorcism, A House in Your Neighborhood).
It also means that Armor is something of a redemption story, as James protects his injured son and in doing so helps free himself from his guilt. It’s not a particularly complex or unique plot point, but it does give the film a little more depth.
On the other side, the bad guys have their own internal conflicts and a tendency to argue among themselves. It’s very obvious that Smoke is about to go postal, demanding James and Casey be killed, Rook would rather avoid a possible homicide charge, and picking fights with the rest of the crew. That does lead to a couple of twists and a big explosion to liven up the final minutes.
The script does have a couple of moments where characters make some extremely questionable decisions. Probably the most noticeable is when Rook addresses James and Casey by name and tells them he’s researched all about them. So why doesn’t he threaten to send a couple of his men to pay a visit to Casey’s pregnant wife? That would probably have gotten him what he wanted right there and then.
On the technical side, Armor is competent. It does suffer from the usual shoddy CGI fire and water effects and an over-the-top performance from Mihok. He storms around, screaming and grabbing people, his eyes threatening to pop out of his head like a character in a Bugs Bunny cartoon. In a different film it would be amusing, but not in a film that’s trying to be serious.
Overall, Armor is a watchable small-scale, mid-budget thriller with the added attraction of Stallone in a rare appearance as the villain. As long as you don’t expect Rambo-style action, you should enjoy it.
*** 3/5
Lionsgate will release Armor in US cinemas, as well as to VOD and Digital Platforms, on November 22nd.
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