ARMORED
Stars: Columbus Short, Matt Dillon, Jean Reno, Laurence Fishburne, Skeet Ulrich, Milo Ventimiglia | Written by James V. Simpson | Directed by Nimrod Antal
A crew of officers at an armored transport security firm risk their lives when they embark on the ultimate heist….against their own company. Armed with a seemingly fool-proof plan, the men plan on making off with a fortune with harm to none. But when the newest member of their crew gets cold feet and unexpected witness interferes, the plan quickly unravels and all bets are off.
The story for Armored, the latest film from Vacancy director Nimrod Antal is a typical heist-gone-bad movie, however Antal manages to do the impossible and make a tried and tested story feel new and exciting, if a little grimy. Antal is helped by an excellent, if somewhat under used ensemble cast. Each member of the cast gives an excellent performance no matter how small their role in proceedings, with lead Columbus Short managing to stand his ground against a powerhouse piece of acting from Matt Dillon, and despite knowing how the story will play out thanks to a formulaic plot, it’s the actors that manage to capture and hold the viewers attention.
Short deserves particular recognition, for his first action lead role he manages to out act the rest of the cast- including acting giants Fishburne and Reno, although they’re not helped by the lack of screen time, almost becoming one dimensional stereotypes thanks to a rather filmsy script. Dillon too turns in one of the better performances of his career, walking the thin line between likeability and hatred – his character starts out trying to help Short (whose character is having financial woes) by including him in the deal, but when the plan goes awry he soon turns on his best friend. Thankfully Dillon makes the transition believeable, and towards then end of the film you can really see him starting to question money vs. friendship.
The main selling point of Armored is the way in which events play out in almost real-time once the heist occurs mid-way through the film. Director Antal combines this near real-time pace with the somewhat claustrophobic setting of an abandoned warehouse to maximise the suspense, before an all-too abrupt ending spoils proceedings. The idea of a get-rich-quick story is most apt in these recession-filled times and this film fits the bill perfectly, with some great acting overcoming an all-too familiar story, Armored is well worth 90 minutes of your time.
*** (3/5)
Still not convinced? Check out some clips from the film, courtesy of Sony Pictures UK:
