When making a movie for the sake of making a movie, you get Sylvester Stallone’s movie ‘Armor’. But look at the bright side, at least people were hired, and the cast and crew went home with a paycheck.
From the look of the movie poster, you’d think you’re in for a wild ride. However, that’s as interesting as the movie gets. “Armor” tries to blend family drama with a standard heist-gone-wrong scenario, but the end result is more tedious than tense.
Academy Award Nominee Sylvester Stallone stars as the leader of a band of would-be robbers targeting an armored truck run by James (Jason Patric) and his teenage son Casey (Josh Wiggins). The movie sets itself up as a claustrophobic standoff on a remote bridge, where father and son must find a way to outwit their attackers, protect their precious cargo, and survive until help arrives.
In theory, the setup could have made for gripping, character-driven suspense. You’ve got a father and son working a high-risk job, a scenario ripe for themes of trust, legacy, and the weight of responsibilities. Yet “Armor” never quite capitalizes on this dramatic core. Instead, it relies heavily on recycled action beats: slow, awkward chases; hissed threats over radio static; and predictable maneuvers that fail to build much of anything. Even the key twist—that the truck isn’t just carrying the usual parcel but something far more valuable—feels like an undercooked plot device rather than a genuine game-changer.
Stallone, who’s shown renewed energy and subtlety in recent projects like “Tulsa King,” seems disappointingly flat here. He plays “Rook,” a criminal mastermind with a vaguely defined motivation and a tendency to drone on in muddled line readings. Across from him, Jason Patric tries to lend some credibility to the standoff; he’s clearly aiming to give James dimension and moral conflict, but the script offers him too few opportunities. The same goes for young Wiggins as Casey, who’s stuck playing the anxious kid caught in the crossfire rather than a fully realized character.
The direction by Justin Routt also struggles to maintain momentum. The initial ambush is staged without much flair, and the ensuing face-off unfolds with a repetitive pattern of threat, pause, and more threat, never really going anywhere in a meaningful way.
In the end, “Armor” feels like a missed opportunity. It lands as a low-energy vehicle for its star and a hollow attempt at family driven suspense. The cast and crew may have taken home paychecks, but the audience takes home a film that’s forgettable at best and tiresome at worst. If you’re looking for a late-night distraction, it might put your mind at ease only because it fails to engage it in the first place.
Screen Rated 