An Inside Job
Following the death of his parents Ty Hackett (Columbus Short) finds himself not only guardian to his younger brother Jimmy (Andre Kinney) but facing financial difficulties to pay his mortgage and so keep Jimmy out of a foster home. It is not that Ty isn't trying, he works for Eagle Shield Security as part of the armoured car team but still money is tight. So when his friend and colleague Mike Cochrane (Matt Dillon) approaches him with a proposition to help him and some of their colleagues pull of a robbery of one of their own trucks he reluctantly agrees. But whilst the robbery goes fine Ty panics when one of the old guards kills a witness and locks him self in one of the armoured trucks where he tries to radio for help whilst the others try and break in.
"Armoured" is a curious movie because all the ingredients work on their own; Ty is a good guy just looking out for his family, the action is punchy, the storyline has potential and that cast is decent and play their parts well. Yet the end product is a movie which really struggles to grab the audience and keep them entertained and all I can think is that the problem is a case of over crowding as there have been many heist movies and this one struggles to make the impact to stand out from the crowd. It becomes a case that you keep watching and waiting for a twist or a great moment of action and unfortunately the movie ends and you are still waiting.
The good news is that "Armoured" isn't a long movie and director Nimród Antal keeps things ticking over so that whilst never really gets you excited it never feels laboured. Antal also allows the bunch of talented actors deliver their groove so Dillon comes across as comfortable playing the dangerous Mike whilst Columbus Short brings sensitive good guy to the fore as Ty. It works but the trouble is the characters are not exciting enough especially when the storyline struggles to excite at the same time.
What this all boils down to is that "Armoured" is one of those movies which had potential but the potential is never developed and so becomes a movie you watch waiting for something great to happen only for the credits to roll and you are still waiting.
