Armor, directed by Justin Routt and scripted by Cory Todd Hughes and Adrian Speckert, is a lean, powerhouse melodrama, which combines the need for redemption with the gusty tenacity to survive.
In this entry, Stallone is the surprising villain. (He's only played full-fledged, nefarious characters prior in Death Race 2000 and Spy Kids 3-D, though the latter is a tad debatable.) For this villainous turn, he's called "Rook," and leads a band of bad guys to seize an armored truck transporting gold bars.
Driving the truck is Jason Patric's James Broody, a former, police officer who, due to an impulsive decision, "caused" his wife's death in a roadside mishap. He's accompanied by his son, Josh Wiggins' Casey, an expectant father who's mindful of his dad's guilt and that his old man has, alas, found solace in the bottle.
Even as James conducts alcoholic, support groups, he still leans on the dreaded sauce, which proves detrimental when he and Casey are halted by Rook on a bridge out in nowhere-ville (with the factions zooming in from inadvertent, opposite ends). After the truck is left incapacitated, James and Casey must fortify themselves in the vehicle to withstand the gang's fierce arsenal, with Casey left wounded and James relying on his frayed wits to keep them alive.
Like George Arnaud's The Wages of Fear and its loose remake, William Friedkin's Sorcerer, Armor becomes a metaphoric tit-for-tat, as well as an underdog movie, with the odds pitted against the father and son. James' resourcefulness, despite his handicap, also gives Armor a Die Hard feel, with a broken man going the extra, respectful mile.
It must be noted that Rook's calculating coolness works to the movie's benefit, as he distinguishes himself from his men. He's not as austere as them, in this regard, only desiring the gold and never wanting to kill his opponents. This causes a rift between the leader and his henchmen, in particular their most hostile, Dash (Ray Donovan) Mihok's Smoke. (Joel Cohen is equally vexing as a bank manager who brackets James' beleaguered state, while holding the key to Rook's bumbled assault.)
If Armor has any drawback, it's the fact that no one appears anywhere near the bridge beyond the warring men. Granted, the locale is isolated by implication, but its off-the-beaten-trail relegation should have been emphasized more, since the guys stay there for several hours without interference. Beyond this, the shaky spot works well for the story's stark symbolism.
Armor is a movie for those who prefer adventures without whiny fringes and that are empowered by characters (both good and bad) who want to get the job done. I plan to re-watch Armor as soon as I can and will surely add the title to my physical-medium library in the near future.
