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Hollywood and action icon Sylvester Stallone has been quite busy these past few years as the actor, best known for his Rocky and Rambo flicks, has been seen everywhere from the Creed franchise which sees him reprising his role of the legendary underdog boxer to The Expendables and even on TV in the critically acclaimed series Tulsa King. It’s no secret that Sly is well into his twilight years but the man is still in great shape and looks to have as much energy as a toddler at a trampoline park. Stallone definitely loves to work and strikes me as one star that will go down fighting to his last breath when it comes to starring roles.
With that, we have a curiosity in the DTV action thriller Armor which sees Stallone doing something he’s not best known for and that’s playing the heel. It’s true that his legions of fans would love to see him still take down the bad guys and even though his character of Dwight Manfredi on Tulsa King is more of an anti-hero as he is essentially playing a mobster albeit a likeable one, Stallone is still generating all the likability he can muster.
With Armor, it is best to let the casual viewer know that Stallone is not the star in this one as he is more of a secondary character and one that is out to get a big payday along with his unit of elite thieves. This is quite evident when one watches the trailer and Jason Patric of The Lost Boys fame gets top billing with Sly playing the antagonist with a lesser-known backstory. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing as the icon is allowed to do projects that delegate him to lesser screen time and Patric is more than serviceable when it comes to doing drama as well as action so with that Armor is certainly a mixed bag that will alienate most fans looking to see their action god channel his days as the iconic indestructible Vietnam vet who would become a one man army.
It’s also important to note that the filming of this movie was plagued with multiple issues including the original and credited director Justin Routt being replaced as well as Stallone receiving a hefty paycheck for what amounted to one day’s worth of work. Hey, don’t tell me you wouldn’t grab on to a multi-million-dollar payday for a day’s worth of work because I sure as hell would. Even though he’s minimally used, Stallone still generates the bravado factor even as the baddie. There is also the noticeable screen filler of establishing shots padding out the film’s brisk minus 90-minute running time so it’s best to know what you’re in for before viewing.
Is Armor a bad movie? Well, it’s a yes and no answer and while there are massive issues abounding in it, the actors involve still manage to elevate the movie and do something with it. Patrick, Stallone, actor Josh Wiggins (Max) and Dash Mihok (Ray Donovan, Punisher War Zone) all come prepared and do what they can with the material they are given and while the plot is contrived and the Die Hard scenario on a bridge may seem far reaching, there is still some things positive to take away from the experience.
The film centers on Patrick and Wiggins who play the father/son combo of James and Casey respectively and this is one family that has seen their fair share of drama and heartache. The first part of the movie delves into James’s dark past and the tragic loss of his wife due to an unfortunate traffic accident and his subsequent drinking which Casey thinks he has beaten and let me just say that he has not, and he hides it well even though he works with Casey as an armored truck driving team who basically work an obscure and out of the way route that proceeds to give them no problems.
As we are establishing ourselves with the protagonists, we get inserted sequences of Stallone, who plays elite criminal Rook, and his team of thieves as they prep for an assault on what will be the truck James and Casey are in charge of. There is no backstory to our antagonists, but we just simply know they are the baddies who are going to do bad things and mess up our heroes’ day. Stallone is interspersed between scenes of Casey trying to stay connected with his father as he and his wife are expecting their first child, so it is unbalanced as we spend so much time with them and little with the big name draw of the movie.
The action ramps up a little when James and Casey take on their next haul which includes, wait for it, a mysterious case that is not on the manifest. Spoiler alert as this is the case that Rook and his crew are after, and they stage a daring heist on a remote bridge in the middle of nowhere and what culminates is a standoff as Rook and company try to get James and Casey out of the truck and surrender with the goods. Like I said, it’s essentially an outside Die Hard scenario on a bridge that is littered with plot holes and suspend disbelief moments leading up to the climax. I did like the Die Hard outside vibe going on here as most of the time this trope is secluded to some dingy warehouse or building but I was disappointed as it didn’t get as bombastic with the adrenaline and its execution as I would have hoped.
On paper, this scenario could have been a recipe for action cinema success, but the ball is fumbled throughout as we get long drawn-out scenes of talking punctuated with a few bursts of gunfire that is mostly forgettable. The action is simply choreographed and one note which all leads into a climax that fizzles upon execution.
There are also plot holes galore as the standoff, as mentioned, takes place on a bridge and even though it is remote, it’s hard to fathom that no one would come across this situation as it is also clear that houses are nearby. Surely someone would hear the numerous explosions and tracer fire that fills the day which would lead to the cops eventually showing up. Oh yeah, they do show up when all is said and done and those still alive just merely walk away. It is also a little confusing as Rook keeps imploring that he isn’t a killer but continually is prepared to let James and Casey die to get what he wants. It’s minefields in the plot like this that clearly show the issues going on here.
There are positives to be had here and even though Stallone is well underutilized, he still has massive presence in his scenes that he is in, and he does get to fire off with his weapon numerous times. I mean it’s still friggin’ Rambo on screen so he could have only been seen for a few minutes, and it still would have been chest thumping. The dynamic between James and Casey also breathes a little life into the story and we do spend enough time with them to want to see then survive their unfortunate ordeal. Patric is a great character actor and has even taken up the mantle of action star lately starring in other movies like The Prince, Shrapnel and The Losers. Patric has that likable, ordinary, everyday action hero aesthetic that works for him and his fans and is he is nothing if not believable in these types of roles as well as executing the action sequences. Josh Wiggins, who I did like in Max which I still watch to this day with my daughter, also does a fine job as Casey who is trying to reconnect with his father and include him in his baby’s life. Wiggins is the ray of positivity here and even when things go awry, he still has that little beacon of hope.
The best performance has to go to Ray Donovan‘s Dash Mihok who plays Stallone’s unhinged right-hand man who would just as easy kill James and Casey, blow up everything, steal the loot and call it a day. Mihok plays the role on his sleeve but never ventures to far off the beat and path where he could have become a comic book character, but you can tell he had fun playing the role and essentially becomes the film’s main antagonist for the ensuing finale where all bets are off.
In terms of action like I said, there are the usual shootouts and fiascos as the truck starts to take on water with Casey trapped and James doing his best to get him out. Hardcore action fans will scuff at the generic stunts, but I will say that real explosions were a nice touch to the proceedings. There is also a twist at the end that anyone can see coming and I truly wish that the filmmakers had stuck to their guns and saw the first two/thirds of the movie through. We get a blink, and you’ll miss it beatdown which ends with, again you guessed it, a twist that you saw coming from the initial opening minutes of the film. I won’t give anything away but let’s just say that they take the easy way out instead of going all in for what was happening. I will say this and that’s if you’re going to make Stallone the villain in a film, them by God make him go full on, all out depraved to the core. Now that would have been something.
All in all, Armor production issues aside, is essentially another disposable salvo in the long line of DTV actioners featuring big names. Stallone is underused but still manages to resonate a presence and Patric does his best in the lone hero category with Wiggins leading up the rear. Dash Mihok comes prepared and steals the show but the lackluster action and suspension of belief with a pothole filled synopsis dampen what could have been a real good time. This is clearly a fast watch if you’re looking for something on a rainy Saturday, but you would probably be more pressed to watch other, far better films that theses stars have been in the past. Those involved could have been braver and delivered something a little more hardcore but at the end of the day, things are played safe, and we get the ending I was expecting. This is disposable DTV action with a stellar cast that does what they can.
VERDICT: 2.5 Out of 5 Stars
Stallone, Patric and Company play it safe in another round of disposable DTV action with a little does of enjoyment that succumbs to the bad habits of today’s action cinema.
ARMOR will be in Theaters, On Digital and On Demand November 22, 2024.
