Three independent films worth watching this 4th of July weekend.

Just because a film doesn't have a big budget doesn't mean it doesn't have big ideas or something to say.  Three films that I have seen in the last month have not only caught my attention but my imagination as well.

Chef - Comedy
First from Open Road Films is John Favreau's summer film "Chef.”  The film may not make tons of money, but it will make many people happy.  "Chef" is a story of one man's search for happiness and finding it at the most essential level: food, family, and personal self-worth.  "Chef" includes “Iron Man" alums Robert Downey Jr. and Scarlett Johansson in supporting roles.  But the big stars along with Favreau are Emjay Anthony, John Leguizamo, and Sofia Vergara.  The MPAA gave "Chef" an R rating for language, and some suggestive male bonding references.  The film runs just under 2 hours and worth every minute.

The Rover - Crime Drama

Secondly, I recommend the Australian film from A24 studios titled "The Rover.”  A carefully paced film that loves wide-open spaces, and with a sense of turmoil that burns below the surface.  Guy Pearce and Robert Pattinson star in a film that typifies Australian cinematic style with long periods of silence and then sudden bursts of violence that shatters the narrative and reminds the viewer that the world that we are wandering in. is a wilderness of pain and violence.  "The Rover" is a film about the search for humanity, civility and the safety of structure.  The film is violent and deserves its R rating, and runs about 1 hour and 40 minutes.

The Signal - Sci-Fi

Last, but not least is "The Signal" from the art house Focus films.  Director William Eubank takes us on a journey into the depths of conspiracies and into a world of interesting concepts.  Is it Alien contact, or is it something from "The Twilight Zone?"  That is the question "The Signal" asks.   The film stars Brenton Thwaites, Olivia Cooke and Laurence Fishburne star in this well-made stylish Science Fiction adventure.  "The Signal" is Science Fiction in its true form, unaltered by fantastical elements from fantasy or the horror genres.  If you don’t see “The Signal” in theaters, make sure that you catch it on Blu-ray or DVD. Rated PG-13 and runs 85 minutes.

Summer 2014 Independent Film | A Constantly Racing Mind

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Following The Signal Deep Into the Rabbit Hole

Thirty-two year-old writer, cinematographer, and director William Eubank ("Love") along with David Frigerio ("Wreckage") and Eubank's younger brother Carlyle Eubank, construct a Sci-Fi lover's cunning and surreal take on alien contact.  Both beautiful, and clever, "The Signal," does an excellent job of leading you further into the conspiracy and closer to the edge of your seat.  2014 is 25 year-old actor Brenton Thwaites' year.  In April, he starred with Karen Gillan in the horror film "Oculus" and had a small role as Prince Phillip in the Angelina Jolie's "Maleficent."  Later this year Thwaites stars in the long awaited adaptation of Lois Lowry's 1993 Newbery Medal award winner, "The Giver.”  In "The Signal," Thwaites plays Nic, a MIT student.  Laurence Fishburne ("The Matrix," "Event Horizon") takes on another risky role as Dr. Wallace Damon.  In supporting roles are Olivia Cooke ("The Quiet Ones") plays Haley, Nic's girlfriend, and Beau Knapp ("Super 8") is Nic and Haley's friend Jonah.  Nic and Jonah are MIT students driving Haley to California to deliver Haley to Caltech in Los Angeles.  

Nic has muscular dystrophy and needs to us crutches to walk, but Nic loves to run.  He loves the freedom of running, and director Eubanks beautifully starts his film with Nic jogging on a forest trail until he comes to a point where the way is blocked by a raging river.  He and Jonah are MIT students driving cross-country on their way to Caltech to help Nic's girlfriend Haley move before the next semester begins.  They're hackers who almost were expelled from MIT when the real hacker, who goes by the hacker name "Nomad," led the authorities in their direction.  While In a motel room, in the middle of the night, Nic and Jonah trace Nomad's IP address, his signal.  Only to have Haley's computer hacked by Nomad as a technological taunt.  Jonah is ready to take on Nomad, as they are only several hundred miles away, however, Nic is hesitant as he contemplates his girlfriend moving across country and knowing that his condition will worsen.  Although the film is only an hour and a half, director spends time in the first 15 to 20 minutes building character through flashbacks, short scenes of narrative building dialog, and views of the landscape that don't feel rushed but evenly paced.  However as we only get through know Haley and Jonah peripherally while focusing primarily on Nic. Olivia Cooke's Haley character is one dimensional and spends the last hour of the film in either a comatose state or in a state of semi consciousness.  The only real thing about Jonah that we learn is that he is extremely loyal. 

Although Nic is conflicted with the logical choice of not taking a risk and playing it safe by going straight through to Caltech, or to follow the signal which Jonah is sure will lead the to their hacker nemesis, he decides to track down Nomad and expose him for the MIT server hack.  Later that night, the three find themselves in front of a rundown shack off a dark dirt road in the middle of the Nevada desert.  Breaking all rules of common sense and one of the top five rules of horror films, they leave Haley in the car with the doors locked.  Jonah and Nic explore the seemingly empty house.  While searching the basement, the guys hear Haley's screams and Jonah runs up the stairs and Nic hobbles after him with his crutches, finding the car empty, and Haley gone.  Some chaotic shots and an image of Haley being tossed in the air as the scene cuts to black.

2.3.5.41

In contrast to the first 30 minutes, the second act is underground, sterile, and visually set against a slightly overexposed white background.  Nic, dazed, confused, and possibly drugged, is dressed in a hospital gown, and confined to a wheelchair is rolled into an interview room where he meets Dr. Wallace Damon (Fishburne).  In a thick padded hazmat suite, Damon questions Nic but offers no information.  Damon is cryptic and vague in his answers.  “Are you from Earth?”  Damon asks.  Nic who realizes that he can't feel his arms, asks Damon why.  Fishburne delivers the answer in a Kafka-esque manner, “Due to circumstances surrounding your condition, I’m afraid that our information is extremely limited.”  "The Signal" provides a new term to our UFO lexicon is Extraterrestrial Biological Entity or E.B.E.  The terms alien contagion, quarantine, and Damon's warning, "I can only you safe from them down here."  More importantly, in this supposedly high-tech research facility, Nic witnesses clocks stuck at 12:30, signs posted upside down, and Damon records the interview on a 1980's era cassette recorder.  Where is Jonah?  Damon's reply "We were unable to recover him," yet Nic converses with the disembodied voice of Jonah through the air-vents.  Nic also witnesses rooms splattered with blood, which the people in hazmat suits scrub down repeatedly.  While in an escape attempt, with the unconscious Haley in tow, Nic rounds a corner a strange experiment involving a cow.  Nobody other than Damon ever talk.  “Are you agitated?”

Laurence Fishburne is an accomplished actor whose roles range from a teenager caught up in the Vietnam War ("Apocalypse Now") to a murderous gang member in "Death Wish II.”  Fishburne's career shifted to Science Fiction in 1997 when he starred in Paul W. S. Anderson's Sci-Fi gothic horror film, "Event Horizon.”  He became a true household name in 1999 when he played the mystical, inspirational, and steadfast captain of the hovercraft Nebuchadnezzar in "The Matrix," "The Matrix Reloaded," and "The Matrix Revolutions."  In 2009, Fishburne played a bank robber in "Armored” and a mentally unbalanced alien planet castaway in "Predators," and a virologist for the CDC in "Contagion."  In 2013, he starred in the "The Colony," a film with some interesting but derivative post-apocalyptic ideas.  In "The Signal," Fishburne's Damon character is mysterious and leaves not only Nic confused, but agitated.  Nic and Damon have daily interrogations that leave Nic pissed on a daily basis.  When asked to match colored shapes Nic screams "...spectral colors of light are more important than their words.”  Or, infuriated by Damon's questions and lack of answers, Nic yells at Damon, "You are a relic protecting ruins."  Damon stays calm and nonplussed throughout the film.  Damon delivers his last line in the film in a familiar Morpheus-esque way.

"You have an extraordinary will to survive."

What keeps the audience from getting agitated with the twists and turns in the plot is Lin Shaye ("Insidious").  She plays a complete religious wacko who aid Nic and Haley.  She preaches to the two to "Take comfort in the thought that THEY are watching over us,” then turning her head upwards she gives an orgasmic vocalization.  When asked by Nic, who THEY are, she then strangely mutters something about "the coming hoards.”  Her demented character also tells the kids to "just push from the inside out!"  Her performance not only provides comic relief to what would be a very self-serious film, but also heightens the mystery of plot.

Eubank and company do an excellent job of combining their love of classic Sci-Fi tropes that brings themes of paranoia, identity, and of time and space, which also include elements from "The Bionic Man," "District Nine," "Dark Skies," and even the "Matrix.”  Composer Nima Fakhrara and cinematographer David Lanzenberg's visual choices of close-ups and medium shots give the characters and events a personal connection.  The sights and sound combine to present a visually stylish and musically relevant cinematic experience that reminds one to both versions of Stanislaw Lem's "Solaris.”  The special effects are top-notch in spite of tight budget constraints.  Brenton Thwaites shows us with each outing that he is capable of holding together not only a scene, but also a whole film.  His on-screen presence can be bold, but at time humorous and intimate.  Fishburne's performance, although quirky at times, lends weight to the offbeat conclusion to the film. 

"The Signal," although a low budget genre film, is conceptually and narratively solid.  Cinematically “The Signal” shoots for the stars but diverts strangely into the bizarre dimension of the “Twilight Zone."  Mainstream film critics won't care much for "The Signal," however; Science-Fiction fans will enjoy the familiarity and homage of certain archetypes.  Lawrence Fishburne will be the biggest draw, however, Brenton Thwaites is courageous with his performance, and that boldness is as intense as Fishburne’s stoicism.  "The Signal" is Science Fiction in its true form, unaltered by fantastical elements from fantasy or the horror genres.  If you don’t see “The Signal” in theaters, make sure that you catch it on Blu-ray or DVD.

Movie Data

Genre: Sci-Fi, Thriller

Year:  2014

Staring: Brenton Thwaites, Olivia Cooke, Beau Knapp, Laurence Fishburne

Director: William Eubank

Producer(s): Tyler Davidson, Brian Kavanaugh-Jones

Writer: David Frigerio, Carlyle Eubank

Rating: PG-13

Running Time: 95 minutes

Release Date:  6/13/2014

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The Colony

Once again 2013 seems to be a year of duplicate films. In a bid to capitalize on the Global Warming theme, two movies are debuting this year with similar concepts but different plots and different themes. In "Snowpiercer" the remnants of humanity survive on a train, speeding around the world in hopes of finding a place to colonize, while in "The Colony," there exists small underground settlements hunkering down during the inevitable ice age. The film stars Laurence Fishburne ("The Matrix," "Event Horizon") and Bill Paxton ("Aliens," "Predator 2")

The year is 2045 and instead of dealing with a developing gap in social class structure, "The Colony" focuses humanity's attempt at battling the forces of nature, finding ways to grow the food needed for survival, dealing with injuries, and disease. The story follows the inhabitants of Colony 7, commanded by Briggs (Laurence Fishburne) and Mason (Bill Paxton). 

In the International trailer (above) Colony 7 gets an emergency call from Colony 5 seeking assistance. Briggs decides that he will lead a team to travel to the beleaguered colony and investigate. They find the colony overrun by cannibals and upon returning, Mason (Paxton) has taken over the colony. 

Composer Jeff Danna provides the score for "The Colony." Danna has worked on films such as "Silent Hill," and "Resident Evil: Apocalypse."

The Colony has a U.S. release date of September 20th, 2013. Canada had a limited release on April 12, 2013. "The Colony" is a Canadian production.

Movie Data

Genre: Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller

Year:  2013

Staring: Laurence Fishburne, Kevin Zegers, Bill Paxton

Director: Jeff Renfroe

Producer(s):  Paul Barkin, Matthew Cervi, Pierre Even, Marie-Claude Poulin

Writer: Patrick Tarr, Jeff Renfroe, Svet Rouskov, Pascal Trottier

Rating: Not Rated
Running Time: 90 minutes

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The Man of Steel ~ Superman In The Age Of Reason

"The Hopes and Dreams of Krypton travel with you." ~ Jor-El

Zack Snyder's “Man of Steel” is Superman in the age of reason.  There comes a time when humanity turns it back on our myths and tries to explain our world logically.  Humanity has started to look for scientific explanations to our existence, and now is the cinematic trend where our beloved heroes and those dastardly villains seem wanting for reason.  Superman, one of America's most iconic superhero is undergoing such a treatment.  The character of Clark Kent has always been one of some conflict and a touch of angst.  In the 1970's version of "Superman" played by Christopher Reeve, we witnessed a character always knowing the right thing to do without a lot of conflict.  Today, Henry Cavill of Showtime's "The Tudors" and 2011’s “Immortals” is now in the title role, as an even more deeply conflicted character.  Produced by "The Dark Knight" franchise director, Christopher Nolan, and with a story written by David S. Goyer, Zack Snyder ("Sucker Punch," "Watchmen," and "300") provide a new story of Kal-El. David S. Goyer's story takes the point of view of an alien living and growing up in a human world.  This treatment works well in drawing a fresh outline of a character that has been around since the first third of the last century.  However, most folks won't find too many issues with the story.  If anything, one may take issue with Henry Cavill taking on a role that for many was very clearly 'owned' by Christopher Reeve.  Amy Adams, star of 2007's "Enchanted" is Lois Lane.  The “Man of Steel” runs 2 hours and 43 minutes and is Rated PG- 13.

Keeping with the tradition of not announcing Superman in the new iconic Superman outfit displayed proudly in promotional material for the last few months until about an hour into the film.  In fact, we start our reboot in glorious visions of the planet Krypton.  Snyder shows us, not the crystalline structures of Richard Donner's Krypton, but an alien world, where the people of Krypton, are at one with the creatures of their planet.  We come into this world in a time of great trouble.  Unlike their ancestors who traveled the holy void of space looking for worlds to colonize, the rulers of Krypton have turned inward to their own planet searching for resources to maintain their planet.  Not unlike planet Earth, the planet Krypton, not only starts to breakdown, but also is at an advanced stage.  We also learn that like Huxley's "Brave New World," Kryptonians are genetically bred for specific roles in society, thus removing the thing we humans cherish, and struggle with all the time, the thing we call choice.  After pleading with Krypton's ruling council to stop the destruction of their planet, and realizing that the end draws nigh, the planet's head scientist, Jor-El (Russell Crowe), and his wife Lara (Ayelet Zurer) send their only begotten son to Earth.  Enter General Zod, a being bred for martial leadership.  In light of what he sees happening to his planet, decides to take control of the planet in a military coup and start a military pogrom to cleanse the Kryptonian race.  Zod, played by Michael Shannon, plays the General more as professional soldier rather than an insane evil villain.  I think Shannon's portrayal is spot on for this day and age, and in context with current world politics.

Some folks might find spending time on Superman's origins on Krypton, is a tired and unnecessary part of the Superman mythos.  I disagree, I have found in my discussions of film, that a newer generation of young adults are unaware of the 1970 and 80’s franchise, which captured the imaginations of those of us now much older and wiser.  As this is a reboot of a franchise, the origin story is necessary.  However, Snyder and Goyer make a wise choice in not telling this story linearly.  Instead, they use the flashback to keep the story moving forward, only pausing to reflect back to the character known for most of the film as both Clark (Kent) and Kal-El, or just Kal.  Avoiding the pop-cultural linking with the television show "Smallville," Snyder, jumps directly to Clark Kent as young man searching the world.  Like Bruce Wayne, traveling the world and searching for not only his identity, he is also searching for the reason of his existence in this world; he is also searching for his soul.

It at this point, that the character of Lois Lane makes an appearance.  Unlike the starry-eyed Margot Kidder, Adams is down to earth, bright, and perky.  In the "Man of Steel" Clark doesn't play the mild mannered reporter at the Daily Planet.  Instead, Lois Lane discovers Kent to be the alien among us and the dynamic grows from there.  Reporting to her boss Perry White (Lawrence Fishburne), that she found an alien, White knows that the implications have deeper roots in culture and society in terms of the nature and existence of God.  Not wanting to throw the world into a moral crisis, he shuts Lane down.  David Goyer's script examines the character of Superman as; what if an alien, illegal or otherwise came to this world?  Would we welcome it, as we did in our innocence of the last century, welcoming the man in the blue suit and red cape as a hero?  Or, as a potential threat to the existence of humankind.  Either way as theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking has said, "If aliens ever visit us, I think the outcome would be much as when Christopher Columbus first landed in America, which didn't turn out very well for the Native Americans." 

Hope

Existential in nature, but not lacking in action in any way, shape, or form, we find that a lot of the story deals with the relationships between Clark/Kal and his two fathers.  A deep conflict for Clark comes from having those two fathers.  At this point, as I am sure many other folks will, I mention that we have a film that gives us more science that explains, compares, and contrasts the differences and similarities between the people of both Krypton and Earth, we find a very deep subtext of Judeo-Christian thought running throughout the film.  Gratefully, for humanity’s sake, Clark was found by the loving couple of Jonathan (Kevin Costner) and Martha (Diane Lane) Kent.  The Kents teach him Bible belt values that are traditionally at the heart of who Superman is.  Clark's earthly father, teach him to control his emotions, to hide his strength, to hone his sense of morality and wait for the day that the human race would come to accept him. Jonathon had a sense of destiny and that the time was coming when humanity would need a savior.  Using flashbacks as a story telling technique, is interesting in "The Man of Steel," because it allows us to see Jonathon Kent who is no longer with us in present time, but allow us to see the impact that he has had in Clark's life. 

"You will give the people of Earth an ideal to strive towards.  They will race behind you.  They will stumble.  They will fall.  But in time, they will join you in the sun.  In time, you will help them accomplish wonders.”  — Jor-El

However, Kal-El has an unearthly father.  Jor-El is kept alive as a preserved conscious (the least plausible idea in the film) discusses with Clark the nature of the cosmos, the history of Krypton, and who, and what General Zod’s plans are.  In the 1970's, Marlon Brando was approached to play the part of Jor-El in Richard Donner/Christopher Reeve version of "Superman.”  Brando, as the story goes, refused, unless he too could wear the iconic "S" on his chest, as sort of a family crest.  Today, that family symbol has morphed into something more than just the crest of the house of El.  It is a symbol of hope.  In keeping with the Judeo-Christian undercurrent, the name "El" is the supreme God in Canaanite tradition, and in Hebrew tradition, with various suffixes and prefixes mean roughly the God of Abraham before he revealed himself as Yahweh.  I just thought that you should know that.  Jor-El also discusses with his son the big questions of life, death, mortality, and the central theme of hope.  The balance of these two excellent actors playing Clark's fathers is done skillfully and deftly as they guide their son, give him the knowledge, and the support that he needs.  I found this aspect very intriguing.

Henry Cavill plays Clark Kent very differently than Reeve played him in the late 70's.  Chris Reeve was the lovable, clumsy, and humorous Clark Kent, however, when donning his cape, he becoming the confident man of steel, Superman, and this may be the hard part for some viewers.  Letting go of Christopher Reeve, with his charm, personality, his charisma, and most of all his bravery in his personal life, may be the hard part in watching Cavill in this role.  I do think that Henry Cavill, while he fits the role, he seems to be constantly in deep thought, weighing out his choices.  I must admit I was happy with his performance.  His portrayal was less amusing, definitely serious, yet convincing, and the role leaves Cavill/Clark/Superman with plenty of room for development, especially with the perky Lois Lane.

"No matter how violent, how cruel, every action I take is for the greater good of my people.”  ~ General Zod

When it comes to action scenes, Zack Snyder knows his way around digital effects, uses them effectively, and gives the “Man of Steel” a turbo boost in action as he zooms to do battle with General Zod.  From beginning to end, there is plenty of action.  In the action scenes on Krypton, Jor-El becomes Maximus for just a moment, in the fight for the life of his son.  Action scenes as Clark through his travels, and as a small boy, struggles to maintain an identity, but finding it impossible to allow others to suffer or die.  It takes the man, Clark Kent, 33 years, to find his father who comes from the heavens and don the suit with symbol of the house of El and reveal himself to the world.  If this sounds familiar, it is, you get 10 brownie points for remembering your Sunday school lessons.  Decked out in his Superman outfit, he does battle with Zod in space, in Kansas, and in the heart of Metropolis.  The collateral damage seemed like it was enough to send humanity back into the Stone Age.  Think "War of the Worlds" with someone actually being able to fight back.  Take the amount and speed of the action of "Iron Man 3" and "Star Trek" and roll them together and you have "The Man of Steel,” and at this point you may be thinking that this probably a bit too much, one begins to have a sense of visual and emotional overload.  I had this issue with Michael Bay's last "Transformer" film.  I started to get tired, and bored.  Fortunately, Snyder's directing and Goyer's script keep it from getting that far; barely.

Throughout the "Man of Steel," Hans Zimmer's score reflects the mood, anticipates the action, and delivers the crescendos with perfecting timing.  I liked the music very much and parts were memorable and moving.  When Krypton burns, the violins play sadly in the background as the planet consumes Kal-El's mother Laura.  The brass booms as Zod confronts the son of Jor-El.  All this is good, however, there is one thing missing.  I have to admit, however, that as much as it is beautiful, as much as it reflects a dying planet, and yet a hope for the future, Hans Zimmer's theme for the "Man of Steel" leaves me rather lacking.  What is missing is a memorable "Man of Steel" theme song.  When John William's brassy "Superman" theme came on, you knew damn well it was Superman.  I didn't find that here.  Oh, well.

There is already talk about a sequel to "The Man of Steel" and I don't blame them.  There is more to this Superman to explore, deeper thoughts, more science, less myth and more chances of the Clark and Lois relationship to develop.  "The Man of Steel" is a fun film that sets down the roots properly to move the Superman character firmly into the 21st century.

The countdown is over "Man of Steel"  is in theaters now starting this Friday, June 14th.

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Man of Steel Goes International
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Man of Steel Two New Television Trailers (TV Spots #9 & #10)
Man of Steel Trailer #8
Man of Steel Trailer #7 
Man of Steel Trailer #6
Man of Steel - Fate Of Your Planet Trailer
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Man of Steel ~ New Posters & Trailer
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Man of Steel Hans Zimmer's Score

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Man of Steel Trailer #3

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Movie Data

Genre: Action, Sci-Fi

Year: 2013

Staring: Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Russell Crowe, Michael Shannon, Laurence Fishburne

Director: Zack Snyder

Producer(s): Christopher Nolan, Charles Roven, Deborah Snyder, Emma Thomas

Writer: David S. Goyer

Rating: PG-13

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Armored

There are no bad guys, just good people making poor choices.

"Armored" is a movie worth watching just for Columbus Short’s performance. Although billed as an action film, "Armored" is unquestionably a study of the human character. Starring Matt Dillon (Crash), Jean Reno ("La Femme Nikita," "Couples Retreat"), Lawrence Fishburne ("CSI," "Matrix"), and Columbus Short ("The Losers"), portray a highly trusted team of security guards. As a member of Eagle security, they are charged with the delivery of millions of dollars of cash from the U.S. Reserve Bank to the local branch of various banks, decide to take 42 million dollars for themselves, and fake a hijack. When the plan goes wrong, each man will need to decide what kind of person he is. Most importantly, what kind of men do they want to be? Action packed, suspenseful, "Armored" is ultimately psychological film, and what motivates men to make the choices that they do. Written by James V. Simpson, "Armored" is his homage to heist film that have come before.

Directed by Nimród Antal, "Armored" is simply a story of a bank heist gone wrong. The opening of the film is a staged heist to celebrate rookie Ty Hackett's end of his probation as a new Armored security guard. At a bar celebrating Hackett's promotion from rookie to full guard with Eagle Shield security service, the members tell Hackett 'war stories' of famous heists of days gone by. The best and final story is about a heist in 1988 where the guards in that heist were ambushed and forced to hand over the cash. The assailants were never caught, and the money never found. Rookie security guard Ty Hackett (Columbus Short), an Iraq war veteran who is fighting the bank from foreclosure, discusses his situations with his go father, mentor, and friend of his father, Mike Cochrone (Dillon). Matt Dillon, in the familiar role of hardworking everyman, plans the heist along with fellow guards, Reno, Fishburne, and the rest of their team. Lawrence Fishburne plays the over zealous, gun toting, trigger-happy security guard named Baines. Quiet, with the reserved confidence of skilled security veteran, Jean Reno plays Quinn, a dependable member of the team. The rest of the actors portray unremarkable characters that have their moments. Armored’s main conflict is between Ty and his best friend, Mike. Ty initially turns down the idea of heisting 40 million dollars in a fake heist, but after coming home to find a Child Protection Services woman at his home and ready to take his 16-year-old brother from his custody, Hackett agrees to go along with the heist. The heist goes well until the thieves with the 40 million split in two Armored cars arrive at an abandoned warehouse. While transferring the money to a hiding place in the warehouse, the group discovers that they are not alone. Hiding in the warehouse, is a homeless guy, seeking shelter from the L.A. heat, tries to escape. Not wanting any witnesses Baines shoots the man, wounding him. Hackett's moral fiber returns, and figuring that the robbery has gone too far, as and his friend, and mentor Mike promised him that no one gets hurt, finishes off the homeless man. Hackett locks himself in the Armored car, and although he knows that, they are in a cell phone, and radio dead zone hopes to hold out until the group is over due with the security company. "Armored" is a battle of wills between right and wrong.

I honestly had a hard time writing this review. Not because, this is an awful film, quite the contrary this film is well made, the story is straight forward, and the acting is reasonable, and in other words, unremarkable. The film's shining moments come, neither from the action scenes nor from explosions, but they come from the fine acting by Columbus Short as Ty Hackett. As each member of this impromptu group of thieves' elaborately simple plan unravels, each actor has their moment to show some character development; however, those moments are short and few. The concept that the writers and director wanted to get across was that there are no bad guys in this movie, just good people making poor choices. That is where I believe Armored is the weakest. With no truly admirable characters to go up against truly villainous characters then the story is essentially flawed and weak. Less than 1.5 hours, Armored is worth watching only for Columbus Short's performance.

Movie Data

Genre:  Crime, Thiller
Year:  2009
Staring: Matt Dillon,Jean Reno, Laurence Fishburne
Director: Nimród Antal
Producer(s) Joshua Donen, Dan Farah, Sam Raimi
Writer: ames V. Simpson
Rating: PG-13

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