The perfect crime—victimless, nonviolent and undetectable—goes terribly awry in the no-holds-barred, action-packed thriller Armored. A crew of armored truck guards executes a meticulously planned robbery of their own security firm, but when their seemingly foolproof plan unravels, the men turn against each other as they desperately try to save themselves.
After the death of his parents, Ty Hackett (Columbus Short) returns from active duty in Iraq to face a stack of unpaid medical bills, a mortgage and the responsibility for his 14-year-old brother, Jimmy (Andre Jamal Kinney). Ty signs on as a guard at Eagle Shield Security, the same armored car service his father worked for. Under the tutelage of his godfather, Chief Officer Michael Cochrane (Matt Dillon), Ty trains for a grueling and often dangerous new career.
On the last day of his probationary period, his co-workers take the young man out for a congratulatory celebration. Over a couple of beers, they trade anecdotes, reveal loopholes in the security system, and discuss failed robberies and successful heists.
Cochrane has the topper: an unsolved holdup in Texas that he believes he knows the answer to. The only way it could have happened, he says, is if the guards themselves staged the robbery.
Driving Ty home later, Cochrane reveals that the incident he was talking about inspired him to plan the perfect crime. With a pickup of $42 million dollars coming up, Cochrane proposes to slip away from the route, stash the money in an abandoned warehouse and call in a holdup. No victims, no bad guys and no clues.
All it will take to make six men wealthier than their wildest dreams is the cooperation of every guard involved. Cochrane has already convinced the others: impulsive, hotheaded Baines (Laurence Fishburne); quiet but intense Quinn (Jean Reno); high-strung, vulnerable Dobbs (Skeet Ulrich) and born-again ex-con Palmer (Amaury Nolasco). Ty is all that stands between them and their plans for a better life. Initially Ty refuses to even consider robbing his employer, but the threat of losing his house to the bank and his brother to foster care convinces him to join his co-workers, under one condition—Cochrane must assure him that no one will get hurt.
On the big day, the pickup of the cash goes smoothly. After checking in with their dispatcher, the men make the brief detour to their selected hiding place. In high spirits, they move quickly to unload the money, but an unexpected interruption changes the game plan. With millions of dollars at risk and their futures on the line, the crew scrambles to salvage what they can and, in one tragic moment, everything changes. Armored stars Matt Dillon (Crash), Jean Reno (The Da Vinci Code), Laurence Fishburne (The Matrix), Amaury Nolasco (“Prison Break”), Fred Ward (Sweet Home Alabama), Milo Ventimiglia (“Heroes”), Skeet Ulrich (“Jericho”) and Columbus Short (Stomp the Yard).
The film is written by James V. Simpson and directed by Nimrod Antal (Vacancy). Producers are Joshua Donen (Drag Me to Hell) and Dan Farah (Visioneers), with Debra James (I Know What Boys Like) and Russell Hollander (Good Luck Chuck) as executive producers. The director of photography is Andrzej Sekula (Pulp Fiction). Production designer is Jon Gary Steele (Quarantine). Editor is Armen Minasian (I, Robot). Costume designer is Maya Lieberman (Obsessed). Music is by John Murphy (The Last House on the Left). Casting is by David H. Rapaport, CSA and Lindsey Hayes Kroeger, CSA (The Final Destination).
