No thrills in this throwaway

"Armored"
One star

By Gary Buiso

“Armored” is a throwaway thriller whose stunning predictability is overshadowed only by the sheer boredom the film inspires.

Columbus Short plays Ty Hackett, an Iraq war veteran turned armored truck driver who is in danger of losing his home and custody of his teen brother, Jimmy (Andre Kinney). Money’s tight, mom and dad have recently passed, and in these tough economic times, Ty’s in a pickle.

Enter fellow driver Mike (Matt Dillon), el diablo on Ty’s shoulder who details a scheme to pull an inside job and steal the $42 million their crew is scheduled to transport. Ty is initially aghast at the suggestion, but quickly comes around — provided no one gets hurt. Ah, but these things rarely go as expected, and soon, a nosy homeless man is in the wrong place at the wrong time, a fresh-faced cop (Milo Ventimiglia) pokes his nose where he shouldn’t, and so on.

Director Nimrod Antal (who is helming the next installment in the “Predator” series) confines the action to small spaces, but unfortunately, there’s nothing very compelling going on there. The cast tries its best, but the script lets them founder.

In “Armored,” the only moment of surprise will be after 88 minutes, when audiences will feel as if they were the victims of a Hollywood heist.

“Armored.” Rated PG-13 for sequences of intense violence, some disturbing images and brief strong language. 88 minutes. With Matt Dillon, Columbus Short, Jean Reno, Laurence Fishburne, Amaury Nolasco, Fred Ward, and Milo Ventimiglia.

Playing at UA Court Street Stadium 12 in Downtown Brooklyn, UA Sheepshead Bay 14, Bay Ridge Alpine Cinemas, and Linden Boulevard Multiplex Cinemas in East New York.