'Armor' is a Real Turkey of a Film

         On November 22, 2024, Lionsgate released 'Armor', which has received negative reviews from critics and seems destined to become yet another turkey in the filmography for it's co-lead, Sylvester Stallone. In the film, "Academy Award Nominee Sylvester Stallone and Jason Patric star in an action-packed thriller about the lengths one man will go to save what's left of his family and reclaim his own life. James and his son Casey are armored truck drivers tasked with delivering a suspicious package. After a violent ambush on the road, James and Casey are trapped until they discover the value of what they have been carrying and join forces to outgun and outwit their attackers." But what did the critics say?

        Aidan Kelley of Collider says, "Where Lionsgate's other ill-fated action ventures like Borderlands and The Crow might be remembered as examples of what not to do for an action film, Armor may not even be remembered at all." Adding, "Armor's biggest strength is its lead character, James, and that's largely thanks to a solid performance from Jason Patric. James is the only character in the film who is given any sort of meaningful development, even if his alcoholic tendencies can be quite cliché and sometimes even downright goofy (such as the way he stores his secret stash of booze in the fridge). Despite the character's shortcomings, Patric still delivers a more than passable performance as a scared father who is trying to do everything to protect his family."

Photo by Alex Kalligas on Unsplash

       Avi Offer of NYC Movie Guru notes, "James (Jason Patric) and his son, Casey (Josh Wiggins) work as armored truck drivers fight for their lives when a gang of thieves, Smoke (Dash Mihok), Echo (Josh Whites) and Viper (Jeff Chase), led by Rook (Sylvester Stallone), ambush their truck and trap them on a bridge in Armor. Co-writers Cory Todd Hughes and Adrian Speckert take a simple premise and turn it into a meandering, dull and uninspired blend of drama and action with not nearly enough thrills. They try to humanize James and Casey by providing them with a backstory involving a tragic event that's the cause of James' feelings of guilt and shame as well as his alcoholism and rocky relationship with Casey. James is trying his best to get on the right track by going to AA meetings. The ambush will put his relationship with Casey to the test. Is there not enough dramatic tension within their dysfunctional relationship to propel the plot? If only it were the meat of the story instead of the ambush which is the least compelling part of the film. Rook remains a boring, underwritten villain, and the ending tries to be un-Hollywood and surprising, but doesn't make much sense in hindsight and becomes a weak, lazy ending that feels like a cop-out. The action scenes are lackluster and the dialogue sounds bland without comic relief that would've provided much-needed levity. Talented actor Josh Wiggins, who also stars in the super dramas Hellion and Giant Little Ones, deserves better material than this. At a running time of 1 hour and 29 minutes, Armor, directed by Justin Routt, opens at Cinema Village and on VOD via Lionsgate." Photo by Alex Kalligas on Unsplash

'City of Dreams' Impresses Critics

Photo by Wyron A on Unsplash

         On August 30, 2024, Roadside Attractions releases 'City of Dreams', which has earned rave reviews from critics, currently holding at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. In the film, "Jesús, a young Mexican boy whose dreams of becoming a soccer star are shattered when he's trafficked across the border and sold to a sweatshop making fast fashion in downtown Los Angeles. Thrust into a world of exploitation and despair, he's forced to adhere to the grueling work schedule dictated by El Jefe, a boss who promises freedom for those who complete their quotas. Despite Jesús' hellish existence, he finds solace in Elena, a girl who was similarly betrayed and sold into slavery. When she goes missing and another co-worker Carlitos is severely beaten, Jesús realizes that the only way to save himself and the others is to fight back, even if it costs him his life." The ensemble cast includes Ari Lopez, Renata Vaca, Alfredo Castro, Paulina Gaitán, Jason Patric, and Diego Calva. But what did the critics say?

        Sebastian Zavala Kahn of Me gusta el cine writes, "It manages to show us a side of the textile industry that surely many people would like to ignore. It is not a traditionally entertaining experience, but one that, despite not being for everyone, is worth seeing." Adding, "Jason Patric’s Stevens repeatedly tries to investigate the house where Jesus works, and even gets close enough to the boy to nearly save him. But time and again, he is stopped by his superiors — when this kind of abuse is protected by the people in power, from the police captain to the town mayor, what can you do? “Dreamer’s” eventual response is a bit naïve, and could even feel like a surprisingly optimistic conclusion. But at least it allows the film to end in a satisfying way, as if to make up for all the suffering we’ve seen before."

       Lissete Lanuza Sáenz of Fangirlish notes, "Dreamer is not just a story that glorifies people’s perseverance through pain, it’s a story about bad circumstances and how people do their best to survive."

        Peter Gray of The AU Review praises the film, stating, "Sadly, but also quite truthfully, it’s a harsh drama that touches on the subjects of immigration, human trafficking, and one’s own determination in fighting for what’s right – even if that’s at the expense of your own existence." Continuing, "Given Dreamer‘s relentlessness in showcasing brutality (some of the imagery present is truly wince-inducing) this won’t be an experience for everyone.  It will obviously speak to immigrants and people of colour in a much more affective manner – a viewpoint I have no right in commenting on – but there’s still a universality to Ramchandani’s overall narrative in that fighting for your own freedom is a temperament we should all share."

       Thomas Stoneham-Judge of ForReel Movie News And Reviews says, "As one who admires when one-takes and first person filming are utilized effectively in film, the way Dreamer is filmed is the type of packaging for this story that greatly appealed to me as a viewer." Concluding, "As entertaining as portions of this film might be however, Dreamer is not for the faint of heart. With these glimmers of hope that Jesus clings to - the dream he has of being a soccer player, the relationship he develops with a female worker, and the plans he makes to escape - there is a deeply distressing side of the tale as well. Punishment in this environment is relentless, and Dreamer does not shy away from gruesome sequences of extreme abuse. Perhaps off putting to some, the choice to be explicit in the violence that ensues drives home the desperation of the situation Jesus and his fellow workers find themselves in."