Armored
A crew of officers at an armored transport security firm risk their lives when they embark on the ultimate heist against their own company. Armed with a seemingly fool-proof plan, the men plan on making off with a fortune with harm to none. But when an unexpected witness interferes, the plan quickly unravels and all bets are off.
Working with a respectable budget of $20.0M, the film achieved a steady performer with $22.9M in global revenue (+15% profit margin).
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
Armored (2009) exemplifies carefully calibrated story structure, characteristic of Nimród Antal's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 28 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.2, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Ty Hackett
Mike Cochrone
Baines
Quinn
Palmer
Dobbs
Main Cast & Characters
Ty Hackett
Played by Columbus Short
A war veteran and struggling guardian of his younger brother who joins an armored truck company. Faces moral crisis when pressured into a heist.
Mike Cochrone
Played by Matt Dillon
Veteran armored truck guard and father figure to Ty. Orchestrates the inside heist of $42 million but struggles with the violence it unleashes.
Baines
Played by Laurence Fishburne
Cold and ruthless member of the heist crew. Most willing to use violence to protect the plan and eliminate witnesses.
Quinn
Played by Jean Reno
French member of the armored truck crew who participates in the heist. More reluctant than Baines but still complicit in the crime.
Palmer
Played by Amaury Nolasco
Member of the heist crew who participates in the robbery. Shows some hesitation but follows through with the plan.
Dobbs
Played by Skeet Ulrich
Experienced guard and member of the heist crew. Participates in the robbery plan alongside his colleagues.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Ty Hackett struggles financially as an Iraq war veteran and armored truck guard, facing foreclosure on his family home while caring for his younger brother Jimmy.. Of particular interest, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 11 minutes when Mike approaches Ty with a plan to stage a fake heist of their own trucks, stealing $42 million and blaming it on non-existent criminals. The crew would split the money and solve all their problems.. At 12% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 22 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This demonstrates the protagonist's commitment to Ty agrees to participate in the heist, crossing the moral line and actively joining the crew's criminal plan, betraying his principles out of desperation., moving from reaction to action.
At 43 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 49% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Notably, this crucial beat A homeless witness named Jake appears unexpectedly at the mill. Mike murders him in cold blood despite Ty's protests, transforming the "victimless" crime into murder and revealing Mike's true ruthlessness., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 65 minutes (74% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, The crew successfully breaches Ty's truck and he appears to be killed in an explosion. Mike believes Ty is dead, representing the "death" of Ty's hope and the complete moral collapse of his former mentor., reveals the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 70 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Ty realizes he must stop the crew and expose the truth to protect Jimmy and honor his father's legacy. He chooses to fight back with integrity rather than survival at any cost., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Armored's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs systematic plot point analysis that identifies crucial turning points. By mapping Armored against these established plot points, we can identify how Nimród Antal utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Armored within the action genre.
Nimród Antal's Structural Approach
Among the 3 Nimród Antal films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.0, reflecting strong command of classical structure. Armored represents one of the director's most structurally precise works. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Nimród Antal filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional action films include The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, The Bad Guys and Lake Placid. For more Nimród Antal analyses, see Predators, Vacancy.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Ty Hackett struggles financially as an Iraq war veteran and armored truck guard, facing foreclosure on his family home while caring for his younger brother Jimmy.
Theme
Mike Cochrone, Ty's godfather and mentor, tells him "Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do to take care of family" - establishing the film's central moral question about compromising principles for survival.
Worldbuilding
Introduction to Ty's world: his financial struggles, custody battle for Jimmy, the armored truck company and crew dynamics, his father's legacy of integrity, and mounting pressure from social services.
Disruption
Mike approaches Ty with a plan to stage a fake heist of their own trucks, stealing $42 million and blaming it on non-existent criminals. The crew would split the money and solve all their problems.
Resistance
Ty wrestles with the decision, initially refusing but gradually worn down by financial pressure, custody threat, and persuasion from Mike and the crew who present it as victimless and foolproof.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Ty agrees to participate in the heist, crossing the moral line and actively joining the crew's criminal plan, betraying his principles out of desperation.
Mirror World
Ty's relationship with Jimmy serves as the thematic mirror - Jimmy represents innocence and the moral compass Ty is supposed to uphold, reminding him of their father's values and what's truly at stake.
Premise
The heist begins and initially goes according to plan as the crew executes the robbery at an abandoned steel mill, loading millions into their personal vehicles. The "fun" of pulling off the crime unfolds.
Midpoint
A homeless witness named Jake appears unexpectedly at the mill. Mike murders him in cold blood despite Ty's protests, transforming the "victimless" crime into murder and revealing Mike's true ruthlessness.
Opposition
Ty refuses to go along with the murder cover-up and barricades himself in one of the armored trucks. The crew turns on him, attempting to kill him and destroy evidence while police begin investigating the scene.
Collapse
The crew successfully breaches Ty's truck and he appears to be killed in an explosion. Mike believes Ty is dead, representing the "death" of Ty's hope and the complete moral collapse of his former mentor.
Crisis
Ty, having barely escaped, is wounded and alone. He processes the betrayal by those he trusted and contemplates how completely his attempt to save his family has destroyed everything he stands for.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Ty realizes he must stop the crew and expose the truth to protect Jimmy and honor his father's legacy. He chooses to fight back with integrity rather than survival at any cost.
Synthesis
Ty systematically outsmarts the crew using his military training and knowledge of their tactics. He exposes their crime to police, confronts Mike in a final showdown, and ensures the truth comes to light.
Transformation
Ty reunites with Jimmy, having lost the house but kept his integrity and soul. He stands as the man his father raised him to be, proving that doing the right thing matters more than financial security.