Thieves Highway centers on lawless men trying to take what isn’t theirs, with one man standing in their way. It’s a prime piece of action filmmaking.

A good old-fashioned Western (cattle thieves, deputized citizens, slugfests) in a modern context. Eckhart anchors the film with a world-weary, classic sense of morality.

Johnson and Mills do some fun maneuvering with their characters and Eckhart is a sturdy enough lead. But the storytelling takes too many shortcuts and the overall lack of suspense keeps us one step ahead.

Never delivers nail-biting moments, but most of the feature is functional, especially for those who enjoy this type of quickie entertainment. And there’s a touch of toughness to appreciate when the material eventually runs out of ideas.