Malone, un tueur en enfer

There are some films that miss whatever target they are aiming for yet somehow are just great fun to watch. Malone, a fairly obvious updating of Shane, reaches deeply in to the duffers bag of clichés to pull out; the burnt out assassin, the beautiful former colleague, cute teenage girl and her brave but crippled father and, of course, a nutter who along with his evil henchmen are bent on taking over the government. Starting with the most inept of the baddie's henchmen Malone is gradually drawn in to the fight until he achieves his final pyrrhic victory and moves on. Burt Reynolds is actually not a bad actor when he's not trying to be 'a good old boy' all the time. Cliff Roberstson goes jarringly over the top. Laurren Hutton is beautiful, brave and loyal. Cynthia Gib is cute as apple pie in a see-through nightie and the much miss-used Scott Wilson does exactly what he needs to do. So why is this not a good movie? Dunno. There is nothing obviously wrong with the film. It doesn't look cheap, everyone hits their marks and speaks the lines. The end is a bit over the top and perhaps people were reluctant to let Burt Reynolds be serious. Never mind, I've added it to my list of films to be watch every time they turn up in the schedule and I guess I'll just continue to enjoy it for what it is, a good bad movie.

Burt Reynold's might go low-key and solemn for his performance in "Malone", but when it came to delivering the action… it's a full-on assault. Slow-motion and shotgun = win-win. And that sequence is beautifully staged… for action fans. "Malone" is a moodily straight- face, if ridiculously plotted late 80s action fodder. Something very different to what Reynolds was participating in within this 80s period. Fans of "Sharky's Machine" might just dig it, because of the violence and a non-mugging Reynolds.

Still what stood out to me just how closely it followed Clint Eastwood's formula in the 1985 western "Pale Rider", especially the connection the between the young impressionable girl (the delightful Cynthia Gibb) and the ex-CIA hit-man drifter who unwillingly gets caught up a small town drama. That was a western, but here it takes a modern-day approach but the western vibe of a mysterious stranger coming into town lingers heavily. Someone escaping their past, trying to get by to only find themselves bringing unwanted attention. The script is rather slapdash and some story arches are questionable (main character's ability to heal), contrived and incredibly silly. Like that of Hutton's assassin, in what feels like nothing more than to push the plot along and add motivation.

Malone was a CIA hit-man who suddenly calls it quits despite the disapproval of his bosses. This leads him to hitting the road to escape his past, but he finds himself stranded in a small town when his car breaks down. For the time being he stays with the mechanic and his daughter until its repaired, but its not a peaceful stay as he comes to blows with a pitiless land developer with very ambitious political interest in seeing America weed out its traitors.

For most part "Malone" is predictable, stoic and casually paced with quick bursts of brutal, heated violence. However this all changes when it becomes personal for Reynold's hit-man, as the crackerjack climatic showdown feels like something out of a comic book James Bond outing. Nonetheless some scenes do pack a punch and the striking sequence of Reynold's coming out of the shadows to confront Cliff Robertson's callously patriotic bad-guy is a marvellous touch. You gotta love his paranoid ramblings and the extreme lengths he goes to. Robertson nails down the puppeteer character with great intent, despite a certain hammy glee to his grandeur viper illustration. There's some good support from the likes of Scott Wilson, Lauren Hutton, Kenneth McMillan, Alex Diakun, Phillip Anglim, Dennis Burkley and character actor Tracy Walter who has a very memorable encounter with the title character.

Director Harley Cokeliss' plain direction is sturdy without showing much style, despite his use of slow-motion and capturing shots of an attractive valley backdrop.

Going back to serious roots, Reynold's "Malone" is sober, tough and mindless action.

"Are you so important?"

Ex-CIA hit-man running from his past (Richard Malone, played by Burt Reynolds) finds just how difficult it is to retire when he runs across a small town controlled by mercenaries and a family that is resisting their control.

Reynolds is a smooth pimp, even kissing a young girl in front of her father. I mean, really, who has the balls to do that? Only Reynolds. And why not, when you can go around and beat people up -- or kill them -- without the police being able to stop you?

An odd mystery: at one point, Malone's birth date is given as February 14, 1941. I wonder if this date was chosen for any particular reason. This is not Reynolds' birthday, and in fact would make Malone a few years younger than Reynolds...

The picture talks about a veteran CIA agent attempting to begin a new life in honorable issues , as he hopes for a tranquil life in the placid Pacific Northwest . As C. I. A. Assassin Richard Malone (Burt Reynolds) wishes the retirement , a guy running away from his past, but then things go wrong . The ex-CIA man whose car breaks down in a small town who then gets close to a family ( Cynthia Gibb , Scott Wilson) and attempts to battle an ominous villain . Along the way , nasty enemies led by fascist Delaney (Cliff Robertson) are menacing his plans and then goes into action . They go after him but Malone'll execute his legitimate defense as well as extreme wrath and he'll become in judge , jury and executioner . The woman held the key to his past. The man wanted to buy his future. Now both were trying to kill him. Ex-Cop. Ex-CIA. Ex-PLOSIVE! He didn't start the fight... but he'll sure as hell finish it.

In the film there is action , exciting pursuits , shootouts , thrills , suspense and a little bit of violence . From the beginning to finish the noisy action-packed and fast-moving are continued and that's why it results to be entertaining . The great climax of the film is the final confrontation between the starring and the enemies that's stimulating and moving . The story is an adaptation from the novel "Shotgun," by William Wingate and script by Christopher Frank .Film attempts hard but doesn't succeed in being believable. Burt Reynolds acting is wooden but likeable , as being habitual in his roles as a merciless revenger . As he plays a burnt-out agent with secret missions stumbles into a real state swindle/murder plot in Oregon and sets out to stop it . This picture represents one of a handful of films starring Burt Reynolds playing tough and brave agents or cops or avengers in which he exacts his assignments by violent and expeditive ways , such as Rent-a-Cop, Sharky's Machine , Stick ,White Lightning , Fuzz , Gator , Hustle , Shark , among others . Reynolds is well accompanied by a good cast such as : Clift Robertson as a right-wing extremist plotting a secret revolution , a young Cynthia Gibb , Scott Wilson as her good father , Kenneth McMillan as a corrupt sheriff , Lauren Hutton , Philip Anglim , Tracey Walter , Dennis Burkley , Duncan Fraser , and Dennis Burkley.

It contains an enjoyable and moving musical score by David Newman. As well as colorful and adequate Cinematography by Gerald Hirschfeld . The motion picture was professionally directed by Harley Cokeliss . This filmmaker is a good artisan directing some decent films such as : Paris Connections , An Angel for May , Warlords of the 21st Century , Dream Demon , That Summer , , Black Moon , The Battle of Billy's Pond and making episodes of popular series, such as : Dark Knight , The Immortal , Xena and Hercules. Rating : 6.10 . Good , acceptable and passable movie. The pic will appeal to Burt Reynolds fans. Worthwhile seeing.

Malone (Burt Reynolds) is a former CIA man who wanders into a town in rural Oregon on pure chance and becomes embroiled in a conflict with a group of far right extremists terrorizing the residents.

Malone was one of a number of Reynolds movies released in the 80s, and like many others was subject to critical derision and financial disappointment. In Malone's case it was unfavorably compared to classic western Shane, and while the comparison isn't unwarranted, Malone is still a well made contemporary action thriller with a traditional western framework.

Reynolds as the titular Malone is actually pretty good in the movie, and it's nice to see Reynolds play against his established persona that had colored his career from Smokey and the Bandit onward. While he still maintains his dry laconic delivery in some humorous instances in the movie, the movie also allows Reynolds to convey a level of simmering intensity hidden behind a stone faced facade of quiet resignation that makes Malone a bit meatier than your average 80s action shoot 'em up. The villains are adequately dispicable and hateful, with Cliff Robertson being a memorably grotesque Delaney and Alex Diakun giving superbly slimey performance as Delaney's sadistic henchman Madrid. The only drawback to Malone really is that the comparisons to Shane are indeed as accurate today as they were then, but is that necessarily a bad thing?

Malone is a perfectly serviceable action film. Burt Reynolds gives a commander performance in what's essentially a classic western dressed up in contemporary clothes. It doesn't have much lasting impact, but it's a perfectly suitable time killer.