Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.0

Malone Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf October 16, 2015

After years of B-movies and supporting roles, Burt Reynolds finally achieved global stardom in the 1970s with beloved efforts such as “Smokey and the Bandit.” The 1980s, at least the latter half of the decade, were less kind to the actor. Struggling to sustain his box office dominance, Reynolds elected to replace his mischievous screen presence with a harder, unflinching action hero pose, working through enforcer/authority pictures such as “Heat” and “Stick.” 1987’s “Malone” is a prime example of the career fatigue that shadowed Reynolds, participating in a formulaic revenge movie that preserves heavy western influences. While initial moments promise a capable but predictable thriller, “Malone” doesn’t maintain appeal for very long, quickly dissolving into stupidity as director Harley Cokliss and screenwriter Christopher Frank shave down the source material (The novel “Shotgun,” by William P. Wingate) to a series of violent encounters featuring thinly-sketched personalities. It’s all about Reynolds here, and if you look close enough, you can see the thin little toothpicks propping his eyes open as he sleepwalks through the adventure.

A C.I.A. operative with a lengthy history of assassinations committed around the world, Malone (Burt Reynolds) has had enough, getting out of Virginia and heading across the country to Oregon. Near a remote town, Malone’s car breaks down, introducing him to gas station owner Paul (Scott Wilson) and his teenage daughter, Jo (Cynthia Gibb). Staying with the family during the repair period, the stranger receives a quick education on local power, with Delaney (Cliff Robertson), a land owner and leader in a secret society of white supremacists, gradually buying up all nearby properties for unknown reasons, depending on Madrid (Alex Diakun) to handle acts of intimidation and murder. Befriending Paul and intriguing Jo, Malone breaks his passivity when Delaney’s goons escalate their brutality, with the retired killer returning to duty, defending the locals with his smarts and firepower. Back in Virginia, C.I.A. handler Jamie (Lauren Hutton) learns that her friend and lover has emerged from the shadows, traveling to Oregon to help protect Malone from government assassins.

There’s little literary heft to “Malone,” which doesn’t bear the stretchmarks of a robust adaptation. Instead of a sea of supporting characters and sophisticated motivations, the picture mostly remains on Malone, as the silent gunman enters an anxious town looking for temporary shelter, only to find protection a more pressing concern. For the first hour, “Malone” doesn’t do much, but it does it with relative ease, building a B-movie atmosphere of antagonism as the assassin feels the burn of Delaney’s sloppy intimidation tactics. He witnesses the murder of a local farmer (made to look like a bicycle accident) and he’s confronted by hired aggressors Calvin (Tracey Walter) and Dan (Dennis Burkley), handling these local boobs with ease. Of course, Malone isn’t looking for trouble, it just finds him, watching the character grow from pained observer to a defender of the realm when the bad guys start sniffing around Paul’s place demanding a hasty property sale.

“Malone” is mostly appealing as a straightforward actioner, leaving Reynolds to display a range of icy stares and pretend that he’s not wearing one of the worst hairpieces seen on the big screen (cruelty isn’t intended, but layers of the rug don’t even match in some scenes). He’s not really acting in the movie, portraying more of a prop than a man, though the story tries to warm up the character by making him the object of obsession for Jo, who’s eager to gift the 50-year-old stranger her virginity, which is surprisingly creepier than it reads due to Gibb’s child-like depiction of blossoming sexuality. And there’s an undefined connection between Malone and Jamie, whose participation in the adventure is primarily contained in the third act, working to heal and sleep with her ex-partner as he figures out his next move. Reynolds goes for a stoic performance, but he comes off bored, leaving the stunt team to pull off the majority of his action sequences, finding the icon essentially showing up for the close-ups. This isn’t the actor’s finest hour, representative of the career indifference he showcased throughout the ‘80s. Even with a gun in his hand, Reynolds looks like he’d rather be anywhere but in “Malone.”

The supporting cast is a little livelier, with Robertson putting in an effort as the underground leader of right-wing “patriot” movement ready to reclaim America. He’s alert and villainy comes easy to the actor, giving “Malone” some weight when it comes to malevolent deeds. And Kenneth McMillan does what he can with his work as spineless Sheriff Hawkins, a corrupt law enforcement official trying to contain Malone to protect his malfeasance, but remains unable to outwit the new man in town. Granted, it’s not hard to outshine Reynolds in “Malone,” but little nuggets of character and personality make all the difference here, helping to increase suspense and flesh out what little here passes for threatening behavior.

Malone Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation doesn't begin promisingly, showcasing a blizzard of debris and softness that suggests trouble ahead for the BD debut of "Malone." Matters don't radically improve after the main titles, but this is only a functional viewing experience, showing its age with muted colors that handle costume changes and location greenery, while skintones are adequate. Detail is rarely impressive, but it carries well in close-ups, surveying facial textures, while set decoration is easily observed. Grain is on the noisy side, but holds a mildly filmic presence. Whites are a bit too bloomy. Delineation is rarely challenged, but there's a little solidification. Source retains consistent speckling.

Malone Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix offers a perfunctory listening experience, but nothing is lost due to distortion. Dialogue exchanges are reasonably clear, only finding dramatic extremes threatened by inherent audio issues. Scoring is bolder and supportive, working tirelessly and clearly to build up excitement levels. Atmospherics are generally satisfactory, handling exterior expanses well. No pronounced damage was detected.

Malone Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• A Theatrical Trailer (2:00, SD) is included.

Malone Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The clunky third act of "Malone" strives to work out a reason for the titular character to slip into One Man Army mode, watching Reynolds become Arnold Schwarzenegger for a moment as the assassin arms himself with guns and grenades to take on Delaney's security force. In a film with random car chases and sketchy reasons to kill a man who "knows too much," the graduation to explosions and bullets is actually comforting, with the effort finally accepting its brain-dead ways by giving in to blunt violence. "Malone" might've worked with a hungrier star and more dynamic direction, delivering cheap but cinematic thrills. Instead, we're stuck with Reynolds mentally distancing himself from what often looks like a television pilot, leaving the feature to die a slow death from disinterest.