Nice effects though.

Highly Overrated But Still Good

A Brilliant Conflict

Blistering performances.

If you are a person who likes to check out made-for-DVD movies, there is one film company you should be aware of - and not for positive reasons. That company is Cinetel Films. More often than not in their movies, they use footage from big budget major studio films, and in "Malevolent" they do this twice. I didn't recognize the footage from "The Corrupter", but I certainly recognized the climatic vehicle chase as being taken from "Marked For Death". As for how the rest of the movie appears, it's low budget but has some decent production values like good photography. The script, however, leaves a lot to be desired. The hero makes some pretty dumb decisions along the way that prolong things - if he had been smarter, things would have been wrapped up much quicker. And when things are wrapped up, the movie abruptly ends - the movie really needed another scene after the climax. Not the worst movie made by Cinetel Films, but there's no real reason to seek it out.

Although Lou Diamond Phillips is the star the Malevolent one in Malevolent is Edoardo Ballerini, a most diabolical serial killer who not only is good at his work, but pretty good at making cop Lou Diamond Phillips look like the guilty party.It's a rather far-fetched yarn that Malevolent is spinning. Some of the premises of the story and the motivations of Ballerini are quite illogical as Mr. Spock would put it, even from the evil mind of a serial killer who doesn't think like the rest of us.Kari Wuhrer who has done a couple of other films with Lou plays a topless dancer and someone that Ballerini is fixated on. She could provide the clues necessary to Lou to stop the freak.While all this is going on, Phillips is under suspicion due to a shooting incident where his former partner was found to be dirty. His new partner, Gwen McGee isn't quite sure she can trust him and she's cutting him quite a bit of slack to get the job done.Too many illogicalities keep Malevolent from being a top rate police drama thriller though the cast does its best.

Recap: Jack Lucas, a detective, is with no apparent reason suddenly the target of a set up meant to disgrace him, and finally to kill him. His gun stolen, which he didn't report, used to kill his superior officer. Lucas is now forced to stall that investigation and at the same time find out whom and why is trying to destroy him.Comments: A decent action/thriller movie that won't go to the history as one of the great ones, but good enough to watch a night. Some good shooting, some car chases and a mystery to solve. It is maybe the mystery that is the weakest point in the story. We are early given the answer to whom, but not until the end given the reason why. So the bad guys plot to destroy Lucas almost feel random and unmotivated all the time, instead of creating a feeling of suspense. And not to mention that the entire story hinges on the stupid decision not to report the theft of his gun. Combined it made it difficult for me to really engage in and believe the story. Had it cleared those two obstacles it would have been much better.5/10

Lou Diamond Phillips & an actor I never heard of turn in decent, but unremarkable performances in this routine thriller, Lots of car chases & crashes etc. nothing new or different, BUT it is acted & produced competently.rating **1/2 72/100 IMDb 6