The Worst Film Ever

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

Blistering performances.

Just intense enough to provide a much-needed diversion, just lightweight enough to make you forget about it soon after it’s over. It’s not exactly “good,” per se, but it does what it sets out to do in terms of putting us on edge, which makes it … successful?

Bodies consuming other bodies, this is a Burt Reynolds action movie. That is not Burt's real hair that is a rug. This movie features automobiles and the sad organisms that pilot these machines. Several automobiles are destroyed in the making of Malone plus probably a bicycle. Actors were paid in Earth currency to realistically portray not only legitimate human emotions but actual people as well. A modern ape, humans as they call themselves, struggled to write a screenplay and in time that human was rewarded for it's struggle with rectangular shaped pieces of paper. As an 80's action movie Malone is good, classic gun violence and gore mixed with coke-inspired plot/production value. Mr. Reynolds's hair piece is outstanding, not only does it pass for his real hair but it lends a certain degree of gravitas to Burt's performance, that this hair piece receives no billing what so ever in the credits is offensive and outrageous.

Malone marked Burt's return to cinema after more than a two year absence. It's a hell of return in this lamebrain sort of actioner, you'd expect to see those karate stars who couldn't act in. Fortunately we have someone who can, along with a good line up of other actors. It's not the most memorable of returns, but in a way it's kind of cool for someone's of Burt's stature to make a comeback in a film like this, where incidentally, in Adelaide, it only ran a week. For a while I was convinced this was Burt's worst film. I'm not sure I still am, but it's near the bottom. Burt's CIA, running from the agency who sends an old flame (Lauren Hutton) of his to do him. He prolonged the hit of guy, he was almost about to take out, but had second thoughts. So he's given up this employment, but some jobs you just can't walk away from. And Burt's luck does him one worse. His car breaks down outside this shitty town that is slowly being taken over by land baron (Cliff Robertson who plays good guy that mask's bad underneath, with a restrained professionalism. He's really a bastard, who has a lot of henchmen working for him, one who becomes deprived of having children after trying to take on Burt. My ears still ring and hurt when I think about that scene. Businesses are closing, left, right and centre in this evaporating town, where some residents who don't play ball end up dead. Burt makes a comical remark. "What happened to this town, someone discover toxic waste". Well they might as well have. Burt who's taken in by a gas station attendant and his daughter gets caught in another feud, instantly making an arch enemy with the local sheriff, who we can't discern if he's good or bad. I love it at the end when he balks as making a pathetic attempt to arrest Burt, after he's taken down all the bad guys. We got enough action to make this worthwhile and we are in the dark about Burt's shady past, but we do know he's a keen poker player, some handbooks, he keeps under his bed, references. The scene with two hit men, not the first, trying to take out Burt in his room at the top of stairs, is the film's best scene. No prizes for guessing who wins this one, although he doesn't come out, unscathed. Guess who nurtures him back to health. I love the direction Hutton's character took, a decision that endangers her own life, where there's no turning back. You gotta take Malone for what it is, an actioner, but it falls into the stupid category, honestly. You may even feel your i.q. drop slightly. Burt's worthy of better material.

I strongly recommend that ANYONE disliking this movie---and that counts just about everyone---should run immediately to the library and check out the William Wingate novel "Shotgun" for the surprise of their lives. The surprise being that "Shotgun" is one of the best suspense and action thrillers I have come across. It's been a few years but I can't recall a single element of the book that was carried over into the movie including the name of the title character. Mr. Wingate I hope got a good payoff and spent it well and thanked his lucky stars that this half-assed by-the-numbers piece of Hollywood action schlock has nothing to do with his excellent yarn. It more puts one in mind of Shane and The Man With No Name in its tale of a lone stranger wandering through a small town, attracting the interest of a depressed teenage girl named Lou, and ultimately challenging the vicious criminal organization which holds the entire town in a grip of fear. The character development is much more than one might expect of such a tried-and-true genre and the violence that erupts makes the reader want to stand up and cheer. Souce material---HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Movie---THEY SHOULD'VE PAID ME TO SIT THROUGH IT.

Even though some people state that this film is awful, but they are forgetting that most 80's action films where and this was one of many that was churned out then forgotten.I vividly remember first watching this on video rental and thought it was brilliant and even though it's very dated I still love the film as an 80's classic like I would watch some old black and white film.I don't feel I should have to wait until the film is 40 or 50 years old to claim it is an classic nor should I go with other persons comments that it is crap just because they are watching the film without growing up in the 80's when the film was made and is set in.with regards jpclarke