At first glance, it looks like a story told many times before. An experienced special forces guy (Burt Reynolds) quits his old line of work, looks for a quiet time in the countryside, but gets involved in a small war with a local villain and begins a private mission of revenge. But the point is how the story is told. Some reviewers criticize the movie as dull or cheap. I rather think it is intended simplicity. The makers kept the movie straight to basics in a time when action had to get faster and bigger, from "Terminator" to "Octopussy". "Malone" just wants to show a guy coming to town, getting to know some people - and kill most of them. No fancy stuff, it's all about minimalism. Reynolds plays the hero Malone in the most laconic way possible ("Got a first name?" - "Yeah."). It's not trying to impress anyone, but it's... cool! And in my view the movie should be appreciated more for what it is, an 80s action movie with the style of the 60s.
Review of Malone
