Typical 80's action movie. Bad guys shouldn't have killed Malone's love interest. He was leaving town. Had to come back and kill all of the bad guys. Death by hay bale was a new one for me. The Madrid character was a kind of parody of creepy bad guys and got his just deserts in the end. Also includes a crooked small time sheriff.Not a bad way to spend 90 minutes. Nice scenery and several nice explosions (I don't blame Malone for turning back to look at the last one).The Alfred E Neuman signature on the CIA card shown at the start of the credits was pure genius.Burt's hair piece should have received an Oscar...

"Malone" manages to at least be watchable without being distinctive in any way. It's pretty much a routine action drama of the time as well as an okay vehicle for veteran star Burt Reynolds. The action is largely perfunctory, and yes, the plot isn't always terribly believable, but a strong supporting cast keeps the attention from wandering too much. There is some effectively brutal violence as bodies get ripped apart by bullets, and some explosions as part of the deal. Harley Cokeliss directs competently if not stylishly. The location shooting in Canada is decent, and that wilderness setting is lovely. (Stock shots of Langley and L.A. are also used). A great score by David Newman is an asset.The story (scripted by Christopher Frank, based on a novel by William P. Wingate) is awfully familiar stuff: Malone (Reynolds) is a former CIA assassin with no more desire to do his job, so he takes it on the lam. Car trouble forces him to stop at a remote service station run by nice guy Paul Barlow (Scott Wilson), who just so happens to have a cute daughter, Jo (Cynthia Gibb). Malone has arrived in this community just in time to get caught up in the schemes of Delaney (Cliff Robertson), a rich man buying up property like crazy; Delaney turns out to be a right wing zealot hoping to establish a base of operations in the area.Despite receiving a very serious bullet wound at one point, Malone is a tough s.o.b. who takes on all comers. Fortunately for him, most of Delaney's henchmen are completely useless idiots. That definitely removes a lot of suspense. Reynolds delivers a commendably low key performance in the lead, the ever likable Wilson is excellent as always, Robertson is amusing in a very unsubtle turn, and Gibb (whose character Jo becomes quite attached to Malone) is endearing. Lauren Hutton co-stars as the CIA agent sent to take care of the Malone problem, Kenneth McMillan is the local sheriff, and Tracey Walter and Dennis Burkley play a troublesome pair of redneck brothers working for Delaney.If nothing else, this obvious "Shane" homage should be a mild diversion for Reynolds fans.Six out of 10.

Richard Malone is an ex-CIA agent, who wants to forget his past and maybe start things all over again.Travelling through the United States, Malone has to stop for a few days in a small but beautiful town, after his car breaks down.He soon becomes a friend of a family, and discovers that an eccentric millionaire of the region, Charles Delaney, keeps all the habitants of the town under his power, by fear and coalition.What Delaney really wants is to become the next president and, soon, dominate the world.But Malone decides not to make things so easy for Delaney: using his CIA profit, he will challenge him and all his hired assassins...When Burt did Shane...A typical action movie from Burt an MGM which were rife during the late eighties, but this is noticeable for three things, Burts wonderful wig, Burts increasingly tight trouser and shirt combo, and one of the most strangest bro-mances I have ever seen.To let someone with a moustache of that calibre stay in your house after only meeting them once is strange, but the relationship the two male leads have is beyond the volleyball scene in Top Gun.For the rest of the movie though, it's pretty standard, if very watchable stuff. Malone becomes protector and spends the majority of the film hiring a stunt double whenever he has to run from a distance.Nothing really happens, there is a crash, and a siege which concludes with Malone sitting in the shadows and coming into view a couple of times.The cast are fine, and it's okay stuff to watch, if forgettable.

Having watched this movie more times than I care to remember, thought it was time to write down my thoughts. Malone was released in May 1987, just a few short months after Reynolds had released his 'comeback' movie Heat. Heat bombed and so did Malone..and everyother Burt movie after that. The simple truth was that his time had passed and people were now looking to new action heroes. However, do not let that fool you into thinking you should miss Malone..on the contrary, it is vital viewing for any Reynolds or action fan! Plot is simple. Malone is a disillusioned CIA operative, he wants out and he tells his partner that in the opening scene.Malone heads off in his classic car.However,the car breaks down near a small town.Malone befriends the garage owner and his young daughter.However,his stay in the town is far from dull.He finds out that most of the shops/hotels are closed down due to properties being bought by the mysterious Delaney. Delaney is a right wing zealot and this town is part of his sector. Malone confronts one of Delaneys thugs and beat the c**p out of him.He then shoots another of the thugs.Delaney meets Malone with an eye to recruiting him but Malone is having none of it.Despite, in the words of Delaney of being a "Samurai without a master, powerful but without direction".A local farmer is also killed infront of the garage,embroiling Malone further into the towns problems.To add to this,Malone's ex-lover and CIA partner comes to town to kill him but instead falls for him again. This is a good job as she takes care of him after an assassination attempt by the zealots.However,she is then targeted and killed.This means only one thing..Malone is now out for revenge. Cue the classic 80's style ending.Lots of bad guys chasing after hero in deserted building and getting killed off one and one to leave hero with main villain. The explosion at the end is pretty cool. So here what is so damn cool about MALONE. When asked by the family he meets at the local garage what his name is, the reply is: "Malone"...the young girl asks: "Got a first name", reply:"Yeah" HOW COOL IS THAT! It gets better... When the young girl is driving Malone into town, he says he is travelling around. She says that must be interesting..his reply is: "Isn't every place just like the other." HOW WISE IS THAT! A classic.. Young girl takes coffee up to Malone in the morning.He is lying on his bed.After putting the coffee down, she asks him:"Are you getting up or going to bed" His reply:"I haven't decided yet" Only someone as COOL as Malone hasn't decided whether he wants to sleep or not!! The list goes on and on. A review of Reynolds other movie 'Heat' suggested you shout the movie title every time some action happened. I suggest the same here..There is a scene when right-wing assassins come to kill Malone, they naturally fail but in trying to warn him, the young girl screams..all together now..M A L O N E!