cult film freak: BURT REYNOLDS 'MALONE' WITH CYNTHIA GIBB & SCOTT WILSON

Burt Reynolds in MALONE Year: 1987 Rating: ****

For Burt Reynolds, compared to his bombs of the early to mid 1980's, MALONE is a nice, tight production that's basically a remake of a classic 1950's Western. "Let's be honest," Reynolds once stated. "The film is SHANE."

The ongoing lustful flirtation by young, cute-as-a-button, girl-next-door ingenue Cynthia Gibb is a little out of place, although while he might've been too old for the part (Christopher Lambert was originally considered), she's not at all miscast...

Cynthia Gibb in MALONE

As the daughter of Scott Wilson, ironically playing one of the few good guys in his middle-age career, it's daughter and father in their proverbial farmland... including a front-yard gas station that Burt's title character literally pushed his car up to... who provide the essence of a slow-burn action flick...

Which is actually more of a thriller, since most of what happens is on a perpetual verge. So the director needn't push the suspense since, with a woeful french horn-led score sounding straight out of FIRST BLOOD (modernized only by a random smattering of electric drums), a narrowed and taut platform is set from the very beginning...

Burt Reynolds in MALONE with Cliff Robertson

A city-centered Malone, who decides against what's obviously yet-another-assassination, exits the CIA, and of course it won't be that easy. Even Burt's partner/lady-friend Lauren Hutton says the usual You-Know-Too-Much as a quote, not a statement...

And within a few scenes he's part of the beautiful and rural, deep, rich forest landscape where ultra-villain Cliff Robertson is not only buying up all the farm and fishing sites, he' s a silly and contrived, ultra-patriotic survivalist with henchman who walk the primal, dusty main street in stiff business suits — a reminder they're corporate bad guys...

Burt Reynolds in MALONE

But Robertson plays the role as a mellow and cunning manipulator and doesn't chew scenery. In fact, he seems nearly as meek and friendly as Scott Wilson's meek and friendly (and crippled) nice guy mechanic.

hankfully, MALONE is too centered and fine-tuned to make any character break from the slow-burn momentum... Which goes for Reynolds' performance as well, who's relaxed even during the few action scenes.