Review of Give 'em Hell, Malone (2009) by Andrew M — 30 Jun 2010

Give 'Em Hell, Malone (6/10) - I seem to be on a DTV kick lately, I normally am not into DTV films but recently there have been some that have piqued my interest, Give' Em Hell, Malone is just the latest.

Directed by Australian director Russell Mulcahy(Razorback, Highlander) Give'Em Hell, Malone is a fast paced, violent and sometimes goofy attempt at an action/noir type film. Thomas Jane plays Malone an ex-PI who now is a freelance gun man. The rest of the cast includes Ving Rhames, Gregory Harrison and Elsay Pataky.

Jane gives a solid performance as Malone, but the rest of the cast are hit or miss. Elsa Pataky plays a sultry femme fatale perfectly, Ving Rhames is Ving Rhames and Gregory Harrison as a crime boss is fun to watch but some of the other actors in the film give some truly pathetic performances.

Doug Hutchinson who was so good as Loony Bin Jim in Punisher: War Zone plays Matchstick in this film and he totally mimics Heath Ledger's Joker from Dark Knight for this film. It really is unintentionally funny to watch, I don't remember the last time I saw an actor copy someone else's performance so much in a film before.

French Stewart, yes that French Stewart is a total waste as Frankie the Crooner. I take it that his character was supposed to be comic relief but he was painfully unfunny and every scene he was in he just came off awkward and amateurish. Chris Yen(Donnie Yen's younger sister) is almost wasted as Mauler. She has some excellent martial arts skills but they barely use them and her confrontation with Malone was a disappointment. Her first scene was quite memroable though.

Give'Em Hell, Malone is a very uneven film, some scenes are exciting and even border on great while other scenes seem like a dress rehearsal. The film's uneven performances don't help matters either but in the end I ended up liking the film more than disliking it. Give 'Em Hell, Malone has enough action, quirky characters, and bizarre situations to keep most people interested, I just wished the acting and cast were a bit better.