Actuakers One of my all time favorites.

CommentsXp Best movie ever!

StyleSk8r At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

Brendon Jones It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

rooprect The only reason I watched this was because the guy at the video store handed it to me and told me it was really good, and I would've looked like a wuss if I had thrown it back at him & rented "Sense and Sensibility" instead. I mean, it's tough enough renting a Hugh Grant flick without the added pressure.So I got back home feeling a bit conned & not expecting much. Boy was I surprised. From the first 30 seconds I could tell this was no ordinary action flick.Yes, as other reviewers have noted, this film is strongly rooted in film noir. But what makes it so interesting is that it's noir without the noir. Sure, we have the lantern-jawed, emotionless anti-hero who's everything we would expect from Bogie. We have the mysterious femme fatale and the late night saxophone music to add to the mood. But the visuals, pacing and presentation is something very fresh, very vibrant & colourful, and so over-the-top violent that you can't help but feel the strong contrast against the typical 40s film noir. This was deliberate on the part of the director, just like he deliberately throws in lots of playful anachronisms: 1940s cars driving alongside modern minivans, and old time cityscape that suddenly blends into modern streets (from what I understand, that's what the city of Spokane is really like), and the list goes on. Other interesting contrasts include the tough-as-nails hero who's loving mother drops in at unexpected times. The flow of this film is anything but predictable, and that's what really keeps you hooked.But my favourite part was the insane lineup of villains. It's so surreal, like something out of Dick Tracy. I particularly liked the character of "Matchstick", a deformed, psychotic sicko whom you gotta fall in love with. Then there's the cute/slutty lolita girl "Mauler" who can carve a man up faster than a ginsu knife commercial; yet she complains that she can't get a date. And lastly we have the incomparable Ving Rhames playing the cold-hearted assassin who slips into Gandhi-like moments of introspection and wisdom. What a wacky bunch! This is definitely a fun film. Even the excessive violence is so exaggerated you gotta love it. Here we have the best gore clichés in the business: the guy who gets hit in the mouth and spits a gallon of blood, the guy who gets knifed in the leg and gushes blood like a hose, and don't forget the best one... someone getting their heart ripped out of their chest while they're still breathing. There's a lot of tongue-in-cheek fun going here. It's almost like an action flick that makes fun of action flicks. But at the same time it's subtle enough that you can take it as a straightforward action flick. Either way, you're in for a wild ride.

Argemaluco The "film noir" from the 40's and 50's is one of the easiest cinematographic (and literary) genres to imitate, but also one of the most difficult ones to capture without falling on the ridiculous or the involuntary humor.And even though I suspect some purists could consider the modest film Give 'Em Hell, Malone as a mediocre parody, I personally think that it fulfilled with the necessary requirements in order to simultaneously consider it as an affectionate tribute and respectful imitation of the genre.But, beyond its intention, I think it is a very competent "noir" film with solid performances, an interesting screenplay and even some substance behind the characters which enriches the story.Naturally, the screenplay is a collection of encounters with murderers, allies and informants, which do not always significantly contribute to the story, but at least they keep it on a constant movement, with various opportunities of suspense, violence and stylish dialogs.And that is were Russell Mulcahy's direction best works.Despite the false moves he had during his career (like, for example, the atrocious Tale of the Mummy or Silent Trigger), Mulcahy shows in Give 'Em Hell, Malone that he has not lost his absolute control on the visual language, rhythm and edition in order to construct a consistent narrative flow yet.The costumes, vehicles and sets from this film show a curious combination of nostalgia and modernity; thanks to that, a good "noir" atmosphere is achieved at the same time the technical problems of creating a set from the 40's are solved.By the way, I think the comparisons between Sin City and Give 'Em Hell, Malone are unfair, because the simple fact that they both use the archetypes from detective literature does not mean one is a copy of the other.As for the actors, with one exception, they all contribute to the tribute with natural performances which are free of any irony, at the same time they do not fall in the temptation of taking the story or their characters as a joke.To start with, Thomas Jane is flawless as the main character.Ving Rhames and Doug Hutchison also bring precise works as the villain's henchmen.The exception I talked about on the beginning of the paragraph is Elsa Pataky as the "femme fatale", because she does not bring enough passion or intensity to her character.Give 'Em Hell, Malone may not be a great movie, but its combination of actors, "noir" atmosphere and a labyrinthine screenplay with a satisfactory ending made it very entertaining to me.Besides, it confirms us that Mulcahy can be a very competent director when he works with the right material.

Samiam3 There is much to like about Give 'em Hell Malone. It is a deliciously gorgeous and entertaining comic book noir, which manages to be both exiting and funny. This is the film that Sam Raimi's Darkman could've been if it was a bit smarter. The plot is a bit convoluted, but you end up not really caring. It is a fun ride, and is also the first time since Deep Blue Sea in which Thomas Jane has actually impressed me. On account of his lack of variety and charisma, Jane is only cut out for soft spoken/slick persona, individualist characters. Mr. Malone qualifies. It should also be noted that Give 'em hell Malone is occasionally played for laughs. The script throws out a lot of one liners and a few quirks, which helps turn the smile on my face into a giggle. It ain't a terribly long movie, and by the end, you may find yourself exited for more. I guess the makers are exited too because Give 'em Hell Malone ends with a 'To Be Continued'Hard to know if and when a second part will get the green light any time soon, but I would certainly embrace it. If you can find Give 'em hell Malone, you should check it out.

Alexander Pastukh As a matter of fact, it's a typical specimen of comic noir style, mixing traditional elements of ''Sin City'' and ''Dick Tracy'' films it portrays black & sharp humored, seamless, vivacious and agile detective story. In one breath, ''Give 'em Hell, Malone'' rapidly and aesthetically carries spectator through the subtle nuances of swirling plot, leaving pleasant impressions from what you've seen. Love, sharp humor, betrayal, cruelty, selfishness. Everything presents here in good supply.Perfectly balanced characters like rollicking main hero Malone who's got two favorite things: drink and shoot. Sexy beauty Evelyn who trying' to avenge her killed brother. Big guy Boulder whose feelings wave between good and bad side. Charismatic evildoers such as Graceful Asian girl called Mauler who likes to play with sharp toys and Matchstick who always utters reckless wised expressions and crazy philosophy resembled Heath Ledger's character Joker from the Dark Knight movie.Wonderfully made operator's work constantly absorbs attention. For only 15 000 000$ creators made a beautiful action that can compete to the dozens of high budgetary blockbusters. Astonishing result indeed. Yes, here we can find a lot of bugs and disadvantages in the script but it's not really a drawback of the film, there is no emphasis on a deep plot, everything is simple and ingenious, to keep you relaxing and funning. It's just a crazy and well stylized mess nothing more.Even if you ain't got much grasp of noir, ''Give 'em Hell, Malone'' is a great movie for spending free time and taking some rest.