Review: Malone (Thomas Jane), a tough-as-nails private investigator, goes up against gangsters, thugs, and dames to protect a briefcase and its priceless contents in this film noir action-thriller.
I love film noir and detective movies. They're my favorite style or genre in all of film. I think that's why I have such a soft spot for Give 'em Hell Malone. It's definitely a low budgeted movie, but that kind of increases its charm. It's got tough guys, sexy dames, hard drinking, hard driving, bullets flying, bone-crunching punches, grit, humor, and a voice-over straight out of a Raymond Chandler novel. What's not to like?
Thomas Jane was born to play Malone and has fun with the role. It's great to see Ving Rhames as tough and imposing as ever. And French Stewart, Doug Hutchison, and Eileen Ryan all dial it up to eleven for their quirky characters.
This one is a noir homage movie that has fun with and honors the conventions of those types of movies. It gets very over-the-top in some respects and the violence it set to "extreme", but it creates and interesting world with unique characters involved in a story that is quite unusual. So, if you're looking for a hard-boiled detective fix, get ready to Give 'em Hell Malone!
Fun Fact: Malone's car is a 1952 Chop Top Buick Straight 8, primer black with red rims and white wall tires. Thomas Jane found that car just days before shooting began and had it shipped up to Spokane from Oxnard just in time to get it running like it used to be.