FBMR - Maverick
Film-Buff Movie Reviews


MAVERICK (1994) ***1/2

Richard Donner directs Mel Gibson in a Western based on the old TV series of the same name. The two have been teamed up before in the Lethal Weapon series. By the way, keep your eyes peeled for a fun cameo by Danny Glover (Gibson's partner in the Lethal Weapon movies).

This movie can be best described as fun. Everyone looks like they having a blast on set. It's also nice to see Jodie Foster in a comical role, rather than her usual serious roles. James Garner rounds out the trio as Marshal Zane Cooper. Garner originally played Maverick in the TV series. It's interesting to see him playing a different role in the film.

Rumour has it that many of the comic scenes were improvised. There are very funny, and it's quite impressive that they were done off-the-cuff.

Maverick (Gibson) is a card player, namely poker. He is travelling to the biggest annual poker game of the year but is a few thousand dollars short of the $25 000 entry fee. His adventures take him all over the west, collecting money from those who owe him, make "friends" and enemies along the way. There are some great fight scenes, double-crossings, and lots of laughs. A great movie to watch as a pick-me-up on a dreary day.

IMDb - Maverick