Maverick

Starring: Mel Gibson, Jodie Foster, James Garner, Graham Greene, James Coburn, Alfred Molina, Danny Glover (cameo)
Directed by: Richard Donner
Rating: PG
Genre: Comedy, Western
1994

Times Seen:
Tim: 3

Summary: Sly poker-playing Brett Maverick (Mel Gibson) has just a short time to get to St. Louis, and to raise $3,000 in order to enter the Poker Tournament of the century, where the entrance fee is $25,000, and the winner takes home half a million bucks. Along the way, he runs into a beautiful thief (Jodie Foster), an aging lawman (James Garner), snakes, runaway stages, Indians (led by Graham Greene), outlaws, and a slew of other obstacles.

Review:

Tim: This is another one of those movies that will always have a special place in my heart, and I will always love no matter what anyone else says. This is the type of movie where you have a blast from the beginning to the very end. I can think of few films that are more enjoyable to watch or more fun that this film. Everything about this movie screams fun: from the comedy, to the action, right down to the performances of its three main stars. If you are in the mood for a fun, fun movie- please see this one- its so great.

The performances by Gibson, Foster, and Garner are incredible. When you look at them, you can almost feel how much fun they had making this movie. They all are bursting with energy and excitement, and that truly draws you into the film as well. Casts are so important in films, and Maverick features an amazing cast. Nevermind the big names of the three leading roles. The most important aspect is their onscreen chemistry. I can't think of another film where the actors spark off each other like they do in this film. Whether it's Gibson-Foster, Foster-Garner, Gibson-Garner, or all three, they all seem to love/hate each other, which makes for truly entertaining viewing. I'm not sure if any of these actors have been in other films together, but if so, I need to find out and watch, because they are remarkable together. I sincerely hope in the future, one or two of them will make another movie, because I would look forward to that very much. Another thing I would like to mention is the cameo by Danny Glover (Lethal Weapon fans- you have to see this). I don't know who thought that up- but the scene is so small, but is absolutely hilarious. I'd like to shake the hand of whoever first came up with that idea, because it was classic!

Another entertaining aspect of this movie are the plot twists. You normally don't expect a lighthearted comedy to have incredibly plot twists, but this one does. Nothing in this movie is as it seems, and slowly you begin to see that- of course, with hilarious results. This film also makes certain not to get too carried away in the comedy and forget to tell a good story. The story is excellent, and has enough Western in it to appease any fan of films of the Wild West. I haven't seen any of the original television series from which this film is based (By the way, James Garner was the original Maverick from the aforementioned series), but if that show was half as good as this movie (It won Emmys, so I'm betting on it), then it must be worth checking out.

To sum this all up, if you're looking for a fun film, then you honestly can't do much better than this one. The jokes are hilarious, the cast chemistry is among the best ever, and the plot twists are amusing and funny. I can't recommend this film enough.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 9



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Lethal Weapon, The Patriot, Silence of the Lambs