Maverick

Richard Donner (1994)

121min

PG Certificate

Review

Our Score

by David Parkinson

Despite the attention of master scriptwriter William Goldman, this gentle tribute to the hit comedy western TV series missed a golden opportunity for a razor-sharp spoof. There's no doubt the stars had a ball, though, with Mel Gibson and Jodie Foster sparking nicely as the eponymous gambler and the con artist who is more than his match. But it's left to James Garner (who played the original Bret Maverick), saddled with a role that is little more than a clumsy in-joke, to demonstrate what comic acting is really all about. Fans of westerns, both small screen and big screen, should keep an eye out for a multitude of familiar faces around the riverboat poker tables. The eagle-eyed can spot - among others - Doug McClure, who played Trampas in The Virginian, William Smith, who spent two years in Laredo, and Henry Darrow, who played Manolito in The High Chaparral .

Summary

Wisecracking gambler Bret Maverick and con artist Annabelle Bransford cheat their way across the Wild West to make the money they need to enter a high-stakes, once-in-a-century poker tournament, with a ruthless rival on their trail and a principled lawman as an unlikely travelling companion. Comedy Western, starring Mel Gibson and Jodie Foster, with James Garner, star of the original TV series, alongside Graham Greene and James Coburn.

Cast & Crew

Bret Maverick Mel Gibson

Annabelle Bransford Jodie Foster

Zane Cooper James Garner

Commodore Duval James Coburn

Angel Alfred Molina

Joseph Graham Greene (2)

Matthew Wicker Geoffrey Lewis

Archduke Paul Smith (2)

Twitchy Dan Hedaya

Room clerk Dub Taylor

Stuttering Dennis Fimple

Old gambler Denver Pyle

Poker player Leo Gordon

Riverboat poker player William Smith

Riverboat poker player Doug McClure

Riverboat poker player Henry Darrow

Riverboat poker player Robert Fuller

Riverboat poker player William Marshall

Stage driver Paul Brinegar

Director Richard Donner

Other Information

Language: EnglishColourGuidance: Violence, edited for language. Available on: video and DVD

Comedy Drama

Full Episode Guide

Richard Donner (1994)

Review

Summary

Cast & Crew

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