A film that works both as a light-hearted western and as an plot-oriented comedy. As a whole I can say that it's a winning combination. The film never forgets what it is and never tries to pretend that it's something else. It opens on an upbeat note and continues on that note till the very end. Personally, I find that refreshing.
The film leans rather heavily on its cast's ability to pull off good comedy, but luckily it got some of the bigger names that are able to do just that. Mel Gibson does a surprisingly good job as the eponymous Bret Maverick. He can be tough and convincing when he needs to be, but he can also do light-hearted comedy. He also has good chemistry with Jodie Foster's Annabelle, who's the other main character in this little romp. Her character doesn't quite hit the right notes all the time, mainly because she's one of those characters you're never quite what she's going to do next, which often makes them annoyingly unpredictable, but she's better than most her kind. James Garner does a great role as Marshal Zane Cooper, as does James Coburn as Commodore Duvall. Both are old western legends, and it's nice to see this movie giving them a respectful nod like that.
I unfortunately cannot say that the antagonists of this film were quite as good. Alfred Molina's Angel especially was a bit too... obvious, I think might be the right word. Obviousness might work in a comedy such as this, but I just found him annoying and not all that believable. Still, he and his kind do their jobs and their not offensively bad, so they don't ruin the film.
Aside from that the film has a good sense of humour. Most of the jokes stem from the characters and the story, and not from pop culture or lowbrow jokebooks, which is always a good thing. Furthermore, the film looks and sounds great, the action is suitably over the top and the story isn't half bad. I'd definitely give this one a watch if you're looking for a fun action-comedy.
The film leans rather heavily on its cast's ability to pull off good comedy, but luckily it got some of the bigger names that are able to do just that. Mel Gibson does a surprisingly good job as the eponymous Bret Maverick. He can be tough and convincing when he needs to be, but he can also do light-hearted comedy. He also has good chemistry with Jodie Foster's Annabelle, who's the other main character in this little romp. Her character doesn't quite hit the right notes all the time, mainly because she's one of those characters you're never quite what she's going to do next, which often makes them annoyingly unpredictable, but she's better than most her kind. James Garner does a great role as Marshal Zane Cooper, as does James Coburn as Commodore Duvall. Both are old western legends, and it's nice to see this movie giving them a respectful nod like that.
I unfortunately cannot say that the antagonists of this film were quite as good. Alfred Molina's Angel especially was a bit too... obvious, I think might be the right word. Obviousness might work in a comedy such as this, but I just found him annoying and not all that believable. Still, he and his kind do their jobs and their not offensively bad, so they don't ruin the film.
Aside from that the film has a good sense of humour. Most of the jokes stem from the characters and the story, and not from pop culture or lowbrow jokebooks, which is always a good thing. Furthermore, the film looks and sounds great, the action is suitably over the top and the story isn't half bad. I'd definitely give this one a watch if you're looking for a fun action-comedy.