User Reviews

After making entertaining movies such as the "Lethal Weapon" movies, "The Goonies" and "Scrooged", Richard Donner the man behind all those movies, brings us "Maverick", an excellent and fun 'modern' western with a fun story and entertaining characters played by veteran-actors who seemed to have lots of fun working on this movie.

The best thing about "Maverick" is the 'fun' feeling that this movie has. You can tell that the actors worked on this movie with lots of pleasure and fun. Mel Gibson is a wonderful and fun leading man as Bert uhmm I mean Bret Maverick. The cast is filled with many other big names such as: Jodie Foster, James Garner, Graham Greene, Alfred Molina, James Coburn, Dan Hedaya, Margot Kidder and Danny Glover in a fun cameo.

The story is really strong and full with fun twists and plenty of comical situations. Yes, "Maverick" is a real fun 'no worries' movie. Truly one of the most underrated movies.

8/10

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A fun movie that doesn't try to be anything more than what it is -- an amiable comedy.

Mel Gibson can actually manage to be tolerable when he's playing charming, which he does here. James Garner is perfectly cast for quite obvious reasons. And it's nice to see Jodie Foster lighten up and play a feminine character for once -- up to that point, her resume had been quite serious.

For some strange reason, I distinctly remember Siskel and Ebert being infuriated that this film won an Academy Award nomination for Best Costume Design. Ah, to live such a charmed life that something like that constitutes a major gripe.....

Grade: B

I Recently saw this film for the second time and the film is really amusing.

Mel Gibson plays his roll terrific and the film has a great number of unexpected developments.

The film is really enjoyable and i think the nomination for the Oscar is justified.

I think that the majority of people agree with me on this and that this film has become a classic over the years.

The story is surprising and unexpected developments,the action and humor make it that this film has become such a great popularity.

This is among Mel's best. It has absolutely everything you could want for a hit. Bert...I mean Bret...is a multi-dimensional character that changes from humorous to serious seamlessly. Jodie Foster is an excellent faux-Southern belle. And James Garner plays the veteran lawman to the T.

This movie has humor, but not gross-out humor. The tongue-in-cheek, James Bond/Lethal Weapon kind of humor. Like Miss Bransford looking in both of their tubs to "compare" the two, without ever saying anything. It has decent action and suspense, and the last 15 minutes has more plot turns that most mysteries.

This is one of my personal favorites, one I can watch over and over again. I believe this gets none of the credit it deserves. It seems to have a stigma because most movies based on TV shows (i.e. Beverly Hillbillies) well, suck.

Maverick is one most favourite Mel Gibson idol, and is truly an American icon. In the western/comedy genre movies of all time cinema history, Maverick comes anyhow in the top-5 list. After the several failures of Red Kit(Lucky Luke)'s cinema adaptation between 1991-1993; Roy Huggins's "Maverick TV-series" of 1950s' had been enriched with the Hanna&Barbera vision of Lucky Luke(1984 TV-cartoon series) to integrate the whole concept of writing a new modern day Maverick by the writer William Goldman. There are a bunch of similarities between these two Western legends, but still Maverick's story was unique and impressive. Here in my review I would much rather talk about this movie itself, instead of its production values. Anyway, if you would like to share your opinions with me and everybody else, visit my message board topic with the title "40 factors that Lucky Luke and Maverick have in common".

Director Donner has preferred a left-in-the-middle Adventure type opening right away in the first scene, as if it's a continuation to Maverick's adventures. His antagonist, performed by British actor Alfred Molina, has left him in a trapped dilemma; that appears to our eyes as Maverick is just about to die. As the widely known old saying says: "A person recalls his life just before he dies" , Maverick starts to tell his story to sum up the reason how he ended up being in that deadly dilemma. Under his narration, we're welcomed to a heart-warmingly told weirdo story. He's been collecting money to enroll in a Poker tournament and travelling the country through several adventures.

What makes Maverick memorable and unique in style is first of all, the mood. There is a political film-noir view that we get every time we meet a new character. Every single character, even the cameos in this movie is so selfish, rebel and against the law. Robbery, racketeering, murder, gambling, bribery, deception is a must-have character profile for all. The sheriff of a town is in debt with fugitives. A credible police chief steals a $500,000 poker tournament prize from his son. A son of a police chief is a bandit. Well, his father known as the most credible police chief in Western America; and he even steals money from his own single child son. Even the most likable Jodie Foster's Annabelle character tries to steal money from everywhere, she fools every man to steal their wallet; even from a dead old poor wagon rider It's very absurd and reasonable at the same time that this is the greatest dreamy Western adventureland ever that the audience is witnessed.

After this great accomplishment, who cares if there are gaps in the plot? Indians might be so friendly(especially after Dances With Wolves, all the American Indians in Western movies somehow has become very friendly). All the bandits might be sappy. Set Designs might be cheap and distracting. Audio and sound effects might be the lowest quality. But still with craggy zigzagged narrated style of editing works perfect, and thus the film always rises unexpected incidents and surprises. The zigzags of the storytelling keeps the viewers' attention on trying to find the reasons why each character chooses to do what they do. Cinematography and directing of photography are also admirable. The sceneries are taken in rivers of Arizona, uplands of Oregon, canyons of Utah, prairies of Washington, Yosemite National Park of California. It feels like a falsely guided visit to Western states; Maverick says that he's going to the poker tournament in New York, while in the actual Earth geography he's in Yosemite. This film was nominated only in Costume Design category at the Academy Awards, but instead Hugo Weaving & Guy Pearce's Australian desert comedy won it.

Maverick can be seen entirely by everyone. Mostly with humour and film-noir comedy of Old West, it's also worth your time for Poker/Road Trip Sceneries/Adventure/Cowboy Gunfights/Living with the Indians segments.

Maverick (Mel Gibson) is a charming gambler who needs $25k to enter a poker tournament with at least half million at stake. It's happening in a few days on a steamboat run by Commodore Duvall (James Coburn). Maverick is a quick draw and one of the best card player. He encounters other characters like the macho Angel (Alfred Molina), the sexy con Annabelle Bransford (Jodie Foster), and Marshal Zane Cooper (James Garner). The tournament is not just about the money but a challenge to his abilities. It's one misadventure after another as he tries to gather the money together.

It's a good fun western that has a nice comfortable charm. To emphasize that, director Richard Donner got 'Lethal Weapon' cohort Danny Glover to play a cameo as a bank robber. By no means is this a gut busting comedy. The best thing is the great chemistry between the film's trio.

This film is especially suitable for all those who don't like Westerns because think they're never more than train robberies and duels at sunset. Set in the Wild West, this comedy shows the adventurous way that Bret Maverick enters the most lucrative poker tournament in the region. It's a funny story that harmoniously combines action and adventure and where Mel Gibson plays the leading role. Despite his consecration, this actor is no stranger to light comedies (think of "What Women Want"), even though these aren't the kind of jobs he likes to bet. He has Jodie Foster and James Garner as supporting actors and Alfred Molina as a villain, but he manages to stand out from them and carry the film on his back in a very enjoyable way. The fact is they never seemed committed, giving Gibson a lot of space to shine even when everyone was on scene. The result, however, is frankly pleasant.

This film is not a work of art nor was it thought to be. It's made for entertain the public and does so easily, with jokes, funny dialogues and action scenes where comedy comes from situations in which protagonist is involved, usually against his will. As usual in comedies, the characters are light and even somewhat stereotyped. The Indians also appear in the film, which makes fun of preconceived ideas about them. Sets and costumes are also good, and wear what we normally associate with Far West. Not worth looking for an exceptional script, great characters or a dramatic show. This movie is to watch without thinking. So sit back and enjoy.

As a kid, I used to watch reruns of the original "Maverick" -- and so I looked forward to seeing this one when it came out in the theaters. I was NOT disappointed! Mel Gibson's Maverick is a bit more goofy than James Garner's, but is every bit as charming, sly, and entertaining. A number of excellent cameos provide some comic relief, especially Danny Glover near the beginning of the movie. But by far the best casting is reserved for the original Maverick, James Garner, who is cast in a featured role, and who has surprises in store for darn near everyone. Most movies remade from old TV series ignore the stars that made them popular enough to BE remade -- kudos to the producers of this film, who apparently know better.

Other roles are filled capably; the biggest surprise for me was Jodie Foster, whom I normally dislike on screen. She is very impressive in a rare comedic role, and thankfully discards her repetoire of facial tics for a much more natural performance here. The plot is kept pretty simple until near the end -- and the end has a great twist, which I won't divulge. Suffice it to say that your time will be well spent, and you'll want to revisit Maverick country more than once.

This is one of those rare movies you can watch over and over again without getting tired of it. Forget what some people have said about Jodie Foster, she is absolutely perfect as the apparently-dumb-but-smarter-than-she-looks blonde, and the chemistry between her and Mel Gibson is superb. Also perfect are James Garner as the marshal, Graham Greene as the harassed native chief, and Alfred Molina (the Englishman who is so good as an Iranian in Not Without My Daughter and a Cuban in The Perez family) as the "Spaniard". The writing is simply brilliant, one of William Goldman's best - how anyone could describe it as "virtually plotless" just staggers the imagination. The direction and cinematography are superb. A special treat is the Lethal Weapon reprise with Danny Glover.

"Maverick" is a comedy Western which relates the adventures of Bret Maverick, a gambler and adventurer in the Old West. (It is based, apparently, on a television series from the 1950s, but I am too young to remember it; indeed, I am not sure if it was ever shown in Britain). Maverick wants to enter a major poker tournament, but lacks the entry fee of $25,000. The film tells the story of how he manages to scrape together the required money and what happens to him during the tournament itself, as well as his dealings with three people he meets along the way- Marshal Zane Cooper, a lawman based upon Wyatt Earp, a rival poker player named Angel (ironically, as he is far from angelic) and a young thief and con-woman named Annabelle Bransford.

The film stars two actors, Mel Gibson and Jodie Foster, whom I would not normally have associated with comedy. Gibson had previously made the light action-adventure films "Bird on a Wire", and the "Lethal Weapon" films contain some elements of humour, but "Maverick" is the closest he had yet come to pure comedy. As for Jodie, while she had made some comedies such as "Bugsy Malone" in her teenage days, by 1994 she had become regarded as a rather serious, intense young actress. Her previous film before this one was "Sommersby", another costume drama set in the late nineteenth century, but much more serious.

Both, however, reveal their previously hidden comic talents here, which is just as well. Neither Maverick nor Annabelle is, morally speaking, a particularly admirable individual. He is a wisecracking adventurer who lives by his wits; his code of ethics as a professional gambler might prevent him from cheating at the poker table, but he is not always so scrupulous in other areas, of his life, although he is occasionally capable of a generous gesture. She makes a living out of stealing and swindling, normally from men who are attracted to her good looks. As neither is admirable, therefore, it was important to make them sympathetic, and both Gibson and Foster succeed in this. Gibson's Maverick comes across as a likable rogue and Foster makes Annabelle sexy and winning enough for us to overlook the fact that she is a scheming minx. Another good performance comes from James Garner as Cooper; in the sort of in-joke that modern casting directors love, Garner played Bret Maverick in the television series.

The film was directed by Richard Donner, who had earlier directed Gibson in three instalments of the "Lethal Weapon" franchise and was later to direct him in a fourth, as well as in "Conspiracy Theory". Donner is an experienced director of action films, and manages to make the film an entertaining mixture of humour and thrills, often combining the two in the same scene, such as the one where Maverick is desperately trying to stop a runaway stagecoach in which he, Annabelle and Cooper are travelling. Unlike some other films from this period starring Gibson (e.g. "The Man without a Face") or Foster (e.g. "Nell"), there is nothing very deep or serious about "Maverick". For all that, however, it makes entertaining viewing. 7/10

I laughed throughout this movie. Mel Gibson still managed to stay suave and handsome as usual even though his character is supposed to be "bumbling." He and Jodie Foster had amazing chemistry. I enjoyed Danny Glover's cameo and reference to the "Lethal Weapon" movies. And James Garner, the original Maverick, was a delight. The movie had a bunch of twists and turns that kept me guessing until the very end. (Mel's bathtub scene helped, too.)

I had the privilege of being both an extra and a stand in. Which of course let me see and add to the inside goings on of this movie. I found in particular James garner was very congenial and friendly to the extras. Richard Donner was very purposeful and dedicated putting in overtime each day that i observed him. Along with James garner i found denver pyle and James coburn very friendly to me as i had pictures of me taken with all 3 individually. The photography is great due to the fact that we were on a real riverboat the stern wheeler "Lauren belle" we were returned twice a day to the locks by tugboats and floated back to the fishery. This was all during the 2nd week of sept 1993 30 miles east of Portland,Oregon.

My thanks to the other cast members and Extras.

"Maverick" is based on the popular television series of the same name. The film is pretty faithful to the series as Mel Gibson stars as the big-time gambler. James Garner (the original Maverick) has a great part as a lawman who is tracking Gibson. Jodie Foster is superb as usual. The supporting cast includes Graham Greene, James Coburn, and a short cameo by Danny Glover. The direction and screenplay are both inspired and very impressive.

Not perfect, but very close. 4.5 out of 5 stars.

In the nineties, western was somewhat ditched in the landscape of the American cinema in spite of commendable endeavors to renew it like Clint Eastwood's revisionist, dusky "Unforgiven" (1992). "Maverick" hasn't got the pretensions to give the genre a new lease of life but is much fun to watch. It is one of Richard Donner's most palatable efforts in a filmography dominated by action-packed stories like the "Lethal Weapon" saga. It even predates a fashion which was to thrive in the following decade in the Hollywood industry: to adapt a TV series for the silver screen. I must admit that I have never seen an installment of the "Maverick" series.

Action-packed stories are Donner's specialty and he knows his job. There are action and stunts in "Maverick" coupled with twists as one could wish, particularly in the end. They are part of a droll, fantastic story lived by a threesome of delightful actors who are linked through bickering, deceits to collect the necessary amount of money to take part in a poker tournament.

But Donner goes beyond this and rehashes some distinctive elements of the western (Indians, sinister-looking killers, representative scenery like the saloon, the bank or habits like gambling) but gives them a zany inflexion. So, Donner's shooting of Maverick's incredible story never takes itself too seriously and takes often a leap into uproarious laughter. The filmmaker takes pleasure in deceiving the audience about several apparent self-explanatory actions Maverick is about to do. Towards the beginning of the film, he takes his shirt off in front of Annabelle. No, he doesn't want to make love with her but wants her to wash it (the shirt)! Or later when he presses his ear against the ground. No, it's not to hear whether the Indians are very close but "I'm going to have a rest while waiting for the white men dressed as Indians!". Needless to add that Donner has fun with the clichés linked to the western and most notably the Indians and the sinister-looking killers and it helps to produce hilarious sequences (my favorite one is when Maverick is "prisoner" in the tribe of the Indian chief Joseph).

Mel Gibson is one of Donner's favorite actors and here he simply fits in and doesn't go far. He gives a lot of presence to his incorrigible egocentric poker player sometimes unpredictable in his actions. Jodie Foster and James Garner are prime secondary roles who perfectly complete themselves with Gibson.

Certain of the strong points (a cinematographic genre, here the western, for fun, an assumed zany tone, a controlled direction of actors) which make of "Maverick" a prime product will leave the duo Donner/Gibson for their collective effort three years later, "Conspiracy Theory" (1997) which will deal a severe blow to the success of this collaboration.

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.

Love this film. It's silly, funny, irreverent and clever, and does not take itself seriously at all. Mel Gibson is at his most charming and irrepressible, and Jodie Foster dazzles as con-merchant and petite-criminal Annabelle Bransford, Bret Maverick's "nemesis" in the story. The plot is simply that Bret has to secure $25,000 to enter a poker tournament and he has some trouble raising the money given Annabelle trying to rip him off and Marshal Zane Cooper (James Garner - the original TV Maverick) doing his best to stop him getting to his destination. Bret is a fast-thinking, fast-talking trickster who's friendship with local Native American Indian Joseph (the brilliant Graham Greene) gets the trio out of a tight spot and also makes for the funniest scenes of the film. Some great stunts, amazing one-liners and a shocking disregard to the amounts of money they have pass through their hands (given it's set in the 1800s) make this an enjoyable, charming and pleasing film.

Amusing cameo from Danny Glover (Lethal Weapon)

A good mix of comedy, drama, suspense and nice scenery all make this a pleasing viewing experience. (Most people watching this leave with a smile on their face.)

This "western" is really a lot more of a comedy, but so was the TV show on which it was based. In the movie, we get some really neat twists at the end, too. Kudos also for including TV's original "Maverick" - James Garner - in this film.

Mel Gibson (the "new" Maverick) and Jodie Foster play off each other well in the leads and Graham Greene has some very funny lines as a supporting player. Alfred Molina, James Coburn, Geoffrey Lewis also shine in supporting performances and it is really fun to see all the cameo appearances in here. Included in there were a couple of old-time western movie stars along with country-western singers, all at a big card game at the end.

Another plus are the two songs during the ending credits. There is rousing C&W rendition of "Amazing Grace" followed by a good Randy Newman song called "Ride Gambler Ride." They are worth sticking around and hearing.

One negative about this film: the message seems to be that cheating, lying and just being a dishonorable person if okay if you can get away with it!! (Only in Hollywood!)

RELEASED IN 1994 and directed by Richard Donner, "Maverick" stars Mel Gibson as the amicable titular gambler who meets up with a fetching scam-artist (Jodi Foster), an aged marshal (James Garner) and an ill-tempered outlaw (Alfred Molina) on his way to a poker tournament on a riverboat at the Columbia River Gorge. Who will win the tournament? James Coburn plays the dubious host on the riverboat while Graham Greene appears as a comical Native chief.

The tone is along the lines of comedy Westerns like "The Duchess and the Dirtwater Fox" (1976), "Support Your Local Sheriff" (1969) and "Texas Across the River" (1966) so, if you like those Westerns, you'll probably appreciate this one ("Texas" is more campy though). The Western locations are to die for and Foster is striking. The camaraderie of the three main stars is entertaining. The sequence with Graham Greene in the second act stands out and is only surpassed by the riverboat sequence in the last act.

THE FILM RUNS 127 minutes and was shot in Arizona (Glen Canyon, Lake Powell, Mescal, Page, Lee's Ferry and Marble Canyon), Utah (Glen Canyon), California (Yosemite National Park, Lone Pine, El Mirage Dry Lake & Burbank studios) and Washington/Oregon (Columbia River Gorge & Beacon Rock). WRITER: William Goldman.

GRADE: B

Always thought this was great. Makes me laugh no end. When he lets himself go, Mel Gibson is funny, and this pastiche of an almost forgotten TV cowboy show - complete with its original star cast in the main supporting role - is comedy gold. Better yet, this is Jodie Foster's only real brush with the comedy genre and she proves so adept at it that you can't help feeling this route would have been better than Nell and Anna And The King. The ending piles twist upon twist, and it's one of those movies where everyone involved is clearly having such a great time that you do too.

Westerns have a certain appeal that fans of the genre look for. When people think of westerns, the most common of concepts that come to mind are gun fights, saloons, fillies, booz, beards, dirt, horses, the list goes on. For movies during the last half of the 20th century, Westerns didn't seem to be as popular as one thought. In order for these types of movies to work, the right cast, director and crew had to be involved to really get the viewers attention. With previous disasters like Michael Cimino's Heaven's Gate (1980), the genre took somewhat of nosedive in interest among viewers. It was later close to being killed off again after the next biggest (and strangest) disaster being Will Smith's Wild Wild West (1999). With those two bookending those two decades, there were others in between but not a whole lot. However, when learning that the director of Superman (1978) and the lead from Lethal Weapon (1987) would be working together to make a popular television western a major film, could there be a problem? It depends on how you see it.

In their respective careers, both Mel Gibson and Richard Donner have made quite a filmography for themselves. Being that they are also from a time where they would remember older shows from the past seems right that they make an older property more mainstream. The script was adapted William Goldman (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) and Chaplin (1992)), of where viewers are introduced to Bret Maverick (Mel Gibson), a career poker player who looks to enter a major game but lacks the funds. To attain his entrance fee to the game, Maverick goes around looking for ways to make that money, leading to all sorts of comic relief events. Of those moments, Maverick comes across filly thief Annabelle Bransford (Jodie Foster), Marshal Zane Cooper (James Garner) and hotheaded gamer Angel (Alfred Molina). Aside from the main cast, there are several other names to boot like: Graham Greene as pseudo Native American, Geoffrey Lewis playing a friendly banker, Paul L. Smith as a French Diplomat and even Art LaFleur, Dan Hedaya and Danny Glover all as gunslingers.

The problem is even with this, the overall execution of the story does not feel like a western. Very few events that take place in this western setting feel like it belongs to one. Instead, much of it feels like a parody of sorts due to its tone. That's not to say these scenes aren't funny but the film's trailer presented itself as more a lighthearted western with some comedy. Not the other way around where it's all comedy and less western. This also doesn't mean the actors perform badly either. Mel Gibson as Bret Maverick has a number of good lines that make him a smart and likable character. An ongoing joke is that people call him Bert Maverick, which gets him annoyed. Jodie Foster as the slippery crime filly is fun to watch too. Her ability to trick people just by her looks makes her quite dangerous if one isn't paying attention. James Garner as Cooper has his moments as well, showing both a caring and selfish side. The most creative of the supporting characters is Graham Greene's role. It's interesting that he would play a fake Native.

This could've be one of the funnier parts to the film. What if the Native Americans were just putting on a different face when talking to the Europeans? It's completely oddball and clever. Yet as unique as this is, the film suffers from an over packed running time. There are some particular parts to the story that could've been cut to help slim down viewing experience. The biggest time user of them all is the actual gameplay this movie focuses on. That being Poker. This is also one of the more surprising things about this western. One would expect that since it's a western, the climactic finale would be dealing with a showdown or some kind of deadly match. In place of that, viewers watch Mel Gibson and characters play a poker game with each other until the last individual is standing. Unless one is a true poker fanatic, no one will know how to play the game the right way. This in turn could make the game less tense. How engaging will the game actually be for a nonplayer?

The cinematography handled by Vilmos Zsigmond is nothing short of great. Being that Zsigmond has worked numerous projects dating back to the early 1960s, his ability to capture the right look has only gotten better. Just like his work in Heaven's Gate (1980), Zsigmond sets the stage for amazing looking western backgrounds. That means including every bit of the land from top to bottom. There's even a great scene that involves a canyon and it looks so spectacular. Very few cinematographers can master the art of capturing all of the land but Zsigmond seems to have figured that out. The musical score composed by Randy Newman was an interesting addition as well. Considering this score was created only a year before Toy Story (1995), it's funny to hear cues that sound like they belong to Pixar's animated classic. The sound of the music is utilized with organic orchestra that has all the signature themes that only Randy Newman could resurrect. The score itself is fun to listen to and does fit the western setting.

This is a fun western poker game movie but don't expect it to be more western than that. There are some shootouts but majority of the tone is comedic and has more parody like scenes than western ones. Nonetheless, the actors, cinematography and music all make it a tolerable goofy watch.

Maverick is just a good time movie with Mel Gibson doing a great job in the title role. James Garner as the elder,who used the name Zane cooper,was flawless, and Jodie Foster played a great part too. It's a great escape movie for 2 hours and filled with just as much comedy as it is with action. A great film to watch-Magictrain

I'm not a huge fan of westerns. I like Clint Eastwood, and I love "Brisco County Jr." (which this is very similar to), but I never cared for "Bonanza" or "Gunsmoke" and I don't know what Gary Cooper looks like. This movie was not a typical western, though, as it sought to make itself fun and added in so many subtle references (especially the "Lethal Weapon" nod) to old westerns, country music and Richard Donner films.

Hidden in the movie are Corey Feldman, Margot Kidder, Waylon Jennings, Clint Black and more. I did not recognize them. (Believe me, if I had recognized Corey Feldman I think this film would have received an 8.) Also, the film co-stars James Garner, who was the original Maverick in the TV series.

The plot: Maverick (Mel Gibson) must collect money owed to him to raise $25,000 in order to enter a high-stakes poker tournament on a steamboat. Along the way, he befriends a sheriff (James Garner) and a swindling yet beautiful woman (Jodie Foster). Also, Graham Greene appears.

Seriosuly, the film comes down to an endless series of fun events as Danny Glover parodies his "Lethal Weapon" role, Graham Greene plays an unusual Indian, a Russian archduke shows up for no apparent reason and many wacky card games and gun fights ensue. No excessive violence and very mild sex (this is PG, you know) make for a great time without getting too "adult".

If you liked the lightheartedness Richard Donner gave to "Superman" or "The Goonies" and you'd like to see more of that in the Old West, this is the film you are looking to find. Or, as I said, rent the first season of "Brisco County Jr" - you'll be pleasantly surprised.

I'm sure the script is a good one, but when I see James Garner, Mel Gibson and Jodie Foster on the screen, I can't help but to see James Rockford, Mad Max and Agent Starling all in different roles. Way too familiar. The casting director is at fault here. Should have had up and coming unknowns rather than the three main characters being typecast. Does not work for me and comes off as a vaudeville. Can't bear to ever see it again.