Maverick [DVD] [1994]

Many I feel sure will remember the TV series that ran between 1957 - 1962 that starred James Garner as Bret Maverick (think I probably watched all four seasons)(In this James Garner plays Marshall Zane Cooper)Remember the song from the TV series ?Who is the tall, dark stranger there?Maverick is the name.Ridin' the trail to who knows where,Luck is his companion,Gamblin' is his game.Smooth as the handle on a gun.Maverick is the name.Wild as the wind in Oregon,Blowin' up a canyon,Easier to tame.Riverboat, ring your bell,Fare thee well, Annabel.Luck is the lady that he loves the best.Natchez to New OrleansLivin on jacks and queensMaverick is a legend of the west.........etcIn this we see Mel Gibson as Brett, a loveable, fast-talking card-sharp and con-artist who has come to town to board the paddle-steamer when it docks to join in the 5-card draw poker tournament, a winner takes all contest.Each contestant must pay the $25,000 entrance fee to join.Trouble is, Brett is $3000 short, he hopes to call in a few debts owed to him and win the rest at the table which is where he meets fellow gambler, and indeed thief and seductress Annabelle Bransford (Jodie Foster) who also aims to be a competitor along with Angel ( Alfred Molina) another prospective competitor who doesn't welcome Brett to the game in the saloon.After the initial encounter, Brett kind of links up with Annabelle after she steals his wallet along with the bumbling lawman Zane Cooper known as Coop who it turns out will be peace- keeper on the Steam-Boat when the game gets under way (eventually)Along the way the three will try to help out a group of missionaries who claim to have been robbed by Indians.They will also encounter Joseph (Grahame Greene) and his tribe (Joseph owes Brett $1000)Turns out the competition organiser played by James Coburn doesn't want Brett to reach the River-Boat to compete and has instructed Angel and his followers to prevent him from doing so.Well, the competition does eventually get underway.....more double-cross will follow.Must say, long time since last seeing the film...it's a whole lot funnier than I remember in truth.Certainly, worth a re-visit or indeed first viewing.

I love this film so much I bought it as a gift for a friend. Brilliant comedy film with old classic actors Mel Gibson/Jodie Foster/James Garner/James Coburn. It’s a race to attend and win a Poker game with a huge payout with funny twists and turns along the way. If you like these actors and a good giggle watch it. It’s a film I can watch again and again and not get bored.

.......brilliant cast......reminded of this film recently watching a documentaries about James Coburn and Jodie Foster.......James Garner played Maverick in the much watched TV series.......Mel Gibson plays Maverick himself.Brilliant......humour, wit, clever twists, female wiles and intelligent cunning......slight of hand, literally.....Alfred Molina plays the adversary.....and is almost brilliantly unrecognisable. Enjoy!

In this 1994 western comedy, wisecracking gambler Bret Maverick (Mel Gibson) is on the way to a major card tournament when he encounters card player Mrs. Annabelle Bransford (Jodie Foster), and Marshal Zane Cooper (James Garner) and all three take a coach together but others are trying to stop Bret reaching the game, but who and why?This big budget movie is filled with likeable rogues, everyone seems to be doing something wrong from lying, cheating, stealing, gambling to being in debt, but most seem to be trying to do the right thing. The costumes are amazing and the scenery is breath-taking ranging from rivers in the desert, to the mountains of Oregon and it’s full of silly, frivolous humour in every scene while the showdown with the 'native americans’ is hilarious. There are also a host of familiar faces throughout, including Margot Kidder [Superman] in an uncredited role as a wagon train missionary.For some bizarre reason the disc goes straight into the opening titles for the film. Hitting menu on my remote calls up a menu, but none of the features work until you view the movie. Features are jump to a scene, gallery [profiles, behind the scenes etc], languages [English and most East European languages, subtitles much the same] and recommendations [trailers].This surprises by starting with mild swearing from the start but it’s a fun filled journey with some edge of the seat moments and the violence is the usual low key western gunfight variety so parental guidance rating is apt. This may have plenty of plot holes and unrealistic scenes, but that’s part of it’s charm, that it can be ludicrous and still work.

I have the previous series of Maverick in my collection and am not disappointed by this more recent version....James Garner is in it so it’s always going to be a good one to watch. Well worth adding to your collection if you’re a fan of the late James Garner.

What do you get if you put James Garner, one of the best deliverers of humour in Hollywood's history, Mel Gibson who shows an aptitude for comedy which may have served him better than some of his more violent movies, and Jodie Foster who shows the breadth of her acting ability from Silence of the Lambs to this movie?Answer...Maverick. If you're miserable, watch it, if you're not...still watch it. Wonderful.

Saw at cinema years ago, rarely on TV and always miss when it's on so cheap enough to justify buying another dvd

It's a nice clasic movie. Lot of fun. I had it on DVD but the Blu-Ray quality is better.