Review of Maverick

Introduction

Today it`s a rare thing to see a western at all, but western comedies were almost a genre, once upon a time. Films like Support Your Local Gunfighter, Something Big, and Skin Game took a light hearted look at America in the 19th Century, many of them starring James Garner (television`s Maverick), so when this 1994 movie remake of Maverick was made, I was naturally interested. The collaboration between Mel Gibson and director Richard Donner (The Lethal Weapons, Conspiracy Theory) continues and an all-star cast laden with cameos bring to life the script penned by William Goldman (Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid, The Princess Bride).

Bret Maverick is on his way to a high stakes Poker tournament and he is only $3000 short of the $25000 entry fee. It`s time to call in some old debts so he goes to visit his old bank manager friend. Naturally the bank is closed, so to pass the time, he gets into a friendly little game at the local saloon. There he encounters the charming Annabelle Bransford and the somewhat less friendly Angel. The game is eventful, but afterwards Maverick finds that Annabelle is a far more challenging proposition as she skilfully lifts his wallet. The next day, after failing to get his money, he joins Miss Bransford on a stagecoach where they also meet upright lawman, Zane Cooper who selflessly allows Maverick to be the hero and risk his life to save the runaway stage, much to Bret`s fury. Maverick must get to the riverboat tournament, accompanied by the scheming Miss Bransford and the infuriating Cooper, while attempting to get the 3000 dollars he needs. It`s a wild and manic ride and that`s just to get to the high stakes game.

Video

A less than sterling 2:35:1 anamorphic transfer graces Maverick. The picture is soft and the resolution is low on the single layer disc. I didn`t spot any obvious digital artefacts, but the picture may have been a tad grainy and there was occasional moiré. The film showed signs of dirt, but not to the extent where it would affect your viewing. The film itself is filled with atmospheric locations, from the stylish riverboat casino to the canyons and mountains and plains of 19th Century America. It`s all very impressive to look at. Richard Donner directs in flamboyant fashion, with glorious vistas, relentless action and a pacy script.

Audio

A simple DD surround track is provided and it competently expresses the action and mayhem. The dialogue is always clear, and Randy Newman`s music is suitably light hearted and western in tone and really helps in pushing the pace of the film along. The soundtrack is supported by a selection of Country and Western tracks. Not being a fan of country, I can`t critically comment, but it all fits the tone of the movie.

Features

The case lists Production Notes as the sole extra, but this is no reason to groan at another light disc. Admittedly, there is nothing in the way of trailers and a making of, or a commentary, but what the disc does have, aside from the `Recommendations` advertising other discs is a copious set of text pages, describing everything, from the cast to the cinematography and including notes about the director, producer, behind the scenes, locations, stunts, cameos, and the writer. In terms of space on the disc, this is hardly anything, but the material is still plentiful and it does take a fair while to read it all.

Conclusion

This is an enjoyable, fast paced western caper, with a cast to match. Mel Gibson stars as Bret Maverick, the fast-talking and quick-witted gambler, Jodie Foster is the romantic interest, Annabelle Bransford, and she has some marvellous chemistry with Bret as they try to outthink and out con each other. James Garner is lawman, Zane Cooper and his character takes as much pleasure in needling Bret as Annabelle does. The trio of actors work well together and play off each other so that watching their performances is a treat. Thrown into the mix is veteran star, James Coburn as the Commodore, who is hosting the tournament and Alfred Molina as Bret`s nemesis. Another fine role is the Native American, Joseph, played by Graham Greene, who mercilessly teases Bret when he shows up asking for money. It`s a family reunion of sorts as well, Richard Donner directs Lethal Weapon star Mel, but Steve Kahan (The police chief in LW) shows up as a card dealer, and there is a magical cameo with Danny Glover. Speaking of cameos, there are appearances from among others, Doug McClure, Henry Darrow, Geoffrey Lewis, Margot Kidder, Waylon Jennings, and Denver Pyle. The final poker tournament hosts many names that you may not recognise, but the faces are staples of Westerns past and many TV shows as well.

Yes indeed, Maverick is a whole lot of fun. It`s one caper after another as the poker tournament draws nearer. The banter and sniping between the three main characters is riveting. This film has it all; in fact it has a little too much. I found about an hour or so in, that the story got lost in all the little fun moments that were going on. When Maverick turns up at Joseph`s camp asking for money, and Joseph involves him in another crazy caper, I feel that the film has lost sight of where the story is going. This is despite Joseph`s scam being another very funny moment. The running length at 2 hours is a little long, and perhaps losing 15 minutes somewhere would have given a better flow to the movie. The film is always tongue in cheek, and very `nineties` ironic. On occasion it walks a fine line between comedy and spoof western, but it never crosses the line.

I initially didn`t think much of the transfer, but a second look at the snapper case, revealed the DVD year to be 1998, an old disc to say the least. This disc was on the shop shelf when most stores only had the one shelf devoted to DVD as a format. Still, I wouldn`t be surprised if a new version wasn`t in the works, as Warners seem to be re-releasing their single layer titles as dual layer special editions. (Lethal Weapon 1-3, The Fugitive, Unforgiven and so on)

Maverick is a great way to kill two hours, a fast paced comedy set in the old west, with a great cast. Give it a try, you won`t be disappointed.