Maverick
Maverick (1994)
"Lord...whatever I've done to piss you off...if you could just get me out of this and somehow let me know what it was, I promise to rectify the situation."
So, first things first, I am pleased to say that the film didn't drag near as much as I remembered it. Yes, it's a tad long at just over 2 hours, but I didn't find my mind wandering at all. Once again, as with most movies directed by Richard Donner, he keeps things movie quickly, doesn't bog down the dialogue with unnecessary exposition, and we learn all we need to about the characters and the story with just what's happening on the screen.
The plot itself isn't terribly outlandish or complicated; it's really just one man's mission to get to the biggest poker game of his life and the tribulations he faces along the way. This is a lighthearted story, certainly in the vein of the old 50s westerns, but I don't think I'd really classify it as a true western. It's more like an action/comedy set in the old west. One of the reasons for this opinion is that Maverick plays with a few western tropes rather than embraces them. First of all, the film's protagonist isn't exactly brave, nor is he outwardly moral (but he does hold his own code of honor). He doesn't seek to atone for a dark past, as many good western heroes do. Sure, he always does the right thing in the end, but it's almost always under duress. Really, you could set this film during almost any time period, and it would work well.
One final thing about the flow of the story. I was concerned with how the poker scenes would be portrayed in Maverick, especially since they were my least favorite part of Casino Royale because they weren't terribly interesting. I thought they ground the story to a halt. However, Donner does the poker scenes right in this film by emphasizing the characters and their conversations and making liberal use of the montage to get across most of the card-playing without interrupting the film's pace. As usual, Donner gets top marks for his handling of the story.
Acting:
This film has a pretty great cast, especially for the time. Gibson, of course, was at the height of his popularity, and Brett Maverick was definitely a character he was well suited to play. Maverick is charming, sarcastic with a bit of a temper and prone to the occasional outburst. But, like I said, it was a role he was born to play, and his considerable charm makes a character who could come off as unlikeable in lesser hands, as someone the audience can root for.
Jodie Foster also does a terrific job as the con artist and gambler Annabelle Bransford. It's easy to look at her as merely the film's love interest, but she acts as a terrific foil over Maverick and gives as good as she gets. Plus, the chemistry between her and Gibson makes the duo's relationship on screen the movie's backbone. There's a reason why she's been considered one of the best in the business for a couple of decades.
I also need to mention James Garner's turn as marshall Zane Cooper. It was a clever nod to the original 50s TV show by adding the man who originally played Brett Maverick. In my mind, Garner can do no wrong; while I don't think he has a ton of range as an actor, he's smart with the roles he takes and, at this stage of his career, he had settled into the wise father-figure role quite nicely.
The rest of the cast is also superlative, with appearances from Canadian icon Graham Greene, the smarmy native chief Joseph. His scenes with Gibson are definitely my favorite parts of the whole film because they're clever and take many jabs at the way First Nations people were treated during this time period without getting too heavy. There are also appearances by many veterans of the Lethal Weapon series, including an absolutely fantastic cameo by Danny Glover.
Visuals:
There's not a ton of visual effects, save from several gunshots, and that's about it. The sets and the costumes, though, look fantastic and befit the old west backdrop. In addition, the scenery in the film, which was shot primarily in the American Southwest, looks stunning and definitely sells the idea that the characters inhabit a world that isn't entirely civilized.
Music:
The musical score was composed by Randy Newman. I've stated before how I'm not such a big fan of his work, but I like the score for this film. It's quiet and goes with the "less is more" approach, which I think works well for a movie set in the old west. What I didn't like about the music was the addition of a few contemporary (for the time) country music tracks. I loathe country music, and the addition of some 90s-era tracks took me out of the film a bit. Fortunately, these only show up near the film's end, so it wasn't so bad.
Action:
There's some good action to be had in Maverick, and it's old-school in-camera action, which I love. There a fair amount of gunfights and fisticuffs, as any Old West movie has. There's also the obligatory "man being dragged under a stagecoach" scene, which is always a crowd-pleaser. Donner has always had a good eye for filming action, and Maverick is no different.
Final Verdict:
I love this film, perhaps more than I did before this most recent viewing. It just hits all the right notes for me. It's funny, it's exciting, has great characters and is just a blast to watch. It's also a nice reminder of a time before Mel Gibson was known for his prowess on the screen, rather than for his misadventures off it. Check it out if you're a fan of movies set in the west or just action/comedies in general.
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