Maverick Details

It's ironic that this comedy western should have been written by script doctor supreme William Goldman, as it's clearly in need of a little attention itself. Goldman has produced a gentle tribute to the hit TV series, but misses what was surely a golden opportunity for a razor-sharp spoof. There's no doubt the stars had a ball, though, with Mel Gibson and Jodie Foster sparking nicely as the eponymous gambler and the con artist who is more than his match. But it's left to James Garner (who played the original Bret Maverick), saddled with a role that is little more than a clumsy in-joke, to demonstrate what comic acting is really all about.

Based on the TV series that starred James Garner, this is a relaxed and rambling romp, a jokey tale of double-cross in a Western setting which would have been far better with its last half-hour excised.