Maverick

When I compare Mel Gibson of the present day with the past Mel Gibson, for example in 1994, I’m shocked at the amount of confidence that he was able to put into his acting. Maverick is the shining example. Mel does whatever he wants, even to Jodie Foster, the poker players, and especially to the viewers. He’s frowning at times and then he’s laughing unexpectedly. And the viewers are frowning or laughing along with him. Sometimes, he stops breathing from all that suspense and the viewers do the same. He can simply put so much emotion into his performance. It’s not the same nowadays, but I get him. However, I hope that he gets back into it one day. I really want that for him. He’s an amazing actor. I mean, every single movie he’s appeared in is great. All his characters are memorable in some field or another. Like Maverick is when it comes to poker. He put on such a brutal poker face that he could win the first spot in the international emotionless expression contest. Great. I enjoyed it. It reminded me of Bud Spencer and Terence Hill a bit… just the American way. (02/11/2012)

The only film where the action-comedy pace of Richard Donner didn't work for me at all. There’s actually very little action and it's not really a groundbreaking story, and there isn't exactly a huge amount of humor either. The only truly brilliant scene is the reference to Lethal Weapon  in the middle of the bank robbery. Jodie Foster is quite unremarkable and the only thing worth mentioning is the likeable Mel Gibson. The middle segment with the Indians is quite boring and the final scenes of who is playing who for the tenth time are quite embarrassing. I don't understand why there is so much praise, I really didn't find anything monumental. Donner has made many better things, more entertaining, more action-packed, and better put together. (28/11/2006)

A very likeable parody of basic western tropes. It has poker games, bank robberies, stagecoach action, gunfights, and Indians. And all that works surprisingly well, though it has to be added, with the generous help of all the great actors (especially the brave Indian Graham Greene and Danny Glover's cameo, humorously referring to Lethal Weapon). At times the story crumbles into closely connected episodes, but it's really nice to watch and the atmosphere of the Wild West is guaranteed to be intoxicating. 80% (01/08/2018)

A brilliant passage with Indians, some great jokes and Danny Glover exchanging glances with Mel Gibson and his "I'm too old for this shit!" brought me to my knees. However, this does not overcome the fact that Maverick is too much of an excessive spectacle, that it’s not smooth in many scenes, that it is predictable and that Annabelle is by far the biggest and most insidious bitch in Jodie Foster’s career, who is otherwise lovely and charming. (27/07/2011)

An excellent comedy with the great Mel Gibson in the lead role. Donner layers one humorous scene on top of another without losing control of the story. You even find yourself laughing when Maverick is hanging from a cliff or when he has a noose around his neck. Simply great fun. Certainly the best comedy about the Wild West. P.S. Jodie Foster is irresistible here. (20/01/2007)