Movie · 1994 · Action, Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Western · 2h 7m · PG · English
Curator score: 4.3/10 (169.4K ratings)
In their hands, a deck of cards was the only thing more dangerous than a gun.
Overview
Bret Maverick is a gambler who would rather con someone than fight them, and needs an additional $3k in order to enter a winner-takes-all poker game beginning in a few days. He joins forces with a woman with a marvelous Southern accent, and the two try and enter the game.
Ratings
Curator score: 4.3/10
IMDb: 7.0/10
Letterboxd: 3.42/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 67%
Metacritic: 62
TMDB: 6.9/10
Director
Richard Donner
Production
Warner Bros. Pictures, Icon Productions, Donner/Shuler-Donner Productions
Cast
Mel Gibson, Jodie Foster, James Garner, Graham Greene, Alfred Molina, James Coburn, Dub Taylor, Geoffrey Lewis, Paul L. Smith, Dan Hedaya, Dennis Fimple, Denver Pyle, Clint Black, Max Perlich, Art LaFleur, Leo Gordon, Paul Tuerpe, Jean De Baer, Paul Brinegar, Hal Ketchum
Curator Review
Verdict
A breezy, star-driven Western caper with real chemistry, sharp banter, and enough poker-table suspense to keep the long game entertaining. It’s uneven and occasionally dated, but the charm, pace, and production polish make it an easy recommendation for viewers who like their genre movies playful rather than gritty.
Best for
fans of lighthearted Westerns
viewers who enjoy con-artist plots and double-crosses
people who like charismatic ensemble chemistry
fans of 1990s studio adventure-comedies
Skip if
you want a serious or revisionist Western
you’re sensitive to dated racial or gender humor
you prefer tightly plotted films with no padding
you dislike movies that lean on star persona over realism
Overview
Maverick is the kind of studio entertainment that knows exactly what it wants to be: a fast-talking, good-natured Western caper built around bluffing, cheating, and everyone trying to outmaneuver everyone else. Richard Donner keeps it moving with a confident hand, and the film’s best asset is the easy chemistry among the leads, which gives even the setup scenes a playful charge.
Worth noting
The movie works less as a hard-edged poker thriller than as a string of comic reversals, scenic detours, and crowd-pleasing cameos. When it locks into the rhythm of its con-game plotting, it’s a lot of fun; when it stretches toward the finish, you can feel the runtime. Still, the visual clarity, the breezy tone, and the sheer likability of the ensemble make it an easy watch.
Bottom line
It’s also very much a product of its era, with some jokes and attitudes that land awkwardly now. But if you’re in the mood for a glossy, old-school entertainment with Western flavor and a mischievous streak, Maverick delivers more often than it stumbles.
Top Letterboxd reviews
Matt Singer (3.5★) · 250 likes
The only movie I wanted to watch when I heard about Richard Donner’s passing (RIP) was Maverick, which is surely not his best film but is definitely the one I’ve seen the most. It aired approximately 1,000,000 times on HBO in the ‘90s, and I watched it every single time. I loved the con artists all conning each other vibe and the chemistry between the three leads. Decades later, I find all of that still intact, along with Donner’s assured, precise direction. (The visual storytelling in the poker scene is so sharp.) A problematic fav now? Sure. But still a favorite.
demi adejuyigbe (3.5★) · 160 likes
Its ending doesn't really track, but I don't care because it was lots of fun up until it happened.
Ryan Jacob Dunfee (5★) · 148 likes
“My old Pappy used to say, there is no more deeply satisfying religious experience than cheating, on a cheater.”My buddy agmoore24 and I have long considered Maverick one of our favorite and most quotable films. This is a very funny & original movie featuring Mel Gibson at what is probably the top of his game. Jodie Foster doesn’t really make bad movies, and James Garner is good too.....right? Maverick is a very easy watch at any time of day with engaging characters and a fun plot. Though I thoroughly enjoy both Superman & The Goonies, Maverick stands alone as my favorite Richard Donner film.
Maverick IMDB
gregs1999 (3.5★) · 128 likes
Felt like I was watching a Western rendition of Pirates of the Caribbean, and Mel Gibson was doing his own Captain Jack Sparrow. I can’t put my finger on why exactly, but it made this film such a pleasant experience. Alfred Molina was also a lot of fun, as was all the other Western cameos. Engaging story, and the palaver leading up to the poker game was hilarious.
Richard Donner ranked
Travis Lytle (5★) · 123 likes
Powered by a star at the peak of his game, a director with a knack for putting together supremely entertaining cinematic packages, and a script that crackles with wit, Richard Donner's "Maverick" is a giddy, comic Western confection. Combining Mel Gibson's unquestionable mid-1990s magnetism with classic Western landscapes, Donner puts together a rollicking joyride of a film. With its William Goldman-scripted foundation, it is a start-to-finish blast with energy to spare.
Based loosely on the television series of the same… more