Maverick (1994)
There are a number of movies about casinos, poker, and gambling in general that are dark and gritty enough to give Tim Burton a warm and fuzzy feeling deep down in his core. These are the type of movies that most of us need anti-depressants and some occasional therapy if we make a steady diet of them. Maverick seems to be the comical and uplifting yang to this depressing ying.
This film is based upon the character, Brett Maverick, who was so wonderfully portrayed in the 1960’s television series by the same name. Back then it was James Garner who played the wise-cracking gambler. In this big screen adaptation of the small screen creation, Mel Gibson takes on the role that Garner turned into a television classic. Not one to let somebody else steal the limelight with his character, James Garner co-stars in this film as Marshall Zane Cooper.
Before viewing this movie it will be wise to start out with the realization that it is a film that does not take itself seriously. The premise of the film is basically an attempt to stay alive while getting to a high stakes game of poker. Brett Maverick, who finds himself traveling to the World Series of Poker in St. Louise with the wily gambler Annabelle Bransford and a Federal Marshall named Zane Cooper, must raise the $5,000 needed to join this high-stakes contest. Due to a lot of crooked competition combined with the occasional attempted homicide (not to mention the numerous times that our three heroes attempt scam each other more often then the bad guys), this is easier said than done. It's all played for laughs and action though, so the movie never gets old or boring. In fact, it’s so easy to get absorbed by this film that the viewer does not even notice the long running time.
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