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Maverick (1994)
Evocative and humorous comedy with a spirit that easily outshines the rather giddy script by veteran writer William Goldman. The direction is by Richard Donner, and he is in a free-flowing vein of form, reuniting with Mel Gibson (and briefly Danny Glover), and transmitting and developing the carefree energy that characterized his Lethal Weapon. An energy that fits the character of Bret Maverick perfectly. It was a year in Hollywood where little or nothing could go wrong – not even a remake of an old western series in which James Garner passes the baton on to Mel Gibson. There is something instant and triumphant about Maverick – like a babbling, lively kid who you just can't dislike, even if he is a little too much. Mel Gibson and Jodie Foster pull, twitch and twaddle their way through the plot in charismatic ways, both delivering some of the best work of their careers, and certainly in the comedy genre. Great dialogue combined with amusing twists and a genuine appreciation for classic, synthetic Hollywood-values lay the foundation for this fine symbiosis.
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