In their hands, a deck of cards was the only thing more dangerous than a gun.|May. 20, 1994|USA|127 Min.|PG
Genre: Action;Adventure;Comedy;Drama;Western
Description: In the American Old West, gambler Bret Maverick journeys to a high-stakes poker tournament on the paddle steamer Lauren Belle, aiming to prove himself the greatest card player of his era. Needing $25,000 to enter, Maverick is $3,000 short and travels to Crystal River to collect debts and win the remaining amount. During a poker game, he crosses paths with the volatile gambler Angel and the cunning con artist Annabelle Bransford. After winning a significant pot from Angel, Maverick is forced to flee before claiming his winnings.
Maverick, Bransford, and Marshal Zane Cooper share a stagecoach out of Crystal River. The trio narrowly escapes disaster when their driver dies, leaving them on the brink of a ravine. Later, they assist a group of missionary settlers robbed by bandits disguised as Native Americans. The settlers offer Maverick a share of their recovered funds, but he declines, as does Cooper when one of the women proposes marriage. Suddenly, a real tribe of Native Americans, led by Maverick’s old friend Joseph, confronts the group.
Maverick pretends to sacrifice himself to ensure the others escape and attempts to collect a $1,000 debt from Joseph. Together, they trick a Russian Archduke into funding their scheme by staging a fake hunt. Meanwhile, Angel, still bitter over his loss, receives orders to stop Maverick. He captures Maverick and tries to hang him, but Maverick escapes. Still $2,000 short, Maverick heads to the Lauren Belle, where he reunites with Bransford, who herself is $4,000 short of the tournament entry fee.
Cast director: Richard Donner
Cast actor: Mel Gibson, Jodie Foster, James Garner, Graham Greene, Alfred Molina, James Coburn, Dub Taylor, Geoffrey Lewis, Paul L. Smith, Dan Hedaya
Original name: Maverick