Director Richard Donner (“Superman: The Movie”, “The Goonies”) and star Mel Gibson (“Payback”, “Forever Young”), who worked together on the “Lethal Weapon” franchise now have collaborated again for this fun comedic Western based on the 50s tv show “Maverick”.

In “Maverick”, we meet Bret Maverick (Gibson), who is a big gambler and he intends to play at a big game where the prize is half a million. Unfortunately for Maverick he’s a bit short of cash for the entry fee so within the next few days he must accumulate enough to play at the big game for a chance of a lifetime.

Mel Gibson is decent as Bret Maverick. James Garner, who played Maverick in the original show has a large role in this film and does a good job. Jodie Foster (“Flightplan”, “Taxi Driver”) gives an okay performance as Annabelle Bransford. I liked the American Indian who mocks the way his kind is shown in books. Danny Glover, who also starred in “Lethal Weapon”, makes a cameo appearance as the bank robber but it’s really funny as Gibson and Glover give each other some funny looks as if they’ve seen each other somewhere before. Alfred Molina (“Spider-Man 2”) was alright as one of the bad guys.

“Maverick” is a fun Western film that I enjoyed because it isn’t your typical Western. It’s light-hearted and has some real wit. It satirises and embraces Westerns simultaneously. “Maverick” is a charming film that is far from flawless but does exactly what I wanted it to do. I’ve never seen the series so I can safely say that the viewing of it isn’t required to enjoy this well-constructed film from a great director and even better is the fact that this isn’t one of Donner’s strongest films. “Maverick” is a different kind of Western that showcases the ever-changing face of the genre.