Good movie but grossly overrated

A waste of 90 minutes of my life

A different way of telling a story

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

On the heels of his fabulous series THE ROCKFORD FILES, James Garner took the risk of reviving the character that made him a household name. However little faith NBC placed in this series, it remains a treat for Garner fans, far superior to the previous effort, THE NEW MAVERICK (starring Charles Frank), and thoroughly enjoyable for anyone who appreciates a Western done with style and class. Fortunately the prints are in good shape, helping us to appreciate the colour photography and production design.The main attraction, of course, is the star, who once again had a series tailored to his own unique and very likable persona. Some have dismissed this as Jim Rockford in the Old West, but I consider that an asset. As an older, slightly heavier actor - and former stuntman plagued by injuries - Garner could not simply replay the Maverick of 25 years earlier. Instead he made the attempt to gear more lighthearted plots and characters to a 1980s audience. (Perhaps the attempt was futile, considering what most of '80s television turned out to be!) Garner is aided by a good cast, among them Richard Hamilton, as his "Lazy Ace" ranch hand; Ramon Bieri, as the snooty bank president; Darleen Carr, as the thorn-in-the-side reporter; and Stuart Margolin, his "Rockford" colleague, as a half-Indian con-man. Country singer Ed Bruce plays Maverick's taciturn partner in the Red Ox Saloon, and lends his writing and singing talents to the delightful theme song ("Maverick Didn't Come Here to Lose").Pity that this series lasted only for one year. My thanks, however, to the Encore Westerns Channel for providing a pleasant, uninterrupted 50 minutes of television. It sure as shootin' brightens my day!

It's a show that is not good, but it's not bad either. It's just sort of there. Bret Maverick is an attempt to restart the Maverick franchise twenty years after James Garner left the original series. The main idea of Bret settling down in Sweetwater did not really bother me. What I did not like about the series, was that it was too focused on the comedy. The original had action, adventure, and drama in addition to the comedy. I don't know if it was because Garner was in his early fifties when this series was filmed, but there just is not a whole lot of action to it. Plus, Garner really looks his age with the wrinkles, and the extra weight around the midsection. Garner was also hurt by a less than stellar supporting cast. This series could have used Dandy Jim, Gentleman Jack, Big Mike, Samantha, Cindy, Modesty, or even Doc Holliday. Still, I would have liked for his series to reach a second season just to see Garner re-team with Jack Kelly as the Maverick brothers. In the last episode of this show's only season, Kelly makes a surprise appearance (looking much older himself). Had the show been picked up for a second season, Kelly was going to be added as a regular cast member. My favorite episodes of the original series were the ones in which they both appeared.

James Garner created two unforgettable television characters. As Bret Maverick, Garner portrayed a flawed, but essentially lovable winner. As Jim Rockford, Garner played a flawed, but essentially lovable loser. However, the "Bret Maverick" portrayed in the 1981 series was nothing more than "Jim Rockford" in western garb. On "Bret Maverick," nobody respects Jim Garner's character, and that's the biggest problem. Other problems include a not particularly likable supporting cast (Ed Bruce, excepted), and plodding scripts. No wonder "Bret Maverick" lasted but one season, as I'm sure many other "Maverick" fans were as disappointed as I. Still, I watched, hoping the series would improve. At least we got a glimpse of an aging Jack Kelly, as "Bart Maverick," in the last episode.

What would you get if you imported the cast and scripts from the Rockford Files into Maverick's Old West? Answer: Bret Maverick, a fairly good Western that occasionally misses a beat here and there. The latter circumstance occurs, alas, in an episode such as "Faith, Hope and Clarity," which not only recycles a Rockford script but imports some of the same guest stars as well. But that's alright, because the series has Garner, who always generates enjoyable performances, especially when he brings along his usual co-stars, such as Stuart Margolin. (Aside: What is it about the Western that it brings to the fore actors such as Garner, Tom Selleck, and Sam Elliott, all of whom at least from a distance appear to be steady, decent, stable, well grounded people? This in contrast to . . . well, just about everyone else in Hollywood.) I suspect that NBC made a tremendous error in not giving this series a chance to breathe and find its own feet. (Wasn't this during the Fred Silverman era at NBC, when the inventor of "jiggle TV" was busy trashing anything that appealed to an IQ above 50 and bringing to the schedule such gems as Hello, Larry and Supertrain?) Too bad, really.