Gibson overdoes it all the time in Maverick. From beginning to end.
Without James Garner, this movie would be all gonzo and no flow. Garner picks this thing up and carries it, which gives Gibson (as usual) and Foster (unusually but she seemed to enjoy doing it) all the freedom in the world to fly off into zaniness.
I'm not saying Garner gets no credit for making this film great. I'm saying it's hard to give him all the credit he deserves for it. Not everyone can play it just straight enough to keep the movie flowing and keep us interested in the plot, and still deliver as many funny lines as the two main clowns do.
That's a rare and wonderful talent, being a hilarious straight man. Grouch Marx, Cary Grant and Bob Newhart were good at that, too.
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