Listen! Listen… I am in love with this movie!
“Top Gun: Maverick” is the most fun I had at a movie theatre in years,
especially when it comes to blockbusters.
I did not expect to love it as much as I did,
and I can’t wait for all of you to see it and just have a great time.
See, the thing is, I’m not even a big fan of the original “Top Gun”. I like it, it has its charm,
it’s certainly iconic and very 80’s, but it’s no masterpiece and it really hasn’t aged that well.
So, if I’m being completely honest,
when I heard they were making a sequel all these years later, I kind of just… shrugged.
Here comes another cash grab, I thought.
Nostalgia is a powerful motivator, so here’s an easy box office success.
And while yes, this movie is a blockbuster that’s going to make a bunch of money,
and yes, Tom Cruise reprising one of his most iconic roles is going to put butts in seats,
“Top Gun: Maverick” is genuinely a great movie.
It deserves to be a box office hit, and summer movie season is officially back.
I’m going to go even further and say that this is one of the best films of the year.
I just disliked an A24 horror film, and now I’m praising a blockbuster sequel.
I don’t even know who I am anymore.
The director Joseph Kosinski understood the assignment when it came to this movie,
and for all the skeptics like me “Top Gun:
Maverick” is proof that you can make a great sequel that leans into nostalgia.
The movie takes place around 30 years after the original, and this time Maverick has to
train a group of Tom Gun graduates for a time-sensitive and dangerous mission.
Among them is the son of Maverick’s late best friend,
and that relationship is, of course, complicated.
But don’t worry, just because he’s teaching doesn’t mean he isn’t flying.
We’re talking about Tom Cruise here.
From the very beginning, with its opening scene, the movie pays tribute to the original,
and there are many things throughout the film that remind you of it.
It occasionally gets a little too repetitive,
but here’s where the magic happens: “Top Gun: Maverick” is not ashamed of itself.
It doesn’t make fun of the nostalgia, it doesn't turn its references into a joke - it embraces
and celebrates its origins, it embraces the genre,
it builds on the foundation of the first film instead of simply using it ironically.
The filmmakers aren’t interested in catering to cynicism or
people who are too cool to like old-school blockbusters - instead
they take everything that people enjoyed about it and elevate it.
The stakes are high, the new story is dramatic,
the stunts are breathtaking, and all of it works even when it gets cheesy.
And speaking of stunts, I highly encourage you
to watch the behind the scenes videos for this movie - they are fascinating.
According to the people involved,
no green screen was used, and so much of what you see is done by the actors themselves,
who had to go through a lot of training in order to eventually pilot the planes.
You might wonder: why is that even necessary? But let me tell you, it paid off.
When you watch these scenes, these aerial stunts, you see the shots
of the actors inside the planes - they look real because they are, and they look amazing.
You cannot beat the practical approach when it comes to visuals,
and seeing all of this on the big screen is absolutely thrilling.
I cannot stress this enough: see this movie on the biggest screen possible,
with the best sound available.
I saw it at a Dolby theatre, which was fantastic,
but I bet it’s even more impressive in a real IMAX.
But let’s also, without spoilers of course, talk about the story and the characters.
I think I’ve made my point about how great the visuals are.
What the plot boils down to is taking our beloved, iconic character, bringing in a
group of new characters while still keeping the focus on Maverick, and then raising the stakes of
everything that’s going on because there is a very dangerous, potentially deadly mission involved.
It has to maintain a balance of making the new characters reasonably interesting and
giving them enough screen time so we care about what happens to at least some of them,
but not so much screen time that they take the focus away from Maverick because
let’s be real, people are here to see Tom Cruise as Maverick.
And the movie actually does this really successfully.
Some of the characters very clearly fit the types of the characters from the original:
for example, Glen Powell, who is perfect as Hangman,
is clearly meant to be the Tom Cruise type from the first movie.
He is arrogant, he is cocky, he is charismatic, he will go off on his own instead of worrying
about his team - he is Maverick as we meet him in the beginning of the original “Top Gun”.
The other way they connect you to the new cast is through
Rooster, portrayed wonderfully Miles Teller, who is Goose’s son.
Not a spoiler, this was in the trailer, and it’s also painfully obvious right
away because there is literally no other option of who this guy could be.
The relationship between Rooster and Maverick, the issues they have with each other,
the reasoning behind all of that really gets you invested in the dramatic side of things.
And once again, you have a charismatic actor who is
really good at showing different sides of this character, as well as the tension that exists
not just between him and Maverick but also between him and Hangman.
Now, of course, there is also a romance which honestly is the weakest part of
the story and feels like it’s just there because the genre demands it.
Maverick’s new love interest is Penny, played by the lovely Jennifer Connelly.
It’s implied that the two of them have a history, and she definitely isn’t just sitting there
waiting for Maverick to give her attention… but this love story is very underdeveloped.
It does give the movie a few fun scenes, and it gives more dimension to Maverick’s character,
but really, if it wasn’t there, the plot wouldn’t have been much different.
I didn’t mind it, and I love seeing Jennifer Connelly, but it really felt like an afterthought.
What didn’t feel like an afterthought though is the third act of this movie.
Ooooh my God.
“Top Gun: Maverick” is solid throughout the entire runtime, but the third act is an insane thriller.
When they were talking about this dangerous mission at the beginning, I thought
OK, makes sense, you have to have one, it’s probably going to be fun to watch
but it’s unlikely it will be anything all that special.
I clearly should have trusted this movie.
This third act - I was not prepared. I’m talking fists clenched, edge-of-your-seat,
stressful military thriller action that was about to give me a panic attack.
It’s just so insanely effective,
and it’s not just some quick scene - things go on and escalate for a while.
They pretty much went full-on “Mission: Impossible” here, which makes sense because
Christopher McQuarrie was one of the writers here, but holy shit. It’s great, I loved it.
And finally, Tom Cruise as Maverick. They actually did some good work with his
character - he is still true to himself, he’s a rebel, he has that personality and charisma,
but he is also definitely a more mature version of that,
there is a bit more to him this time around and the personal stuff is a bigger factor.
They really took his character in the right direction.
And Tom Cruise - I mean, he’s Tom Cruise. Need I say more?
Very few actors out there can carry a movie the way Tom Cruise does.
He is, quite possibly, the last real movie star of his kind.
“The end is inevitable, Maverick. Your kind is headed to extinction.”
“Maybe so, sir. But not today”
“Top Gun: Maverick” soars above the original every step of the way. They nailed it.
It’s an intense and exhilarating experience you don’t want to miss,
regardless of whether or not you love the original “Top Gun”.
It’s the way a great summer blockbuster should be - you go to a theatre,
you sit down with your popcorn, and you just have a great time.
One of the best movies of the year, and not just because it’s only May.
It’s a 9 out 10 from me, and I cannot wait to go rewatch it on the big screen,
so it can put a huge smile on my face again.