After years of delays, the critics have finally seen "Top Gun: Maverick."
It's been 36 years since the original "Top Gun" flew into movie theaters in May 1986,
and fans of the film have been waiting ever since then for a follow-up.
Fortunately, that wait is nearly over, with "Top Gun: Maverick" set to hit theaters on
May 27th.
The sequel will pick back up with Tom Cruise's Pete "Maverick" Mitchell several decades after
the events of the first "Top Gun."
It'll follow Cruise's hotshot test pilot as he’s forced to train a group of recent Top
Gun graduates for a special mission.
Among the group of graduates is Lieutenant Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw, the son of the
late Nick "Goose" Bradshaw, Maverick's best friend from the first "Top Gun."
In addition to Cruise, Val Kilmer is also set to reprise his "Top Gun" role as Tom "Iceman"
Kazansky in "Maverick."
The new sequel was not, however, directed by "Top Gun" director Tony Scott, who passed
away in 2012.
Instead, "Tron: Legacy" and "Oblivion" director Joseph Kosinski was brought on to helm the
long-awaited "Top Gun" sequel.
Now, with less than a month to go until "Top Gun: Maverick" hits theaters, the first reactions
to the film are starting to emerge online.
"Good morning, aviators.
This is your captain speaking."
Ahead of the film's late May theatrical release, several critics were shown an early screening
of "Top Gun: Maverick" at this year's CinemaCon in Las Vegas, Nevada.
While "Top Gun" fans should likely expect to see more reactions to the film hit social
media in the coming weeks — especially after its screening at this year's Cannes Film Festival—
it looks like the initial responses to "Maverick" have all been overwhelmingly positive.
In fact, many of the critics who were lucky enough to catch the film's CinemaCon screening
are going out of their way to praise the movie's action sequences.
/Film editor Ben Pearson, for instance, tweeted that "Maverick" has "absolutely killer" aerial
action – exactly the kind of thing fans will want.
Critic Shaurya Chawla tweeted,
"'Top Gun: Maverick' is a lot of fun, loaded to the brim with some jaw-dropping flight
sequences (Tom Cruise is really a madman for some of this), tons of nostalgic callbacks
to the first and a few surprisingly emotional beats.
See it on the biggest, loudest screen."
Germain Lussier agreed, writing,
"I'm a huge 'Top Gun' fan.
But I think even if I wasn't, I would have LOVED 'Top Gun: Maverick.'
The action is intense & gorgeous."
Collider editor Steven Weintraub tweeted,
"Absolutely loved #TopGunMaverick.
Blown away by the cinematography and flying scenes and of course TomCruise's performance."
Of course, anyone who has been paying attention to Tom Cruise's career over the past few years
probably won't be surprised to hear that the action sequences in "Top Gun: Maverick" are
impressive.
In recent years, the actor has continued to truly push the envelope with what can be accomplished
and performed on-screen, and all of the trailers for "Top Gun: Maverick" have gone out of their
way to spotlight the film's practical flight sequences.
That said, it's not just the action scenes in "Top Gun: Maverick" that seem to have landed
well with critics.
"Your reputation precedes you."
"I have to admit, I wasn't expecting an invitation back."
In addition to the widespread praise that's being directed toward the film's action sequences,
"Top Gun: Maverick" is also receiving early acclaim for its story and performances.
After leaving the official CinemaCon screening of the film, Erik Davis tweeted, "I was not
prepared for how emotional it was," while Jeff Sneider wrote,
"'Top Gun: Maverick' is the perfect blockbuster.
Not only did it feature dazzling aerial combat sequences, but I actually cried, it's that
emotional."
Drew Taylor went even further, writing,
"#TopGunMaverick is a profound cinematic experience and easily the best film of the year."
Finally, according to Deadline's Pete Hammond, "Top Gun: Maverick" features a "movie star
performance for the ages" from Tom Cruise.
This sequel, he says, was completely worth the 36 year wait.
In other words, it sounds like "Top Gun: Maverick" really is the complete package.
Now we just have to see if audiences react the same way these critics did.
And we won't have to wait much longer to find out what they think about the sequel we've
been waiting for for more than three decades.
"Jesus!"
"Having any fun yet?"
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