Top Gun: Maverick is the story of Captain Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Tom Cruise). Since his stint at the Naval Fighter Weapons School, commonly referred to as Top Gun, Maverick spends most of his days as a fighter test pilot. When close friend summons Maverick, Mitchell finds himself back in the classroom, but this time as the trainer for a group of Top Gun graduates. Among them is Lieutenant Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw (Miles Teller), the son of the late Nick “Goose” Bradshaw, Maverick’s former co-pilot. The two must resolve the tension from their past as Maverick prepares the fighter pilots for one of the most dangerous missions they will ever embark upon.
What works in Top Gun: Maverick is the orchestral magnificence that constructs a rousing symphony of blockbuster proportions. No matter which lens one examines this direct sequel to the 1986 film, entertainment at the highest crafted level may be found. To begin, the action sequences are full of jaw-dropping excitement and gasp-inducing thrills. Director Joe Kosinski (Oblivion, Tron: Legacy) relied heavily on practical stunts and allowed Cruise and crew to actual fly some of the planes. The results of these decisions are abundantly clear in the quality of the results and will literally have patrons on the edge of their seats.
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But a tentpole film cannot soar on intensity alone. Top Gun: Maverick also excels at heartfelt character development, conflict, and growth. At the center of this is naturally Pete Mitchell who is watching himself become redundant and irrelevant given advances in military technology. But in addition, Maverick wrestles with his past as he tries to reconcile the complications with Rooster as well as navigate the next generation of pilots away from the mistakes he made in his youth. It is the depth that writers Ehren Kruger, Eric Warren Singer, and Christopher McQuarrie give to the cast that will have the audience invested in their fate and rooting for their success.
Top Gun: Maverick is also an auditory masterpiece. The sound effects and sound mixing (which ARE different despite the recent idiotic reductivity by the Academic Awards to combine their achievements) are fantastic and laudatory. On top of that, when you see the credit of, “Music by: Lady Gaga, Harold Faltermeyer, and Hans Zimmer,” you know you’re in store for something special and Maverick does not disappoint.
People who don’t enjoy loud, thrilling films may not enjoy Top Gun: Maverick as much as others. The film purposely is a non-stop ride at full speed, and the constant adrenaline rush may not be for everyone. Furthermore, one’s enjoyment of the film will be proportional to their knowledge of the original 1986 movie. Many of the subplots and subtleties are direct nods and references to its predecessor. As such, fans of the first chapter will likely enjoy this continuation more.
Top Gun: Maverick is a spectacle in every positive sense of the word. It’s a dazzling display of all the great elements of cinema and is absolutely not to be missed. Highly recommended.
You can find Top Gun: Maverick in theaters.
Recommended if you Enjoyed: Mission: Impossible (franchise), Top Gun,
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