Top Gun: Maverick
Starring: Tom Cruise, Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Glenn Powell
Directed By:
Rated: PG:13
36 years after its debut, Top Gun returns to the big screen with a nostalgic, high-flying sequel. It seems like every film is trying to cash in on a sequel, revamp, or prequel these days. Bringing Top Gun back was risky business (pun intended) considering the original was such a beloved 80s classic. Does it live up to its predecessor?
Top Gun: Maverick follows none other than Maverick (Tom Cruise ) as he is sent back to Top Gun for a special training mission under the orders of Iceman (Val Kilmer). His orders are to teach a group of Navy pilots to fly an almost impossible mission and take out an enemy uranium plant before it begins production. (If there’s one thing about Tom Cruise….he’s familiar with impossible missions.) The major hangup? One of the pilots is his former wingman Goose’s son, Rooster (Miles Teller). After the tragic death of Goose years prior, Maverick is hesitant to send Rooster on any dangerous missions. Is he up to the task of sending Rooster out on this mission? Perhaps the biggest question of all is, does Tom Cruise do his famous run in this movie?
I’ll take away the suspense right away…Tom Cruise DOES do the famous run in Top Gun: Maverick multiple times. If he has the chance, he’s going to take it. The film is directed by Joseph Kosinski and he does a great job of bringing the nostalgia of the original Top Gun together with a fresh new feel for the sequel. There are plenty of callbacks to the 80s film with some clips of the first film shown throughout. The connection to the original is present throughout the entirety of the movie. Yet, the film feels like a cutting-edge 2022 blockbuster. Its introduction of new characters sets the stage for a new generation to enjoy the story. While the cutting-edge jet footage is a sight to behold on the big screen. The action sequences alone are reason enough to see the film. The high-flying jet footage is epic in scale and truly exciting.
The film is cast excellently with a star-studded cast including Tom Cruise, Jon Hamm, Ed Harris, Jennifer Connelly, and Miles Teller.
Of course, Tom Cruise is the star here reprising his character Maverick. Can you imagine if he was only in this for like 5 minutes? That’d be the biggest plot twist ever. Maverick is still the same headstrong pilot who feels the need for speed. Cruise is still the action star and brings the charisma that we’ve grown accustomed to seeing from him through the years.
I was particularly impressed by the short, yet moving scene with Val Kilmer. For anyone who hasn’t, I highly recommend viewing the documentary Val (streaming on Amazon Prime.) He has dealt with an extremely difficult bout of cancer which led to a tracheotomy. The filmmakers utilized his scene in the movie quite well in a moving tribute to Iceman.
Rooster, Hangman, Bob, Phoenix, and Coyote are the new generation of Navy pilots. It’s fun to watch the competition and camaraderie between the pilots as they train for their big mission.
Miles Teller plays Rooster, Goose’s son who Maverick feels a duty to protect. Teller plays Rooster with a tough exterior, but he’s really a pilot hoping to do his best to honor his father.
Glen Powell is the arrogant Hangman. He and Teller are the sequel’s way of replicating Maverick and Iceman. I’ve been a fan of Glen Powell since he played the truly hilarious Chad Radwell on the show Scream Queens. (If you want to laugh, I recommend) Hangman is an obnoxious character, but Powell pulls it off.
I need to rant for a minute about Jon Hamm. As someone whose favorite show is Mad Men, I was thrilled to see him in this movie. Mad Men was not just a show. It was THE SHOW. It was event television. I need to know what’s going on with this man’s career. Why is he constantly doing car commercial voiceovers and playing small roles like this? His character is the tight-knit admiral trying to kick Maverick out of Top Gun. Jon Hamm was DON DRAPER. I need you all to understand that is one of the most iconic television characters ever created. Now he is sitting in an office telling Tom Cruise “You’d better shape up or I’ll send you away” or telling me to “LEASE A NEW MERCEDES TODAY!” (Although now that I think about it, the car thing kind of tracks with Don Draper being an ad man.) I just feel like he could be starring in leading roles. Ok, the rant is over. Thank you for listening.
Jennifer Connelly is Penny, Maverick’s love interest. She and Cruise have good chemistry in the film and offer a nice break between the action-packed training sequences for some romantic scenes.
While this is certainly a summer blockbuster to see, I do think there are a few sequences that could be trimmed down. Some of the training montages drag on a bit and feel repetitive as the film goes on. The final product is ultimately worth it in an exciting finale. However, a little editing wouldn’t have hurt.
Despite a few repetitive training sequences, Top Gun: Maverick is a nostalgic, high-flying sequel that’s worth seeing on the big screen.
My Rating: 8/10