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Top Gun: Maverick
(Paramount Pictures/Skydance/Jerry Bruckheimer Films)
By Lucas Allen
Whether you see it as an extended commercial for the Navy or simply a piece of 1980s nostalgia, the original “Top Gun” still has a place in the hearts of those who grew up watching it countless times on home video. That fiery love burns bright once more, as the hotly anticipated sequel “Top Gun: Maverick” finally hits the screen two years after its original release date was postponed by the pandemic. Love or hate the original, this sequel will surely have movie-goers jumping out of their seats happy to see some old-fashioned blockbuster filmmaking back on the big screen.
Capt. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Tom Cruise), still a Navy pilot three decades safter he graduated from the Top Gun program, is sent by Rear Adm. Cain (Ed Harris) to San Diego on a special assignment. Turns out his old rival Iceman (Val Kilmer) recommended him to Adm. Simpson (Jon Hamm) to help teach a group of graduates for a combat mission. But what worries Maverick about it is one of the graduates is Rooster (Miles Teller), the son of his co-pilot Goose, who died during training. The two of them aren’t on speaking terms because of past events.
Maverick puts the young pilots through the ringer by pushing their limits farther than they ever known. Meanwhile, he reconnects with his lost love, Penny Benjamin (Jennifer Connelly), who’s now a single mother. As the mission comes closer, Maverick will have to deal with both his past and his future to try to get his team to succeed through dangerous speeds.
As soon as “Danger Zone” by Kenny Loggins begins playing during the opening credits, viewers are thrust back into the action 36 years after fans first felt that need for speed. Director Joseph Kosinski (“Tron: Legacy”) made sure that this sequel works for those new or already aware of this universe. What we get is both a homage and a natural continuation of Maverick’s story that doesn’t try to cheat out of telling a good story.
We’re also treated to a new set of characters who fittingly feel right for a sequel to “Top Gun.” They all fill that required quota that fans will recognize, but at the same time, they do a good job of adding their own spin without copying too much of the original. The actors also do a good job being believable as the new characters, especially when they’re trying to deliver some cheesy dialogue convincingly.
The real big deal to see the movie is Cruise and company pushing the envelope farther in its combat sequences as the actors put themselves in those fighter planes without any support from green screen or CGI. Those sequences including a climax as intensely thrilling as the final Death Star battle in “Star Wars: A New Hope,” which puts this film at the top in creating realistic thrills for a new generation. Afterwards, the climax turns into “Mission: Impossible,” but you can’t go wrong when you have a megastar and filmmakers bringing the same level of commitment as Hollywood’s past.
Not only is Cruise once again committed to the action, but he also humanizes his character more than ever. He’s able to give Maverick a believable emotional arc alongside Teller’s Rooster. The young actor stands out among the new cast, along with Connelly, each adding more heart and soul to this sequel. One highlight fans will never forget is an emotional scene with Kilmer’s Iceman that will surely bring tears to their eyes.
With “Top Gun: Maverick,” the filmmakers made a legacy sequel that lives up to the word legacy in every way. Also, with the summer blockbuster season back in full swing, audiences are more confident than ever to have another exciting year at the movies. Naturally, more Cruise control will happen again next year when the next “Mission: Impossible” finally comes out to the delight of everybody.
THE MOVIE’S RATING: PG-13 (for sequences of intense action, and some strong language)
THE CRITIC’S RATING: 3.75 Stars (Out of Four)
