‘Top Gun: Maverick’ will rekindle your need for speed
“Top Gun: Maverick” managing to exceed all expectations after the complicated journey it took to the big screen is a true testament to the power of simple, visceral movie magic.
From the moment it was announced, the sequel to 1986’s “Top Gun” didn’t feel like it had any reason to exist beyond giving star Tom Cruise yet another excuse to prove that he’s the king of pulling off death-defying stunts. As its release continued to be delayed — first for logistical reasons and then multiple times due to the COVID-19 pandemic — it was fair to wonder how it could ever live up to the testosterone-fueled fun of the original “Top Gun.”
Well, the film is finally hitting theaters Friday, and all those concerns flew out the window the second Cruise as Pete “Maverick” Mitchell embarked on his first illadvised yet thrilling flight. The whole experience ends up being 131 minutes of highoctane aerial action, Cruise going full movie star and some legitimately moving character beats that rarely feel like cheap nostalgia plays.
Plus, you would be hard-pressed to find a film that takes full advantage of that giant ball of hot gas at the center of our solar system better than how director Joseph Kosinski utilized it here.
This “Top Gun” finds Maverick continuing his 36-year quest to not ascend in naval rank so he can continue flying. That goal gets put in jeopardy when Maverick is assigned to train a group of recent Top Gun graduates for a dangerous mission that only he is qualified to adequately prepare them for. He doesn’t have the easiest time connecting with this new generation of pilots, especially the arrogant and cocky Jake “Hangman” Seresin (Glenn Powell).
Maverick finds it even more difficult to form a relationship with Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw (Miles Teller), the son of his former wingman, Nick “Goose” Edwards (Anthony Edwards in the first “Top Gun”). As Maverick tries to mold these pilots into a squad capable of executing such a seemingly impossible objective, sparks begin to fly again between him and former flame Penny Benjamin (Jennifer Connelly).
Unsurprisingly, “Top Gun: Maverick” is dripping with 1980s swagger. The music is constantly paying homage to the original’s score and soundtrack, and all the
older characters seem weighed down by their respective pasts. That said, the film does a commendable job pushing their lives forward in ways that make sense and don’t feel like they’re trying too hard to tug on Gen X heartstrings.
To put it plainly, this film is a blast. Whenever the characters take to the sky, it’s hard not to be wowed by the the primal delight of watching Cruise and everyone else soaring, diving, climbing and doing just about everything else one could conceivably do in a military aircraft. Those scenes are just filmmaking at its purest, especially with how they somehow always manage to orient the viewer to who is where at any given time.
There’s just something inherently pleasurable about watching Maverick whip this group of brash pilots into shape. The film spends a lot of time in the air with either Maverick going on terrifying solo runs or teaching his charges what it takes to successfully complete a mission while also coming home alive. The final sequence is one of the more pulse-pounding codas to an action movie in recent memory and will surely have everyone’s adrenaline pumping for that entire stretch.
The material on the ground isn’t quite as strong, but it’s all entertaining enough. There’s a surprising amount of humor injected into this “Top Gun,” though whether much of it is intentional or not is up for interpretation. Watching the way certain character dynamics evolve is also surprisingly effective, particularly Maverick’s relationships with Rooster, Penny and Tom “Iceman” Kazansky, portrayed
again by Val Kilmer in arguably the film’s most poignant scene.
Kosinski harnesses the sun for cinematic purposes in a way that’s tough to miss in “Top Gun: Maverick.” Most of the film takes place outdoors, and a lot of those scenes feature the sun reflecting brilliantly off water or continuing to shine through a partial obstruction. It’s impressive stuff whether Kosinski and cinematographer Claudio Miranda were going for an increased sense of grandeur or just trying to make their movie look cool.
Cruise’s Maverick remains largely unchanged since “Top Gun.” His need for speed is still insatiable, he’s still insanely charming and he continues to be racked with guilt over (spoiler alert) Goose’s death. It’s no surprise that Cruise throws himself into every flight sequence with reckless abandon, but his ability to still make Maverick feel like a person with history and flaws who just happens to be a world-class pilot is the greatest stunt he manages to pull off.
Connelly effortlessly matches Cruise’s romantic intensity, and it’s clear why they can’t seem to stay away from each other. Teller and Powell are solid foils for each other as they compete for a spot on Maverick’s mission, and both prove adept at acting with just their eyes while the rest of their faces are covered by pilot masks. A shout out is also in order for Bashir Salahuddin, who brings humor and heart to a relatively small part as Warrant Officer Bernie “Hondo” Coleman.
It’s rare that a legacy sequel like “Top Gun: Maverick” actually succeeds in providing more of what made the original so beloved and improving on all those elements in almost every way. You might not go into it with a need for speed, but you’ll definitely leave with one.