‘Top Gun: Maverick’ (2022) | Movie Review

Tom Cruise is back as Maverick in a highly anticipated sequel to ‘Top Gun’. In it, Maverick is now tasked with having to train some of the best fighter pilots in the world for a deadly mission that has a very low rate of survival. These men and women are tasked with the impossible, but more than that, Maverick is faced with having to train his former friend Goose’s son Bradley ‘Rooster’ Bradshaw, played by Miles Teller. Rooster has a lot of resentment towards Maverick, and it will have to take him confronting his father’s death, and the mission ahead of him to be able to survive.

I watched ‘Top Gun’ only a few weeks ago. a mini-review of it; It’s alright. I loved the silliness and the retro macho-man competitive nature brought by Val Kilmer as ‘Iceman’ and Tom Cruise. It was kind of revolutionary in its attempts to shoot these fighter planes and iconic in bringing ‘Danger Zone’ to the opening sequence. But overall as far as more emotional depth I wasn’t sure if it possessed that other than the tragic death of Goose. Having now seen ‘Top Gun: Maverick’, I can say not only is it a superb sequel, but it levels up almost everything the original film brought to the table and more!

Tom Cruise sure knows how to make a summer blockbuster, and this is assuredly a summer blockbuster. I loved the sound design for the planes and the dogfights. The rumbling and vibrating in an IMAX theater will literally raise your heart rate. The film pays tribute to what came before in visual and story parallels, to a touching and emotional tribute to Val Kilmer, in a moment I will say feels pure love between himself and Cruise. Maverick as a character is still a hot-shot, but one that has had to make tough choices in his life. That goes right into Miles Tellers’ character.

For supporting performances everyone played their part expertly. Jon Hamm as a hardened leader tired of Mavericks antics, Jennifer Connelly as Penny Benjamin, and the returning cast and new batch of fighter pilots. All do excellent work. If there is anything that might be a little indulgent it’s in its wrap-up. I do enjoy more ambiguous endings as opposed to wrapping up every single point in the film, but you can never get too much of a good film, and Top Gun: Maverick is a GREAT film.

Overall this is the Summer blockbuster film of the year. Go and check this out in theaters on the biggest screen possible, hold on tight, and have fun!