'Top Gun: Maverick' Review: Touching Tom Cruise Sequel Soars Past its Predecessor at Mach Speed
PG-13: Sequences of intense action, and some strong language
Runtime: 2 Hrs and 11 Minutes
Production Companies: Skydance Media, Don Simpson/Jerry Bruckheimer Films
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Writer: Ehren Kruger, Eric Warren Singer, Christopher McQuarrie
Cast: Tom Cruise, Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Glen Powell, Lewis Pullman, Ed Harris, Val Kilmer
Release Date: May 27, 2022
In Theaters Only
Ever since COVID-19 hit, Top Gun: Maverick had the need, the need to be delayed. This darn pandemic kept delaying the long-awaited sequel to every dad’s favorite movie. It’s pretty strange how after watching the first Top Gun––which is okay overall––a few nights ago, I found little to no reason to justify a sequel. A Top Gun sequel didn’t need to exist, yet it does… and it’s by far *checks notes* one of the best sequels in recent memory, if not one of the best movies of this year thus far.
After more than thirty years of service as one of the Navy’s top aviators, Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Tom Cruise) is where he belongs, pushing the envelope as a courageous test pilot and dodging the advancement in rank that would ground him. When he finds himself training a detachment of TOP GUN graduates for a specialized mission the likes of which no living pilot has ever seen, Maverick encounters Lt. Bradley Bradshaw (Miles Teller), call sign: “Rooster,” the son of Maverick’s late friend and Radar Intercept Officer Lt. Nick Bradshaw, aka “Goose.” Facing an uncertain future and confronting the ghosts of his past, Maverick is drawn into a confrontation with his own deepest fears, culminating in a mission that demands the ultimate sacrifice from those who will be chosen to fly it.
37 years have passed since the ‘86 Tony Scott classic, which was a product of a time when men were living with all the carelessness in the world to the extent that the lines between masculinity and homoeroticism blurred. While most sequels with time jumps emphasize the events of the predecessor for either a nostalgia trip or an excuse to recycle the same story again, Maverick uses the predecessor to provide an intimate character study of a simple man looking for a second chance at life. The film begins with some nostalgia fuel, hitting the same beats as the predecessor, even down to “Highway to the Danger Zone” blaring as planes take off. But it immediately slaps you on the head and goes, “Great! Now that you’re comfortable, let me kick you in the feels!”
The film subtly expresses that Goose’s death was the turning point in Maverick’s life, for the 50-something titular aviator is feeling stifled. He’s still a rebellious hot shot who doesn't play by the rules, uses his line, “Talk to me Goose,” as a mantra whenever he’s in an aircraft, and is content with being in the same occupation as a test pilot for 37 years straight. No advancement in his rank whatsoever, no romantic partner, no kids, and his only connection to Goose is his son Rooster (Miles Teller), who wants nothing to do with him. His higher-up (Ed Harris) gives him one last chance by ordering him to return to Top Gun and teach a new breed of aviators how to work together just in time for a dangerous mission.
Now that he’s thrown back to his past in the most overwhelmingly surreal way imaginable, with old flames returning (Jennifer Connelly) and Rooster being in his class, Maverick faces the ultimate test: can he right the wrongs of his past? Throughout the film, writers Ehren Kruger, Eric Warren Singer, and Christopher McQuarrie examine the harrowing arrested development that Maverick has to his character. Even though his charismatic personality is intact, the trauma of his life experiences is worn on his sleeve, primarily when he’s sharing his wisdom through his teachings. He explicitly informs these 20-/30-something-year-old youngins that one should not only be prepared to fight in the sky, but fight the emotional baggage that follows when a teammate is killed. That layered element is just a taste of the nuances the screenplay has. The writers find themselves taking notes of the structural beats of its predecessor and remixing them to showcase character introductions, their dynamics, and a hint of nostalgia.
Say what you will about Tom Cruise but that man is a bonafide movie star. We can go on and on about his dedication to his stunt work, which always elevates the quality of whatever film he stars in. But he delivers such raw emotion as Maverick with a well-balanced, mature, and vulnerable edge. Whenever he internalizes the little triggers that make him reminisce about his best friend, Cruise passionately displays the weight of the emotions Maverick feels and it resonates heavily. He shares such a great camaraderie with the rest of his co-stars, primarily the students he has to school for the mission.
Director Joseph Kosinski has shown his skills with his previous fare, such as Oblivion and Only the Brave, and his direction in Maverick combines the likes of both features. The aviation sequences are jaw-droppingly incredible. Kosinski takes cues from the late Tony Scott’s style to pay homage while adding his artistic flair, making certain shots some of the coolest things to come out of a blockbuster in quite some time. Whether the characters are airborne or grounded, cinematographer Claudio Miranda emulates Scott’s flair but with a contemporary coat of paint.
The action, primarily during the dogfighting sequences, is masterfully edited. The shot composition will give you both wide shots of the planes in the air, then a close-up shot of their pilot in their designated plane, then their missile lock POV, and it keeps you at the edge of your seat throughout. You feel the impact of what's going on in the sky and which pilot is occupying which aircraft. Seeing this with a sound system like Dolby or IMAX would provide the best viewing experience. Hell, I think I wanna go 4DX if I’m to see it again because it’s a rollercoaster ride of an experience that throws you in an aircraft of your own.
We all know how homoerotic the predecessor was. It failed to incorporate a hetero romance because it tried too hard, while the camaraderie between all the dudes was so effortlessly flirty. Well, they ding dang done it again. Granted, the gay undertones are nonexistent, for it takes a very somber and mature approach, but it does force a romance between Maverick and the famed “admiral’s daughter” Penny Benjamin (Jennifer Connelly). Oh yeah, that one name-dropped reference from the predecessor is now a legit character and serves as his love interest, and man it’s so unapologetically cheesy.
Their romance exudes a sweet ‘90s vibe: the bad boy reuniting with the one who got away, which is conceptually adorable but the writing shows its weakness whenever it focuses on them. I appreciate how Maverick's second chance at romance is with someone of his same age and they were given a backstory that’s fitting to his character. He can’t commit to shit but his job, we know this. But the writing is not as nourished as the other aspects of his arc. Jennifer Connelly is pretty good for what little she’s given, yet the chemistry between her and Cruise doesn't carry much weight.
The ensemble cast is good but few of the new generation of students at Top Gun get their time in the spotlight. Unless you’re Miles Teller or Glen Powell––one of the MVPs who brings so much personality to the table–– you might as well have been given dust. You got actors like Manny Jacinto, Jay Ellis, and Danny Ramirez, and they might as well have been extras. I get it. This has a bunch of characters and is primarily focused on Maverick trying to reach out to a resentful Rooster, but up-and-coming actors of their caliber deserve more than window dressing.
Top Gun: Maverick is way better than it should be, from the direction to the editing, the action, and most notably its story. Not only is it a sequel that marginally soars past its predecessor at Mach speed, but is a thematically compelling and mature character study that naturally wrings a few tears out of you. It holds onto the events of its predecessor and tells a strong story about facing the trauma of your past and making new chapters in the present. You feel the love and passion for everyone involved, primarily Tom Cruise, who delivers quite possibly a career-best performance. Not to be as cheesy as the romantic subplot but it’s truly a great movie that takes your breath away.
