Film: "Top Gun: Maverick"
"Top Gun: Maverick" is an absolutely phenomenal experience. It’s a very rare thing to find an extremely well-made, well-crafted summer blockbuster.
I remember going to see a movie in theaters in late 2019, that had the very first trailer for Top Gun: Maverick premiering before the film. After two and a half years of delays, the movie itself finally gets to see the light of day. Let me tell you, I think it was worth every second of the wait.
The film takes place years after the events of the original Top Gun film from 1986. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, played by Tom Cruise, finds himself in hot water with the United States Navy when he goes against orders to test a new model of aircraft in danger of being shut down. As a result of his actions, Maverick is sent to North Island to train a new batch of Top Gun graduates to pull off a near-impossible mission that could endanger not only their lives, but their country as well- one of whom may or may not be the hardened son of Goose, Maverick’s late former wingman.
Top Gun: Maverick is an absolutely phenomenal experience. It’s a very rare thing to find an extremely well-made, well-crafted summer blockbuster. It is not only great from an aesthetic standpoint, but is also fun to watch and leaves the audience buzzed about what they’ve just seen. This is a movie that knows exactly how to enrapture its viewers into what is happening onscreen. It gives them characters that are easy to identify with and root for, a story with high stakes and engaging progression, and genuinely gripping action sequences that move you to the edge of your seat and keep you there until things start to die down.
I’ve never seen Tom Cruise give a bad or subpar performance, and he gives it his all in this film. He portrays Maverick with more maturity and levelheadedness than he did in the original film, but it is apparent that it’s the same character we know and love-Cruise is clearly having a great time reprising the role. The new faces from the supporting cast are all amazing as well- Miles Teller shines as Rooster, expertly embodying a driven young recruit with a chip on his shoulder and a burning need to prove himself; Jennifer Connelly provides a solid emotional anchor for Maverick’s character, and Jon Hamm, an actor who I’ve always loved, commands the screen effortlessly with every scene he’s in.
The technical element to this movie, too, blew me away. The aviation sequences absolutely floored me- the fact that they chose to shoot these scenes live is incredible, and it helps you feel like you really are in the cockpit with these pilots while they’re in the air, adding a layer of depth and stakes to the film, particularly in its gripping third act. The cinematography is astounding, and I was fortunate enough to get the experience of seeing this in an IMAX theater, which REALLY helped the beauty of the visuals to stand out, not to mention the authenticity of the sound design.
There’s a probable reason that Top Gun: Maverick has gone on to become the 6th highest domestic box office earner of all time. It’s a movie that knows exactly how to master mass appeal and universal connection with its viewer, delivering a story with heart, progression with depth, and an overall awesome time. Top Gun: Maverick is one of my favorite films of the year, and it’s absolutely one that I’d recommend everyone check out- I think just about anyone, no matter who you are, can find something here to love.
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