(Photo by Rotten Tomatoes)
TOP GUN: MAVERICK
Starring: Tom Cruise, Miles Teller and Val Kilmer
Directed by: Joseph Kosinski
Rated: PG 13
Running time: 2 hrs 11 mins
Paramount
The sequel that was 36 years in the making! 1986’s high flying hit Top Gun finally received its sequel this month, with Tom Cruise (who has hardly aged in those 36 years), reprising his role of ‘Maverick’ and returning to his old stomping grounds of the Top Gun academy for a special mission. Still haunted by his past, Maverick has to put personal feelings to the side in order to get the mission accomplished. A mixture of familiar faces resurfacing such as Val Kilmer’s touching cameo as the returning Ice Man, alongside some incredible performances from the newer members of the cast such as Miles Teller’s portrayal of ‘Rooster’. Joseph Kosinski takes the director’s chair in this high-octane thriller, with his previous work being predominantly in Sci-Fi and action including Tron: Legacy, and his work translates beautifully onto this project. After an incredibly troubled production, the film has come together beautifully and is lovingly dedicated to Tony Scott who directed the original, with just the right amount of homage paid to its original whilst giving it a lot more substance and meaning than just a sequel for the sake of it. Whilst it could have been very easy to tread the same steps the original paved nearly 40 years ago, Maverick makes this return trip meaningful and tells a story about the importance of friends and family, as well as seeing Tom Cruise do a little shimmy topless on the beach.
The film surrounds the journey of Maverick’s life since the first film, with the film being set around 30 years after the events of the first film. Whilst everyone else from the Top Gun class that Maverick graduated from seems to have progressed up the ranks, Maverick is more than happy to be in the same position and following his passion, being up in the skies. Maverick is called back as an instructor at the Fighter Pilot Training School, where he is asked to get 16 of the best pilots ready for a mission. In true Maverick fashion, he initially declines, stating his preference to be a part of the mission itself, but is told in no uncertain terms by his commander (Jon Hamm) that he’s just there to train and choose who is worthy of going on the mission. However, things get a little more difficult when he learns that one of the students, call sign Rooster (Teller), is the son of Maverick’s late friend and wingman Goose, who blames Maverick for many things, including, of course, the death of his father.
Overall, Top Gun: Maverick is a high-octane tale of legacy, comradery, and a real need for speed. The first film was absolutely a product of its time, a cheesy action film with a lovable cast and some incredible action and flying scenes. This film is more of the same but without the feeling that this is going to be outdated in the future. A timeless tale helped with even more drama and action that will leave you on the edge of your seat, and other times grinning ear to ear. If you’ve seen the first one you are going to really enjoy the second, I feel, additionally I think if you haven’t seen the first one and you just love an old-schooled action film that somehow feels timeless, you are going to be able to pick up on all the relationships between character very quickly and enjoy it just as much. There are enough call-backs to the first where the people who saw the original will be smiling like a Cheshire Cat, but not so much that it is going to completely alienate new viewers. This film is far superior to the original in my opinion which can be rarely said these days. I would highly recommend this film and it really needs to be seen on the big screen in order to get the most out of those intense action scenes. A wildly entertaining thrill ride that was well worth the wait.
My score 9/10
Comments