My Review of "Top Gun: Maverick"

Top Gun: Maverick has just hit theatres and it is 2022's first summer big blockbuster movie. Don't worry if you haven't seen the original Top Gun you will still understand this movie. I watched the original Top Gun so I would be able to catch easter eggs hidden throughout the movie. It wasn't necessary as this movie will contextualize all of the meaningful plot pieces.

The movie starts off exactly like the original movie. There is a message to explain that there is an elite jet pilot school that was created in 1969 called Top Gun. The music is the same and we also get the same fly by shots of fighter jets on a carrier ship over the ocean. This time the planes are a lot more updated but we see the similarities.

We then jump to Maverick. He's 30 years older now and he's still piloting jets. His surroundings are different now that we live in such an advanced age. Talks are murmuring through the walls about the extinction of fighter pilots as artificial intelligence and remote flying is taking over. It's a fun comparison because Maverick himself is seen as an old relic from the past as well. Everyone in the military obviously wants to get rid of him but his skills have always saved him.

Unfortunately for Maverick the people and the vehicles around him are quickly disappearing for a new and upgraded future. The first scene in which we see Maverick getting back into a jet is a really futuristic looking ship. His peers are saying that the government wants a jet that can go Mach 10 and he tells his peers that he can make that happen. Only he's gutsy enough to push the jet that hard.

Watching this movie in a Screen X theatre will help you have an appreciation over the awe and drama that comes with this fantastic scene. The tension and exhilaration of this futuristic machine coupled with this pilot is amazing. It's as if the machine is basically an extension of his own body. I also got a sense that there really is a team behind him that he's flying for.

After this act of indulgence and insubordination Maverick's been told that he has been grounded and will have to teach a group of the top pilots at Top Gun. Maverick isn't one for teaching and would rather be doing so he's hesitant but really has no choice in the matter.

To complicate things further it so happens that his best friend/wingman Goose's son is one of the pilots that he has to teach. In the last movie you'll remember that Goose had passed away from a freak training accident in the first movie. Goose's son, Rooster, is now grown up and a very good fighter pilot. Maverick's relationship with Rooster is very strained for a number of reasons.

Now it's up to Maverick to get this ego driven group of ace pilots to work together in order to complete a very dangerous mission ahead of them. He has to do this while fighting the authorities that are forcing Maverick to teach them by the book.

Again watching this movie in a screen x movie theatre is the way to go with this movie. The action is phenomenal. Everything is in daylight so you can see all the gritty details of what's going on. I don't even think there's a ton of CGI in this movie. It really felt genuine and realistic. This sense of authenticity further elevates the tension and grandeur of this movie.

That's not to say that the movie is a runaway masterpiece. It still cut by the same cloth of its predecessor. You still have a lot of the same 80s cheese you remember in the past but it's done in a modern way. The film is essentially very similar to the first movie however the action and the scenes are much more refined this time around.

Those that remember the first movie will be able to enjoy this movie a little more than those that haven't. They'll recognize a lot of easter eggs and special appearances. That's not to say you can't appreciate them without seeing the first movie. They pretty much spell it out for newcomers so no one is in the dark. It is more fun if you've seen the first movie though.

Overall, I really liked this movie more so for the action sequences and the chemistry that the cast share with one another. There is a lot of cheese in this movie but it is a feel good cheese that I didn't mind. I have to give this movie an 8 out of 10. I'll likely watch this again because of the incredible action sequences.