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Top Gun: Maverick Is Here But Can It Deliver

After more than 30 years, Tom Cruise steps back into the danger zone as Pete "Maverick" Mitchell to face the vestiges of time catching up with him and the ghosts of his past. Can a sequel like this deliver the goods at the theater?

By Jason Ray Morton Published 2 years ago 3 min read
7
In Theaters Now!

At long last, Top Gun: Maverick is in theaters after delays and the Covid-19 pandemic. The masterful action star himself gives a welcome to the show in a pre-recorded message to theatergoers, thanking them for coming to the theater and promising an immersive and fun experience. After over 30 years, can a sequel like this deliver?

Maverick

It's been more than thirty years and we find Pete Mitchell where he belongs, in the seat of a play and pushing the envelope faster and further than anyone else would. He's also dodging the promotions that would ground him for good. Thanks to his old buddy, ICEMAN, Maverick is ordered back to TOP GUn to train a new generation of elite pilots to achieve the impossible. 

Coming home isn't always as easy as it sounds as he runs into ghosts from his past, including the one Admirals daughter (Jennifer Connelly) Penny Benjamin, and Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw (Miles Teller), Goose's son.

Top Gun: Maverick was 'never' going to streaming service.

 - Tom Cruise, Fox Interview

When Maverick is brought back to Top Gun, he finds out the mission includes Rooster and struggles with sending Goose's son into a near-suicide mission. While Maverick may have the experience and ability after 30 years of flying combat missions, the new bunch of young elite pilots have only one pilot that has a confirmed kill. 

Struggling with what he needs to do and where his heart lies, Maverick visits Iceman and we get what has been reported as a very special scene between Val Kilmer and Tom Cruise as Maverick comes to terms with not knowing how to let go of his guilt over the death of Goose in the first movie.

Val Kilmer's return was well done if you take into account the actors failing health and medical issues he's dealing with. The two have a great scene, even though Kilmer does most of his dialogue typing. Kilmer still managed that same smile he gave Cruise at the end of the first movie and fans of the 80s original will no doubt enjoy the nostalgia, albeit short-lived, as it's Iceman's funeral we see in the trailer.

With an incredible cast to deliver the best to the fans, including Jon Hamm, Bashir Salahuddin, Charles Parnell, and the rest of the new faces in the cockpit, the tension is high in many parts of the movie. It's a well-told coming-of-age story for the character of Pete Mitchell that has its' laughs, its' drama, its' intense action sequences, and some amazing high-action fighter jet sequences that movie fans need to see on the big screen. 

The intensity between Maverick and Rooster is palpable as they deal with some unresolved issues that both of them suffer from history. Miles Teller is at his best yet for a younger actor and proved he's got the onscreen presence to go toe to toe with the caliber of star power brought by Cruise.

People walking out of the theater were impressed and out of a capacity theater, the crowd stayed thru the credits. It's the kind of reaction that you see when a movie delivers something that pleases, impresses, or wows the fans. This may well be Tom Cruise's biggest opening weekend at the box office.

Final Thoughts

This really is one of those movies that seeing it on the big screen, getting to feel the Dolby surround sound booming, and seeing the action larger than life, makes the time you spend in the theater worth it at the end of the movie. I was pleasantly surprised by the overall effect of the movie and I honestly thought going into it that I was going to enjoy the sequel, whether it was as good as the original or not.

As a sequel, the maturity that comes with Top Gun: Maverick gives it a more dramatic feel while saving some of the original humor and fun. Connelly and Cruise are great together and the full circle effect of the Penny Benjamin story was interesting to see. The action as they train for the impossible mission, the storytelling during training, and the third act or the mission, were excellent. If you are going to see this film, see it in theaters to get the full effect.

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About the Creator

Jason Ray Morton

I have always enjoyed writing and exploring new ideas, new beliefs, and the dreams that rattle around inside my head. I have enjoyed the current state of science, human progress, fantasy and existence and write about them when I can.

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Comments (2)

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  • Jonathan Townend2 years ago

    Great piece. I haven't seen the movie yet but, certainly will be doing after your insights on it. Thank you.

  • Babs Iverson2 years ago

    Impressive and outstanding review!

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