Top Gun: Maverick

 

Score:  A

Directed by Joseph Kosinski

Starring Tom Cruise, Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm

Running time: 131 minutes

Rated PG-13

Long Story Short:  Top Gun: Maverick revives an obsolete relic of the past, turning the idea of a dated 80s blockbuster into the most exciting theatrical experience in years.  Tom Cruise is still at the helm, and he continues to push the boundaries of the stunt work that he has been hard at work on in the last few years.  The flight scenes - from mere training exercises to pulse-quickening dog fights - are more than worth the price of admission alone.  But the entire thing, human dramatic elements included, is very well done.  This is a must-see.

Decades into a successful career in the Navy, Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell (Cruise) is still flying planes - and faster than ever before.  He is recalled to the Top Gun training school, however, when an international threat emerges.  With more combat experience than anyone else, Maverick's superiors grudgingly acknowledge that the rebellious ace is the man to teach the newest generation of pilots how to do the job.  While he quickly finds himself at ease in the cockpit, Maverick finds both challenges and opportunities lingering from his past that complicate the situation.  Time is the enemy, however, and Maverick must confront both the angels and the demons of his past in order to meet the challenges of the present.

Top Gun: Maverick is among the best blockbuster films of recent years, an excellent sequel to an iconic 80s hit, combining "old-fashioned" filmmaking with jaw-dropping stunt work and intense action.  While I only vaguely recall the original, Maverick shares much of its basic DNA but it moderates the formula in subtle but important ways.  While Maverick is still an insanely good pilot, his human flaws are highlighted; there is greater gender and racial diversity among the young pilots; and the U.S.A.-vs.-them attitude is muted, focusing less on the anonymous adversary than on their own inner demons.  Similarly, the soundtrack has plenty of callbacks to the 80s movie, but not overwhelmingly so.  It is quite effective in helping bring back certain memories and feelings in some moments, but also works to build overall tension in the action through a more modern sound as well.  A few great needle-drops can't help but bring a big smile to your face, though, too.

While high-speed aerial action is the main goal here, the dramatic elements and even sense of humor are also surprisingly effective.  The key relationship in the film is between Maverick and Rooster, the son of Goose, Mav's co-pilot who died in the original.  It's a familiar dynamic, the young up-and-comer resentful of the veteran with family connections, but still powerful.  It also goes well with an even better element, the film's exploration of Maverick himself.  While he's unmatched in the skies, the movie makes quite plain that Maverick is just like the rest of us down on the ground.  Whether it's awkward encounters with his commanders or visible pain and pleasure as the past comes back to haunt the present, Maverick is a flawed hero, and much more sympathetic as such.  The writers also wisely add humor throughout to break up the tension and let you know it's not taking itself too seriously.  The opening training session in which Maverick puts the whippersnappers in their place (and sends them to the tarmac doing pushups) is great.  My favorite, though, is one that occurs right in the middle of the finale - a risky change in tone, but one that pays off handsomely.

Best of all, of course, is the action, with phenomenal aerial stunt work that simply demands to be seen in a theater.  You feel like you are in the cockpit with these pilots - because you literally are!  The actors grunt and shout authentically according to their situation, as both the tension and the G-forces rise.  I found myself twisting in my own seat, reacting to the jarring rolls left and right during death-defying races just above the ground and to the unpredictability of battle.  Each flight scene is great, and the overall flow of the film is, too - the intensity of these scenes increases steadily throughout.  But while you think you may be ready for the finale by the time it arrives, that you have already seen it all - you ain't seen nothing yet.  The ending is a well-earned triumph, not lingering too long yet addressing all the personal elements that have been patiently developed along the way, further boosted by the exhilaration of the ride.

***

Top Gun: Maverick is an unqualified success, the first great movie of the year I've seen.  While I have reservations about the man, it's undeniable that Tom Cruise is dedicated to his craft.  Not every actor or movie needs to attempt the same audacious stunts, but studios could take a lesson from his example and invest in those with similar vision and passion for film.  I am as big a fan of the Marvel movies as anyone else, but it's essential that Hollywood develop a healthier, more diverse ecosystem of films than just relying on the uber-popular genre of the moment.  I commend Cruise for his support of the theatrical movie experience and his production of art that takes full advantage of the medium.  Hopefully, this is just the beginning of a renaissance in the industry, streaming be damned.

* By http://www.impawards.com/2022/top_gun_maverick_ver5.html, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=70039658