About the film (courtesy of Paramount Pictures):
After more than thirty years of service as one of the Navy’s top aviators, Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Tom Cruise) is where he belongs, pushing the envelope as a courageous test pilot and dodging the advancement in rank that would ground him. When he finds himself training a detachment of Top Gun graduates for a specialized mission the likes of which no living pilot has ever seen, Maverick encounters Lt. Bradley Bradshaw (Miles Teller), call sign: “Rooster,” the son of Maverick’s late friend and Radar Intercept Officer Lt. Nick Bradshaw, aka “Goose”. Facing an uncertain future and confronting the ghosts of his past, Maverick is drawn into a confrontation with his own deepest fears, culminating in a mission that demands the ultimate sacrifice from those who will be chosen to fly it.
Paramount Pictures may have been secretly wondering if audiences will have lost that loving feeling for another of Tom Cruise’s iconic characters since more than three decades have passed since we’ve seen Pete “Maverick” Mitchell. In short, the answer will be an emphatic and resounding, “NO, they most certainly did not!!” As a matter of fact, I believe this long overdue continuation will garner more overall praise than its predecessor did all the way back in 1986 when Cruise was a still considered the young, fresh face of Hollywood that was a guaranteed pay day for any film he headlined.
Scream (2022) was the year’s first pleasant surprise sequel of the year. What made it enjoyable was that it brought back the feel and most of the key actors of the first film of the franchise, while also building on their legacies to usher in a new generation of fans. The tactical approach that Top Gun: Maverick takes is pretty much a parallel path is becoming more commonplace in today’s films. And until audiences get sick of these types of strategies, I say keep going for it.
Tom Cruise hasn’t lost a step (and yes, he does run) in his dedication and preparation of portraying his characters along with all of the nuances that make them memorable. Maverick is basically still the ballsy thrill seeker that we met all those years ago. Because of it, his career in the Navy has plateaued, and not in the best way. Top Gun: Maverick is a story of acceptance and growth while also not forgetting what got you were you are now.
Top Gun: Maverick returns a couple of key characters from the original film, as well as adding a new, yet familiar-feeling, generation of ones that help pass the baton of old to new. Fear not though, there is enough flashback material to help with bringing everyone together. Just be prepared to see a mostly new faces, such as Jennifer Connelly, Miles Teller, Monica Barbaro, Glen Powell, Lewis Pullman, Charles Parnell, Jon Hamm and Ed Harris. Many of these actors’ characters are similar in one way or another to ones from the original. It’s one of the ways that assists in giving this film a chance to connect with fans of the first.
The plot is compelling, compassionate and well thought out. Director Joseph Kosinski finds new and exciting ways to push the envelope and Tom Cruise is leading the way. If an almost 60 year-old actor can physically and mentally commit to this type of performance, others can’t help but raise their games as well. Top Gun: Maverick makes all the right moves and with a legend like Cruise behind the flight stick, betting on this film to succeed will not be seen as risky business.
The aviator suit still fits as Cruise and company will soar to the top of the box office when Top Gun: Maverick goes full throttle in theaters everywhere starting Friday, May 27th. If you’re eager to get a jump on this action-packed feature, there are limited evening showings as early as Tuesday. Either way, grab your tickets to a quintessential Memorial Day weekend blockbuster before the pattern is full and your miss your target. This one is flat out fun!
