Top Gun: Maverick Review – An Ode to Classic Hollywood

After over thirty years since the original, Top Gun: Maverick flies into the silver screen. For me, the film can best be described as an attempt to recapture the classic feeling of Hollywood action movies. Good heroes who get the girl, snarky rivals, and big, balls-to-the-walls action scenes with a happy ending, yet all of it feels fresh and updated for modern audiences.

With all the attempts to subvert and twist in cinema today, it’s nice to see something that’s so genuine with its attempt to do little else than please the crowd watching it. It’s the fun of cinema at its finest and left me in a good mood leaving the theatre.

Returning to Top Gun

After three decades, Captain Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Tom Cruise) is asked to return to the Top Gun fighter pilot program, unfortunately for him, this is not to fly but rather to teach a new generation of top pilots for a deadly new mission.

Even more unfortunate is one of these pilots, ‘Rooster’ is the son of ‘Goose’, Maverick’s old partner and best friend who died in the first film. Maverick will have to teach this cast of colorful candidates how to dog fight and fly the old fashion way while also dealing with a whole new set of problems on his latest and possibly last mission.

The plot is light and easy to digest, moving from beat to beat at a steady pace. While you’re never in any doubt that the team will get it together, the film does a good job of making you feel the stress and danger they feel about the journey ahead. In the beginning, they’re incredibly divided and the mission feels impossible, putting emphasis on how grueling the training can be. But by the end, they pull it off.

As I previously said in the introduction, the movie clearly wants to replicate the old 80s-style action film that the original Top Gun was part of and for the most part, it succeeds. There is genuineness in this movie that is contagious, there is no big subversion or deconstruction, just the fun of all-around action heroes fighting the good fight because it’s the right fight to have. You can’t help but appreciate the warmth of this movie and it leaves you with a positive feeling.

The Return of Maverick

Tom Cruise fits perfectly into the role of the older Maverick. He’s still the charming ace pilot with a rebellious streak but there’s wisdom in his actions.

In many ways, Cruise feels like one of the last of the big Hollywood action of the 80s/90s to still be consistently making blockbusters, and the film kind of plays into that. Maverick is portrayed as a legend but one of a bygone age, seemingly obsolete in this new kind of navy.

He has to teach this new generation of pilots, both wanting them to be flexible and instinctive like he was while still following his orders. At his core, he doesn’t want any of them to repeat the same mistakes he did and die early deaths like Goose, especially since he has to work with Goose’s son.

He’s more three-dimensional than many would expect from a blockbuster action hero, which in turn makes his triumphs feel all the more impactful. Even after all these years, Cruise has still got it in him.

Meet the Team

Of the large cast of characters, only a few really get a significant amount of screen time which is a bit disappointing. The actors do make the most out of their roles when appearing but their being likable only means that you end up wanting to see more of them.

Miles Teller does well as the main new recruit Rooster. He is a young candidate that wants to prove himself to Maverick while still being haunted by his father’s death. Teller shows a lot of range in this role giving a good mix of resentment, and anxiety while still making him friendly with his colleagues and brave in his actions. You want to see this guy succeed and you’re happy when he does.

The rest of the cast is definitely more one-note tropes however that isn’t a bad thing. Each of them feels memorable because their character is easy to identify. They are each well-acted and they play each other in a fun and believable manner thanks to the well-written dialogue.

Special praise however has to be given to Glen Powell who plays the role of Rooster’s rivel ‘Hangman’. He’s brilliant as the smarmy douchebag that you just love to hate. I don’t know how he makes his face look so punchable in every scene he appears in but he’s scarily good at it.

Inside the Cockpit

While the film may harken back to the Hollywood days of old, one place Top Gun: Maverick definitely evolved with modern cinema making was in the action scenes. To put it simply, they’re breathtaking.

The movie makes use of a sort of ‘cockpit cam’ placing the camera inside the plane’s cockpit facing out at the pilot along with stunning wide-open shots of the sky and surroundings. It truly makes you feel like you are inside of the fighter planes, and if you’re like me and get nervous on shaky planes, that just makes the dogfights feel all the more intense.

I’d highly recommend watching this film on Imax or Dolby Atmos if you can. The mixture of articulate sound effects with stunning cinematography really pulls you into the scene and allows you to feel what the pilots are going through. When they speed up you feel the sudden thrust of speed, when they pull up, you feel the weight of the plane that they’re holding. You will respect the art of piloting after seeing this movie.

Final Thoughts 

When I heard Top Gun was getting a long-awaited sequel, I didn’t think much of it. A assumed it would be a decent little action flick that was made as a quick cash-in for nostalgia.

But what Top Gun: Maverick offers is so much more. It understands what made the original so special and updates and expands on it. Tom Cruise and the rest of the case are in top form, each embodying their character with charming dialogue and natural performances.

This is all topped with genuinely striking aerial dog battles that take full advantage of modern special effects. You’ll feel like you’re flying, diving, crashing, and ultimately soaring.

A light-hearted action movie with a lot of heart. It’s Hollywood at its best.

Top Gun: Maverick is currently available to watch in local cinemas. There is even a special display for the movie in Pavillion Mall, Kuala Lumpur.

You can find more information about Top Gun: Maverick on the official website.

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