Top Gun from 1986 is alright. Some enjoyable flying sequences, a memorable soundtrack, and a sort of novelty from seeing such a young Tom Cruise, but nothing really that special. However, it is certainly a very popular film among many people, so when I heard a sequel was on the way over thirty years later, I thought I knew exactly what it would consist of, that is to say, what every other sequel to a culturally popular film made a decade or two later consists of - an experience that is almost identical through repetitive plot points and an excess of callbacks and references to that original film, capitalising on the audience's nostalgia. I watched the original film for the first time in preparation for Maverick and wasn't overly impressed, so I wasn't so sure if I'd get much out of the sequel. But, it got some amazing responses so maybe I would.
After thirty years, Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell returns to Top Gun, but this time to train the next generation of pilots in preparation for a dangerous mission. Among these new pilots is the son of Goose, who goes by Rooster.
Between this film and the original Top Gun is such a bizarre shift in quality. The first film is, as I said, just kind of decent. This, on the other hand, is genuinely terrific stuff, even in the eyes of someone like me who isn't especially attached to this world and these characters.
The major factor is that the action sequences in the fighter jets are absolutely excellent. From the goosebumps you get at the sound of the engines starting up to your hands gripping the side of your seat at all the high-speed dogfights and insane manoeuvres, they're just spectacular. A big part of this is how they're constructed; I'm not an expert, but from what I've heard, I believe most of what is seen on screen is practical effects, with little reliance on CGI / greenscreen. This is believable because all these sequences have a certain heft to them, they feel so grounded in reality, which amplifies the tension at hand. Tom Cruise is a very admirable figure in the film industry today, as he's clearly someone who wants to preserve the traditional crafts of filmmaking in the midst of CGI being most dominant, as well as the cinematic experience at a time when streaming is becoming most dominant. If you plan on watching this film, catch it on a big screen instead of waiting for it to come to your TV, it's at its best in the cinema.
Beyond that, the film also does a good job investing the audience from an emotional standpoint. The original film did barely anything to make me care about how the death of Goose affected Maverick, but this film really made me care about such based on how it incorporates Rooster into the narrative, and the emotional beats involving them all feel earned and sincere, as well as satisfying. I equally have no investment in the relationship between Maverick and Val Kilmer's character, but through a really endearing scene with the two in this film, I found myself with a big smile on my face at the two. It's easy for films like this to make the fans in the audience feel something, as most of the time the mere sight of familiar characters is enough to satisfy some, but to do so for very detached audience members like myself isn't as simple, so I'm impressed that this film managed to do so.
Part of why I found myself so engaged is that the film was actually somewhat unpredictable. I expected it to just be the same plot as the original but with a new coat of paint, but it wasn't. At a time when we've seen films like The Matrix Resurrections or Ghostbusters: Afterlife, that being sequels made many years after their predecessors that just repeat the original narratives / themes in slightly varied ways, this was such a relief. Parts of the film are deliberately mimicking the original for sure, but the narrative, for the most part, contained what felt like developments as opposed to retreading familiar ground, which is what the best sequels do. Maverick's arc in this film is distinct from his previous one - instead of being a young and arrogant pilot who has to rein in his confidence, he's an experience flyer who has to get over a trauma from his past. He definitely has elements of the character in the first film, but grows in distinct ways.
Overall, I'm glad I was able to enjoy this as much as I did. Top Gun: Maverick may be a sequel to something that isn't particularly amazing, but it in itself is really awesome. The action is well-crafted and the characters are well defined. It's the quintessential summer blockbuster for this year, so I highly reccommend you give it a go even if you couldn't care less about its predecessor.
I'm going to give Top Gun: Maverick an 8.5/10
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