Top Gun: Maverick Review

Top Gun- Maverick Review: Sequel Beats the Original

Rating: 4.5/5

-No spoilers, TLDR at bottom

This generation often doubts how much of a legend Tom Cruise is. Even more so, the Hollywood industry forgets how much of a legend Tom Cruise is. The legend that people now are shocked at if he doesn’t do his own stunts. The legend that singlehandedly has kept up the action drama since the early 2000s. Tom Cruise singlehandedly revolutionized the way we look at action movies on every step of the way; no matter what he has personally gone through in the last few months, cinematically his brilliance should not and will not be undermined. Top Gun was a testament to the entertainment he brought from the 1980s, and Top Gun- Maverick is a testament to the legend coming in style to regain his crown and remind Hollywood why he is the legend Tom Cruise. In an industry that has unfortunately begun to view Marvel and DC as its sole source of cinema, Top Gun-Maverick is not only a severe breath of fresh air but a revitalization of the action genre.

Not many movies are better than their original, and Top Gun-Maverick thankfully falls in that rare category. While the original Top Gun stood as an example of a Hollywood movie that appeals to the masses with plenty of skin show and mindless action that remains entertaining, its sequel holds plenty of writing heft on paper and envelops you into the world of airplanes and aeronautical feats. Set after the events of the first movie, with Captain Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Tom Cruise) serving in the Navy as a tester of fighter flights. Out of the blue, under the instructions of Tom “Iceman” Kazansky (Val Kilmer), he is assigned to help a team of 12 fighter pilots from Top Gun, including the son of his late flying partner Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw (Miles Teller), to help them pull off a very dangerous and improbable mission against an enemy base. What journey the movie takes from there regarding the mission and the relationships between the characters form the rest of the story.

Where the movie scores miles over the original, which ultimately remained as a mindless setup filled with the perennial 80s vibes and commercial elements for the masses, is the sensitivity and maturity the writing employs in each scene and the next while retaining the nostalgic feel of the original. The story, by Peter Craig and Justin Marks, is simple at its roots; a journey for Maverick after his youth simmers down to come to terms with his life and to prove his dynamic actions in the field once more. Yet, the depth beneath the basic story overhead is so much more. The writing layers each event onto the next and ties in each arc successfully without wasting much time. Every character is developed well with minimal interaction through the scenes themselves, bringing on various different subplots to the table and succeeding to close up all of them. From Scene 1, parallels are established, symbolic moments in the story are brought out, and the writing remains crisp and subtle throughout without being overly brash. Emotional arcs are established so well right from the first scene, with the new characters especially Rooster bringing back memories for Maverick in the subtlest of ways possible. This is all while retaining the spirit of the original that many people love and treasure through nostalgic tributes and references to the original. Scenes don’t go to waste anywhere in the new movie; even scenes that remain as adages and tributes to the original, such as the beach scene, have a purpose and help to further enhance the plot in the sequel. If the writing is sensitive and mature, keeping the movie subtle and tightly bound, the screenplay is even better. The movie keeps itself local to the Top Gun area or aviator settings without straying too much from the main plot; hence, when the screenplay begins to extract each parallel, it does so effectively and with a bang. The essence of the original Top Gun, from the vibrant surroundings of San Diego to the gritty school itself, is kept solidly. Scenes flow very organically, and through that so do the story elements. Each scene is filled with either a very subtle emotional track, good natural comedy that is dialogue-based, or pulsating action throughout that keeps the movie running on a high. The screenplay doesn’t miss a beat at any point in the movie; there isn’t any lag, there aren’t any portions that do not matter to the story, and all of it is positioned insanely well through the proceedings to truly encapsulate the viewer into the world of Top Gun. The only thing is that a beat is missed, or it seems like, with the transition to the climax, but it doesn’t hurt anything. Not once does the movie feel forced or as if it’s adding elements; it all flows organically and all packs a punch.

If the screenplay is simply amazing, the direction and narration are next-level beautiful. Keeping the vibe and essence of the original Top Gun while cutting out the bad elements is not an easy job, and director Joseph Kosinski has done that in style. His narration keeps the tone along in perfect sync throughout the movie, pacing the movie quite well with the correct speed throughout, especially in the action scenes and beginning, and keeping the tone upbeat except when it needs to get clearly emotional. The narrative has also been tightly executed throughout the movie, where the focused direction comes into play. The mood and the essence of the movie are captured well in every scene, ably aided by the wonderful cinematography (more on that later), and the direction stays to the core concept and writing throughout without deviating. As a result, each of the events has the intended impact and remains entertaining and meaningful as well. Breaking it up as a whole, the movie begins in classic Top Gun fashion with the vibe being set in stone, but soon after is where the movie begins to show its sensitivity. The majority of the first half is set up the latter half, but it continues to employ mature writing, pulsating action, and in-the-moment comedy while introducing the various arcs and characters. While some of the characters could have been developed a bit more, they are developed well with their purpose in the story. The direction throughout makes it clear that it’s Maverick’s story, but everyone also plays their role in their purpose here. Romantic tracks carry over, existing tracks remain, and new characters form relations, all done in a very entertaining manner. Eventually, the action takes over; as the movie delves into the core conflict, the action is spellbinding and brings the viewers to the edge of their seats with the fantastic visuals and action choreography. All throughout the first and second half, entertainment ensues with a sense of subtlety as well, giving the action movie heft and weight without it remaining mindless entertainment. The elevations are amazing as well, giving heroic weight to Cruise and also bringing screams throughout the theater. Watch out for the climax; the 30-minute climactic sequence not only establishes nostalgic parallels but is truly earth-shatteringly beautiful. The only negatives that can be nitpicked (again nitpicking, because anything that is this good has to be well thought about if there are any negatives) are that the writing between the pre-climax and climax is a bit rushed, with a little bit more exposition, and that some characters could have been written a bit more, especially Hangman. But regardless, the movie is sheer entertainment and sheer perfection for its genre.

Top Gun-Maverick wouldn’t be what it ended up being without its brilliant performances and technical elements. Tom Cruise is absolutely phenomenal; at the age of 59, how does he retain the boyish charm of the original yet also at the same time exuding the maturity of his age in the movie? While his action is phenomenal, as usual, the vulnerability and emotional side of his character are what sets him apart here. Something Cruise faltered with in the original that has been done stellarly here with full applause. He is subtle, intense, and energetic, all in one. Miles Teller is next with a fantastic performance. Apart from bringing a major wave of nostalgia as he looks EXACTLY like Goose, he also surprises with his intensity and subtlety throughout the movie. A perfect second fiddle. John Hamm is good in a stoic and intense role, while Jennifer Connelly actually shines with her moments in the second half. Glenn Powell is perfect casting as the brash Hangman with good parallels to Iceman, while Val Kilmer does well in his limited screen space. To add to the wonderful performances, technically this has to be one of the most refined movies in a long time. Every department fires. The music is simply scintillating; Gaga, Zimmer, Balfe, and Faltermeyer have produced a score and BGM that hits every right note and beautifully complements the visuals. The cinematography should win an Oscar; Claudio Miranda is fabulous with his action shots inside of the plane and his camera angles, especially in the climax. Dialogues are well fleshed out, and editing is very good; keeping the movie’s runtime down to 2 hours and editing out all the scrap in a beautiful manner. Production values are out of this world.

TLDR:

Tom Cruise is a bonafide action star who is also a good actor. As a good actor, one of the wise decisions he’s taken is to be selective with his scripts. And when you’re selective, you get cinematic marvels like Top Gun-Maverick. Positives are Cruise and Teller’s performances, sensitive and layered writing, crisp and pulsating screenplay, energetic narration and direction, out-of-this-world action sequences, brilliant climax, cinematography and production values, editing, short runtime, music and background score, and emotional connect. On the flipside, slightly rushed writing and a few more scenes for supporting characters would have been good. Cruise is back to his throne; Top Gun has learned from its mistakes, so you don’t make a mistake by not buying a ticket.