Top Gun Maverick (2022) Review
“It’s time to let go.”
“I don’t know how.”
Tom Cruise’s star status is undeniably unprecedented; bolder and more ambitious than ever before with the Mission Impossible franchise and Joseph Kosinski’s new legacy sequel – Top Gun Maverick. We don’t talk about The Mummy reboot. Tony Scott’s 1986 original was a cultural phenomenon and, evidently, military propaganda as well – leading to a 500% increase in military recruitment the following year. Along with that and years of legacy sequels, ranging in terms of quality, this begged the question if Top Gun had a place anymore within the modern filmscape? And to this – Kosinski and Cruise boldly respond with one of the most exciting blockbusters since Mission Impossible: Fallout and Mad Max: Fury Road.
Kosinski is no newcomer to legacy sequels either. 2010’s Tron Legacy eagerly modernized the series and garnered a plethora of newcomers into the franchise; still holding a large cult-like following to this day. And with Top Gun Maverick – Kosinski takes the same approach more-or-less; honoring many elements of what made the original work while unafraid to tell his own story. It’s a strategy that allows the best of the legacy sequels to break the mold; Blade Runner 2049 and Mad Max: Fury Road being prime examples. Though many of the plot/conflict threads from the 1986 original – the film never meanders around too long in its own nostalgia. It’s undeniably a legacy sequel by design – but it stands its ground as much more than that; this is primarily an independently driven film.
The film picks up about 30 years after the events of the original; Maverick now being summoned back to Top Gun to train a new squadron of pilots to take on their most difficult mission yet. Within this batch of recruits is Goose’s son – Lt. Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw (Miles Teller) who holds a grudge against Maverick for a variety of reasons, namely blaming him for his father’s death and disabling him from furthering his pursuits in the military. Their relationship itself is one that is explored in such a subdued fashion – up until the bombastic finale in which both emotions and setpieces are up in flames. Cruise and Teller have excellent chemistry together and watching them attempt to reconcile is oddly a delight to see; especially in a blockbuster like this that revels in an uncynical nature. I’m not going to pretend that this is some subversive blockbuster that paves the way for future films of this caliber; but it is one that has a clear-cut goal of being pure entertainment first. Everything else comes second. And, by that degree, it succeeds tremendously.
With the roar of the afterburning engines pulsating through the hall – this is a film that will define the theatrical experience for most. It’s not going to be a film that turns more skeptical filmgoers onto a feel-good blockbuster but will undoubtedly go down as one of the best legacy sequels of all time; appeasing general audiences in the process. And sure, there are some moments of campiness sporadically throughout in terms of dialogue/direction and an abundant amount of dreamy stares – but I still can’t help but be invested in the bigger picture. This is a film that feels glad to be here; succeeding in doing much more than crossing off a legacy sequel checklist. Kosinski, Cruise, and crew bring on one of the most exciting blockbusters in years – reminding audiences what it means to have a budget of that scale. It’s not an inherently stylistic movie but it’s one that’s mastered it’s technical prowess on display; boasting the greatest high octane aerial combat sequences ever put on film. I’m unsure how it will play in the comfort of your home but I left the theater already itching for a rewatch. If you’re gonna be a narratively “safe” blockbuster – this is the way to go; nothing revolutionary but one of the best versions of films you’ve definitely seen before.
