Review of Top Gun: Maverick (2022) by Rebecca31 — 29 May 2022

Alright folks, strap yourselves in for one of the most anticipated movies of the year, the Navy’s top aviators are finally back. After over thirty years, Pete Mitchell (Tom Cruise) has been called back into service. Join Cruise and all the other top pilots in their most dangerous mission yet, only this time without the cheesy 80s soundtrack. Maverick finds himself in the unlikely position as a teacher to the best of the best Top Gun graduates for a confidential and highly dangerous mission in “insert generic country here.” Not only is Maverick faced with the difficult task of training these pilots for a mission “the likes of which no living pilot has ever seen” but one of the recruits is Lt. Bradley Bradshaw (Miles Teller) aka “Rooster” aka the son of “Goose”.

Well I know the original Top Gun has a massive fanbase, who I can only imagine love it so much due to nostalgia because if like me you recently watched it, I think we all realise it has not aged well at all. Top Gun: Maverick has taken the franchise to a whole new level, very much like the Mission Impossible movies, it’s kicked it into a new gear and is all about the action. The flight sequences are an exhilarating thrill ride you won’t want to miss. Adrenaline fuelled, gripping and so well filmed that you will feel like you’re sitting in the jets themselves. Visually epic, and exceeds expectations. It’s not necessary to see the original Top Gun beforehand but it does help. And although Top Gun: Maverick isn’t as cheesy as the first one, it does have enough cringey dialogue to remind you that you are in fact watching a Top Gun movie.

There’s also a surprising emotional element throughout that I definitely wasn’t expecting, and the decision to bring back Val Kilmer as Tom “Iceman” Kazansky was handled perfectly. Miles Teller was absolutely perfect casting for Lt. Nick Bradshaw’s son. It’s been a while since I’ve seen Teller in anything as good as Whiplash and he’s here now reminding us all of how good an actor he really is. Top Gun: Maverick has improved on the original in every way and caters towards both new and old fans of Top Gun.

I was “lucky” enough to be sitting right next to three of Tom Cruise’s biggest fans. They might have been enjoying it more than everyone else in the cinema combined judging by their whooping, clapping and the fact that they were practically wetting themselves with anticipation any time Cruise was onscreen or there was any sort of reference made to the original Top Gun. These ultra-fanboys loved every minute of it so Top Gun fans I can promise you’ll absolutely adore this sequel.

Look many of you know that I’m not the biggest Tom Cruise fan at all but when he’s delivering on the action it’s honestly a terrific experience to see on the big screen in a cinema. He may not be Hollywood’s greatest actor but he’s got one setting that he does better than anyone, and that setting is action man. Despite being nearly sixty he does not shy away from the stunts and in a time where cinemas are struggling I can tell you that Top Gun: Maverick is made for the big screen so be sure you see it on the biggest screen possible and enjoy. Highly recommended and a must see for all the Top Gun fans.