Review of Top Gun: Maverick (2022) by Mattyice — 06 Jun 2022

Top Gun: Maverick ends up being one of those rare sequels that surpasses the original classic in almost every way. Adding depth and gravitas to the story, as well as gorgeous cinematography and stunt sequences, while retaining some of the cheesiness, humor, and charm that made the original an 80s icon.

Tom Cruise is obviously the stand out of the cast with a fantastic and shockingly emotional performance, but the rest of the cast is great as well and the new pilots all have their own charm, although I did find Miles Teller's Rooster to be a bit miscast.

The only cons I really have for the film are the fact that it's a bit too heavy on exposition for both Maverick and Penny's, as well as Maverick and Rooster's, relationships. It's depiction of the "enemy", which is clearly Russian/Chinese yet isn't stated as much or shown, is also odd, but studios want to make money and not get this movie banned from those countries, so it's understandable albeit clunky.

Otherwise, Top Gun Maverick is one heck of a ride and a very worthy trip to the cinema.