'Top Gun: Maverick' Movie Review: An Absolute Thrill Ride

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It’s finally here. Top Gun: Maverick, which was originally scheduled for release on July 12, 2019, releases in theaters on May 27, 2022. And I’m here to say, it’s the first real blockbuster coming out of the last two years. Seeing this film in the theater, was the first time I felt like cinema was truly back on its A-game. And it felt oh so good!

So what’s the film about? After more than thirty years of service as one of the Navy’s top aviators, Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Tom Cruise) is where he belongs, pushing the envelope as a courageous test pilot and dodging the advancement in rank that would ground him. When he finds himself training a detachment of TOPGUN graduates for a specialized mission the likes of which no living pilot has ever seen, Maverick encounters Lt. Bradley Bradshaw (Miles Teller), call sign: “Rooster,” the son of Maverick’s late friend and Radar Intercept Officer Lt. Nick Bradshaw, aka “Goose.”

Facing an uncertain future and confronting the ghosts of his past, Maverick is drawn into a confrontation with his own deepest fears, culminating in a mission that demands the ultimate sacrifice from those who will be chosen to fly it.

Top Gun: Maverick Movie Trailer

Top Gun: Maverick Movie Review: What I Liked and Didn’t Like

Honestly, there’s not much I didn’t like about the 2 hours and 7-minute film. While the start felt slow to me, once it got going – it really got going. The script, the effects, the soundtrack, and the acting all come together to create the perfect summer blockbuster.

Acting

Despite my dislike for Tom Cruise as a person, I have to admit, he’s a great actor. And he delivers a strong performance here. While Cruise is front and center throughout the entirety of the film, Miles Teller (Rooster) and Glen Powell (Hangman) also delivered standout performances. So much so that if they wanted to make a third film, they could easily do it with Teller and Powell as the leads.

Script

The script, written by Ehren Kruger, Eric Warren Singer, and Christopher McQuarrie, tells a wonderfully nostalgic story that anyone can follow. It’s all about old-school thrills and defiance – the theme of heroism and sacrifice for one’s country, the emotional scars from the past, and how to fix broken relationships. All in all, it’s a beautiful story that offers just as much tenderness as it does action.

Special Effects

What I loved most about Top Gun: Maverick is that the flight sequences aren’t CGI. They’re real, and Claudio Miranda’s cinematography makes them look incredible! With helicopters, planes, and drones, Miranda captures some truly breathtaking footage of F-18s and their impossible maneuvers. While Cruise, of course, performed his own stunts, the rest of the cast learned also pushed themselves by learning how to operate their own cameras and record their own performances.

The results? Everything looks real (because it is), and the film as a whole looks stellar from every angle.

Overall

Top Gun: Maverick is exactly what a sequel to a cult classic should be, entertaining and nostalgic while bringing something new to the table. And in an age of streaming big flicks on our small screens, this is one that demands to be seen on the big screen.