Top Gun: Maverick - 2022
The very best kind of fan service. A picture that is littered with callbacks, to be sure. But rather than hold the story hostage, these references are (generally) subtle and organic to the overarching narrative.
Beyond that fact, this is just a better film on just about every other level. Perhaps Top Gun walked so Maverick could fly. (Eesh…cringe) The beats are the same, but the tech is better, the sound design is bone-shaking, and the shots are awe-inspiring. Some old favorites return, but they’re joined by a whole new cadre of flight schoolers. The group is more diverse in personalities, looks, you name it. More importantly, they’re also more well-drawn and a critical part of the tale, as opposed to a vestigial organ.
The story itself manages to be a rehash that somehow goes to new depths and soars to new heights. It sounds hokey in the framing, but I was deeply satisfied with where this one ended up. The Maverick-Goose-Rooster conundrum is mined for solid depths, and Jennifer Connelly is vastly superior to Kelly McGillis in my mind as a love interest.
Finally, to hear him tell it, Tom Cruise may have just put all of theatrical moviegoing on his shorter-than-he’d-like-you-to-think frame. But fortunately for us, the old bugger has still got it. He may not be a thespian in the truest sense, but he’s been a shining star most moments from the original until today. It’s nice to be back at the big screen with him and co. in a smartly directed, though less 80’s coke-y, entirely winning summer blockbuster.
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