I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve watched Top Gun. Both as a child and an adult. Ever since my dad introduced me to it, it’s been one of my go-to films. I even have a vest saying “Take Me To Bed Or Lose Me Forever” although I couldn’t wear it to the cinema to see Maverick, as I went with my stepdad!
Back to the original – the flight sequences are incredible, there’s action, romance, and great tunes also, it’s hilariously homoerotic – what’s not to love?
So when I read a couple of years ago that a sequel was in the works, I was torn. They couldn’t make it better, and they could very well ruin it. So, why bother?
Well, I’m happy to say, Top Gun: Maverick is up there with the best of sequels – some of my picks are Deadpool 2, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Captain American: The Winter Soldier, Rocky IV, and Terminator 2, since you asked.
Tom Cruise has been pretending he’s Maverick since 1986, so no adjustment was required. Given that it takes place 36 years after the events of Top Gun, it makes sense that most of the cast are new.
But what would Maverick be without Iceman?
The scene between Maverick and Val Kilmer’s Iceman broke me. Writing in Kilmer’s real-life battle with throat cancer and the subsequent loss of his famous voice didn’t overshadow the scene, it just gave it added power.
Miles Teller and Glenn Powell lead the new recruits, with the former playing Goose’s son and the latter channelling his inner Iceman. Heavyweight support comes from Jon Hamm and Jennifer Connelly as the much mentioned but never before seen Penny Benjamin.
The only other prominent female character is Lt. Natasha ‘Phoenix’ Trace, played by Monica Barbaro who more than holds her own in the pseudo-macho world of these particular fighter pilots.
The humour is still there, minus most of the homoerotic quips.
Cruise insisted that the actors train to fly the planes. As in the original, the difference it makes can’t be overstated. New technology is utilised to retain the awe of the flight sequences, and there’s genuine jeopardy surrounding whether everyone will live to fly another day.
The flashback scenes are slipped seamlessly into the narrative at appropriate moments, with Rooster performing ‘Great Balls of Fire’ just like his dad, a particular highlight.
That scene aside, the only slight letdown for me was the music. Apparently, there were original songs, with Lady Gaga’s ‘Hold My Hand’ up for a Grammy? But it felt generic. I still play the original Top Gun soundtrack regularly – Danger Zone and Playing With The Boys are great workout songs! None of the music in Maverick stayed with me.
Overall, I think Tony Scott would be pleased with the legacy of Top Gun: Maverick and the fans have certainly embraced it.
If you feel the need, the need for speed (and tonnes of fun) Top Gun: Maverick is just the ticket.
4.5 stars
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