I watched Top Gun: Maverick in IMAX at AMC theaters earlier today, and needless to say, it was an exhilaratingly kick-ass movie!
We'll never know how the late and great Tony Scott would've helmed the sequel to his 1986 action classic, but one thing's for sure, director Joseph Kosinski did a terrific job bringing the spirit of the original Top Gun film to this latest flick.
Tom Cruise was once again awesome as Capt. Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell, while Miles Teller was fantastic as Lt. Bradley 'Rooster' Bradshaw...the son of the late Goose (Anthony Edwards).
Jennifer Connelly did a commendable job filling in the shoes of Kelly McGillis as Maverick's new girlfriend and strong-willed bar owner Penny Benjamin, and Jon Hamm was great as the no-nonsense Admiral Beau 'Cyclone' Simpson. Ditto with Charles Parnell as Admiral Solomon 'Warlock' Bates and Ed Harris as Rear Admiral Chester 'Hammer' Cain.
Not to be overlooked are the other actors who were fantastic as Top Gun ground crew and fighter pilots: Bashir Salahuddin as Warrant Officer Bernie 'Hondo' Coleman, Monica Barbaro as Lt. Natasha 'Phoenix' Trace, Glen Powell as Lt. Jake 'Hangman' Seresin, Lewis Pullman as Lt. Robert 'Bob' Floyd, Jay Ellis as Lt. Reuben 'Payback' Fitch and Danny Ramirez as Lt. Mickey 'Fanboy' Garcia.
The one appearance that truly left a memorable mark on Top Gun: Maverick was that by Val Kilmer as Admiral Tom 'Iceman' Kazansky. His scene with Tom Cruise was the most emotional moment in this movie...and considering the fact that Iceman's health reflects the illness that Kilmer is dealing with in real life (he unfortunately has throat cancer), the reunion between these two fighter jocks was made all the more poignant.
If there's one note I have about Top Gun: Maverick that could be construed as a critique, it's that the main mission in this movie was clearly inspired by the Death Star trench run in Star Wars: A New Hope. The only difference is, you have actors riding in real F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets as they fly at high speed through a narrow valley before miraculously taking out a small target with two laser-guided smart bombs instead of a pair of proton torpedoes. And that's what made this scene so exhilarating!
An advantage that Top Gun: Maverick has over its 1986 predecessor was obviously the use of modern-day visual effects. Since the Darkstar hypersonic plane featured at the beginning of Maverick doesn't exist (supposedly), a full-size replica, model and computer-generated version of the aircraft needed to be created for this film. With CGI still in its cinematic infancy back in 1986, the utilization of a miniature model would've stuck out like a sore thumb in the original Top Gun considering the use of actual fighter jets and authentic aerial footage in that film.
Modern-day VFX also made it possible for the Top Gun pilots to take on enemy aircraft that were actually of a foreign origin! Unlike American-made F-5 Tigers posing as MiGs in the first movie, it was Russian-made Su-57 Felons that Maverick and his wingmen went up against...even though the actual country that flew these 'fifth-generation fighters' was never identified in the film.
I can go on and on about how thrilling Top Gun: Maverick was—and how I intend to watch it again at the theater! Yes, Harold Faltermeyer's Top Gun Anthem made its triumphant return to the big screen...and so did Kenny Loggins' Danger Zone as well as Jerry Lee Lewis' Great Balls of Fire.
Adding to Top Gun: Maverick's adrenaline-packed music are Hold My Hand by Lady Gaga, and an intense film score by none other than Hans Zimmer. What a triumphant way to start the Memorial Day weekend and summer movie season, Top Gun: Maverick!
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