Between this and Ambulance, two of finest pieces of Hollywood spectacle to come out this year (or really the past several years, if we’re being honest), it’s quite the year for films that feel like total love letters to Tony Scott, and his legacy as a filmmaker. This film, Top Gun: Maverick ends the initial credits with a literal dedication to the filmmaker, and it’s not hard to see why. His style is all over this, from the magic hour shots, the hazy, yellow glow on certain sequences, the visceral, sweaty performances from the actors. It’s all there, but in a way that feels, similar to Ambulance, an evolution to the innovation that he brought to the scene. I can’t think of a better way to honor his legacy.
Legacy is a big theme in Top Gun: Maverick, not just in the literal sense as a legacy sequel, coming a whopping 36 years after the original, but also in the legacy of its characters, Maverick (Tom Cruise), Iceman (Val Kilmer), and Goose, who is represented by his son, Rooster (Miles Teller). The world that brought Top Gun has changed significantly, and this film is very much about that, about how one reconciles with the way the world moves past you, forcing you to find your own place, a new one, and letting go of the things that hold you back.
The story itself is pretty straightforward, and actually doesn’t require you to watch the original to understand. Maverick has been working as a test pilot, but his program is at risk of shutting down. While he takes a rogue flight to prove the program’s worthiness, it doesn’t suit well with the higher-ups, who ultimately decide against punishing him, instead having him sent to a base where he is to instruct a set of Top Gun graduates for an upcoming mission to destroy a highly guarded uranium enrichment facility, a seemingly impossible task, but one that needs to be done within three weeks. Complicating matters further is the inclusion of Rooster, who holds a grudge against Maverick.
Just to get this out of the way, if you already love Top Gun, then you’ll probably love this, I can’t imagine why you wouldn’t. For everyone else, this might be a tougher sell. A non-superhero blockbuster, one that is largely played out more like a drama than an action movie, that features a lot of beautiful shots of fighter jets and other symbols of the American military complex. However, it’s the kind of film that doesn’t take long before it really grabs hold of you, and allows you to sink your teeth into the grandeur of what the filmmakers were able to pull off here. As pure spectacle, of the tangible, “oh my God, how did they do this?” variety, I haven’t seen one quite this breathtaking since Mad Max: Fury Road.
The nods and references to the original film are tastefully done. Purposeful and nuanced if you have seen the original, and not intrusive or distracting if you had not. As a legacy sequel, it’s one of the best out there, and easily the best since the aforementioned Fury Road and Creed. It’s quite the miracle considering how long and troubled the development of this was, with the screenplay credit going to Ehren Kruger, Eric Warren Singer, and Christopher McQuarrie, though more definitely had their hands on it over the years. And despite that, I’d say it’s a more solid film than the original, which – as much as I love Scott – only iconic because of the performances and its visual sensibility. As a work of storytelling, the original is flimsy as all hell. Joseph Kosinski, who is now four for four (keeping fingers crossed for Spiderhead), delivers on all fronts, naturally with the help of an exceptional stunt/VFX team, and divine work from his regular collaborating cinematographer, Claudio Miranda.
The performances here are all very strong. The newcomers like Miles Teller, Glen Powell, Jon Hamm, Jennifer Connelly, Lewis Pullman, Monica Barbaro, and various others, all bring in good work, creating a sense of history and camaraderie that works even though we only get little glimpses of them, like with the folks playing the Top Gun grads who, with the exception of Teller, don’t get a ton to do. Similarly, Connelly plays Maverick’s old flame, and you buy their history with just a few interactions and glances. And I don’t think it’s a spoiler to say Iceman is featured in the film, and when Kilmer does show up, it’s probably the best scene in the movie.
But of course, this is Cruise’s show, and in more ways than one. There is a criticism I hear from time to time, not just of him, but of a number of actors who get accused of “playing themselves,” which I think is a ridiculous notion. What Cruise does here is a masterclass in pulling off a capital M movie star performance, one that lives and breathes on his charisma and screen presence, and even his reputation. Many of Cruise’s characters recently have been a bit of a reflection on who he is as a person – a little crazy, a little reckless, but by golly, is he 1001% dedicated to the craft. And this feels like a sort of meta acknowledgement to the fact that he won’t be able to do this forever, as much as it might not totally seem like it, he’s getting older, and his approach to movie making is not the popular way to do it anymore.
That’s aspect of Top Gun: Maverick gives the overall film a somewhat somber and melancholic vibe, like it’s the last hurrah of this kind of blockbuster with this kind of subject matter, with this kind of movie star presence, with this kind of dedication to capture as much action in-camera, with this kind of budget for something that isn’t really aiming for a four-quadrant audience. Obviously, there are two Mission: Impossible movies still coming up, so it’s not like this is all over or anything, but there has been a shifting tide in Hollywood for a very long time, and Tom Cruise can’t fight it forever, as much as he might want to try. So, yeah, I really loved the film, another winner from Joseph Kosinski (here’s your reminder to check out Only The Brave). I think it’s a stellar achievement, and it’s a real deal cinematic experience. This is definitely one to see on the biggest and loudest screen possible.
Top Gun: Maverick is now out in theaters.