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May 26, 2022 · ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Review: Will This Stuff Still Fly? Tom Cruise takes to the air once more in a long-awaited sequel to a much-loved ’80s action blockbuster. Share full article
- Joseph Kosinski
- 4 min
May 27, 2022 · By Jason Bailey. Published May 27, 2022 Updated June 22, 2023. Listen to This Article. “Top Gun: Maverick” turns and burns its way into theaters this week, landing 36 years after the 1986...
May 12, 2022 · Top Gun: Maverick First Reviews: The Most Thrilling Blockbuster We've Gotten in Years. Critics say the long-awaited sequel is a must-see on the big screen and not only potentially better...
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May 12, 2022 · ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Review: Tom Cruise Takes to the Skies, Literally, in Barrier-Breaking Sequel. Reteaming with 'Oblivion' director Joseph Kosinski, the perfectionist producer-star insists...
- Maverick is back in a higher-flying sequel to remember.
- What's your favorite Tom Cruise movie?
- Verdict
By Matt Donato
Posted: May 12, 2022 1:00 pm
Top Gun: Maverick debuts in theaters on May 24, 2022.
The spirit of the ‘80s soars sky-high in Joseph Kosinski's Top Gun: Maverick. Every scene drips with the neon-yellow cheesiness that makes Tony Scott's beloved flyboy action flick so tasty. The original Top Gun rarely took itself seriously amidst all the sweaty co-pilot homoeroticism, and the same goes for Top Gun: Maverick outside a few modern tweaks. Women are no longer relegated to solely being love interests, and someone installed an air conditioner in Fightertown, USA — yet none of the renegade attitudes, forced overdramatics, and aerial thrills throttle backward. The iconic title theme guitar riff wails within seconds and takes our proverbial breath away.
Top Gun: Maverick can't help but indulge the original film's emphasis on soap opera drama without any wasted time. Pete "Maverick" Mitchell (Tom Cruise) is still the same rule-breaker 30 years later, who we meet breaking protocol and defying orders for a special operation that's about to be canned. Cruise is still fearless, showing that same giddiness inside a cockpit, and his character finds himself sent back to Top Gun after pissing off yet another admiral (played by Ed Harris) who can't believe Captain Maverick lives to fly another day. Familiarity is the name of the introduction, as Maverick finds himself an instructor amongst ace Top Gun graduates summoned back by commanding officer "Cyclone" (Jon Hamm) for what's assumed to be one notch below a suicide mission.
It's the Top Gun sequel purists will crave. Miles Teller as Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw, the son of Anthony Edwards’ “Goose,” is the spitting image of his late on-screen father, from his piano rendition of "Great Balls of Fire" to his bushy caterpillar mustache. As Penny Benjamin, Jennifer Connelly steps comfortably into the role of Maverick's ex-fling and rekindled romantic interest, replacing Kelly McGillis’ Charlie with nary a mention. Glen Powell’s "Hangman" is the hot-shot that reminds of Maverick's in-flight cockiness, and so comparisons continue. Plotlines thicken with the speed of quick-drying cement, because Top Gun: Maverick is the butteriest type of popcorn entertainment. You're here for the cowboy antics, shirtless beach sports, and close calls with multi-million-dollar aircrafts — which Top Gun: Maverick delivers without all those messy storytelling complexities.
Top Gun
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Top Gun: Maverick is an out-of-bounds blast of afterburner fumes and thrillseeker highs that's sure to please audiences looking for a classic summer blockbuster. Director Joseph Kosinski doesn't lose the ‘80s nostalgia of movies that were light on reason and huge on chest-beating heroism. The fresh graduate faces are all aces, fighter jet choreogra...
- Matt Donato
May 12, 2022 · Tom Cruise in ‘Top Gun: Maverick’: Film Review The ace fighter pilot returns 36 years after first feeling the need for speed in Joseph Kosinski’s sequel, also starring Miles Teller,...
Top Gun: Maverick pulls off a feat even trickier than a 4G inverted dive, delivering a long-belated sequel that surpasses its predecessor in wildly entertaining style. Read Critics...
- (477)
- Action, Adventure
- PG-13
