Top Gun: Maverick
Top Gun: Maverick
Released May 27, 2022
[FYI: Minor spoilers for Maverick. Major spoilers for Top Gun]
This movie was a long, long, time coming. Never mind that the first Top Gun was released over 30 years ago in 1986, Maverick was delayed several years due to COVID. Originally scheduled for a summer 2020 release, Top Gun Maverick finally came out May 2022. But, let me tell you - it was well worth the wait.
The hype you’ve no doubt been hearing about this is definitely well-deserved. The action sequences alone are worth the price of admission. I was thoroughly impressed with the level of care that was put into making these scenes as realistic as possible - and it shows. The actors were put through actual pilot training (complete with G-force!), and the scenes of them flying their jets are are real shots of the actors actually in these military aircraft (albeit not actually flying, but still, it’s terribly impressive).
You don’t necessarily need to have seen Top Gun to enjoy Maverick, however, I’d highly recommend watching it first so you have the full backstory. It’s been over 35 years and I’m still not over the death Goose. You as the audience feel every bit of pain that Maverick and Rooster feel. Sidenote - it’s kind of uncanny how much Miles Teller looks like a young Goose. Spot on casting for this one.
The only thing I wasn’t really feeling in this film was the romance between Maverick and Penny. I realize that the first film had a romantic sub-plot. But I just wasn’t keen on this one, and I love Jennifer Connelly. I would have been perfectly content with this film if they didn’t delve into Maverick’s romantic life, and it just didn’t add anything to the storyline for me. Maybe I’m in the minority here though?
I loved seeing Val Kilmer on screen. It was an unexpected surprise to see him appear as Val has spent the last several years battling throat cancer. I fully admit to crying during the scene where Maverick and Iceman “talk”. It was emotional and I felt it reverberate through me. I love that their relationship has spanned all these decades, and how much they still care for one another. It also made me sad to see Iceman (or rather, Val) in such a weakened state. We the audience know that Iceman is supposed to be sick, but it mirrors Val’s real life cancer battles. I grew up watching Val Kilmer on screen (Willow, Batman, The Saint, Heat, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, etc.) and in my mind, he will always be that young, handsome man.
The new kids on the block were great, I thought. I especially loved the addition of a female pilot. I loved Phoenix and Bob and thought they were an awesome team. I would watch a spinoff movie about the two of them. I thought that Hangman was a mirror of Maverick back in the day (leaving his wingman, having an insufferable ego), but I liked that they still managed to show some growth in that character, even if it was right at the end.
The sentimentalist in me is pleased that Rooster and Maverick had a relationship for most of his life. In my head, Rooster grew up with Maverick and they had a great relationship until the fall out. Also, can we just take a moment to mourn Meg Ryan’s Carole Bradshaw? I knew that Meg Ryan wasn’t appearing in this film, however I hadn’t foreseen that her absence would equate to her being dead. Poor Rooster. My heart broke for him all over again. The kid loses his dad when he’s just a toddler and now his mom has passed away too? That’s so damn sad. I’m glad he and Maverick were able to reconcile by the end of the film. Whether or not they decide to make another sequel, these two will live happily ever after in my head.