24 May TOP GUN: MAVERICK REVIEW

TOP GUN: MAVERICK

dir. Joseph Kosinski, starring Tom Cruise, Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly, et al

For those that aren’t fans of comic book movies, Top Gun: Maverick has arrived to genuinely kick off your summer blockbuster season.

A sequel to 1986’s Top Gun, Maverick heralds the return of Tom Cruise as the hotshot pilot as he’s tasked to train a new generation of fighters for a near-impossible high stakes mission. Maverick, a little more worn but still carrying the spark of his reckless youth, is dismayed to find that amongst the trainees is Bradley ‘Rooster’ Bradshaw, son of his former RIO, Goose. As the stakes compound for the trainees and Maverick continues to instill the increasingly impossible odds upon both his trainees and commanding officers, he’s forced to deal with both his awkward situation with Rooster and the return of an old flame from years long gone.

Top Gun: Maverick is, in a word, a blast. A harken back to the older days of action films, it’s a genuine roller coaster ride from set piece to set piece as Maverick trains his group in their classified mission. With technology-defining precision, the practical effects of seeing the fighter jets both inside and outside of the cockpit lend a realism to the action, which also helps lend to the overall stakes of the film. Director Joseph Kosinski and editor Eddie Hamilton managed to lay out an almost perfect three act structure that delivers heart, humor, and adrenaline that’s sure to leave the audience cheering in their seats. The movie might not be one that people were clamoring for 36 years after the original, but it’s certainly a movie people will be talking about all summer. Rife with nostalgic callbacks, fan service, and cheer worthy moments, Top Gun: Maverick stands out as one of the year’s best films.

Starring Tom Cruise once again as Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell, the veteran actor slides right back into the same frustratingly smug charm that he exuded back in the original. The intensity with which Cruise brings to every role is mirrored in the character of Maverick; a man always on a quest to prove himself or die trying. That vigor is equally matched by his vulnerability in scenes with both Jennifer Connelly’s Penny and Miles Teller’s Bradshaw. With Connelly, while the love interest is the film’s tertiary plot, her chemistry with Cruise is real and believable; there’s history there that we don’t get to know about but is palpable and informs their decision making, especially with Penny’s hesitance in letting Maverick back into her life. For her part, while dipping in and out of the movie, Penny is a great companion for Maverick, a bulwark for Maverick to unleash his emotions on. While the film is very male dominated and ego-centric (as one needs to be when flying a fighter jet), Connelly’s presence serves to lower the testosterone level on the screen and remind the viewer that behind all the grandstanding and bravado lies actual human beings.

Playing the unfortunately named Bradley Bradshaw, Miles Teller does a fine job as Goose’s son. Neither swinging for the fences or corroding the scene with subpar skills, Teller plays the role down the middle. Whether due to the writing or his performance, Teller doesn’t leave much of a stamp on the role, not as charming as Anthony Edwards was in the original or as combative as Val Kilmer’s Iceman. While abrasive towards Maverick’s presence, Rooster’s unresolved anger at Maverick carries the film’s secondary storyline which also serves to put more of a human touch on Maverick. Teller plays his part in a role that could’ve been played by almost any actor his age. Aside from Cruise, the standout actor is Glen Powell as Jake ‘Hangman’ Seresin, a trainee alongside Rooster. The only character to ever out-smug Tom Cruise in a movie, Seresin is all talk, with the ability to back it up. Played brilliantly by Powell, Hangman is a young Pete Mitchell incarnate, moving through the film with the same hubris and disregard for his fellow wingman as Maverick had in the first movie. The parallels are clear, and Powell’s performance as the Maverick of a new generation was one of the film’s most entertaining actors to watch.

Directed by Joseph Kosinski, Top Gun: Maverick makes this the filmmaker’s second collaboration with Tom Cruise. A far, far cry from 2013’s lackluster Oblivion, Maverick displays a director in full control of his powers. As far as technical work, Maverick is an intricate composition of both cramped, claustrophobic shots of the pilots in their cockpits as well as expansive, gorgeous highlights of the fighter jets against the expansive backgrounds. Thanks in part to editor Eddie Hamilton, the action in the movie is clear and concise; the audience’s spatial awareness of what’s happening in the scene is easy to follow, only becoming confusing or unclear if the pilots themselves are momentarily lost. Kosinski and his team spent over a year with the Navy to design uses for the IMAX cameras inside the cockpit and the attention to detail shows: the stress and pressure it takes to command a fighter jet is shown in great detail as cinematographer Claudio Miranda strives to invite the audience for a glimpse of what it’s like flying at high speeds. The sound mix is noteworthy as well; when viewed in a theater that’s equipped with Dolby speakers, the experience is like none other. The seat rattling thrill ride extends from the screen into the bones of the audience, guaranteeing a full sensory adventure that, when the third act arrives, rarely takes its foot off the pedal.

Overall, Top Gun: Maverick is, and I suspect will remain, one of the most enjoyable theatrical experiences audiences will have this year. A perfect blending of action, character development, plot, and pacing makes this Joseph Konsinski’s best work to date. Tom Cruise returns to a role without missing a step, while the newcomers, especially Glen Powell, manage to provide all the cocky bravado that inhabits every fighter pilot. The 131 minute runtime feels like a breeze as Maverick and his squadron of hotshots stumble and fail their way to the finish line. An exhilarating adrenaline boost from beginning to end, the film makes the old feel new again in ways that are sure to shock and delight the audience. Top Gun: Maverick hits theaters May 27th.

Review by Darryl Mansel