Recommendation: 4/5 Showtime
Plot: “After over thirty years of service as one of the Navy’s top pilots, Pete Mitchell is where he belongs, pushing the envelope as a courageous test pilot and dodging the advancement in rank that would ground him.” -IMDB
Review: When the first note to Danger Zone by Kenny Loggins blared through the theater’s speakers, a wave of nostalgia rushed over me. As an avid lover of movies, nostalgia is a dangerous emotion. It often creates lofty expectations and space for failure. Nostalgia, in the world of cinema, often means disappointment. But, gladly, Top Gun: Maverick is different. With some heavy lifting and more moments of borrowing from the original story than I count, it breathes new life into a story I did not know I wanted.
As Pete Mitchell (Tom Cruise) pushes the boundaries of a plane’s capabilities in the film’s opening minutes, I found myself dazzled, hooked, and hungry for more. A lot has changed since the late 80s, and it was going to take more than a plane pushing beyond Mach 10 to hook me. The narrative of this story leans heavily into this change and the future of warfare.
Fighter pilots days are numbered. Rightfully so, the world is progressing toward warfare, where unmanned drones and aircraft are the future of combat. This movie feels like a final nod to all the brave men and women who have protected America and our allies both at home and abroad. To achieve this aim, at the center of this film is one final impossible mission to take out a country’s nuclear enrichment program (more on this later). Pete Mitchell will be called upon to train a collection of the Air Force’s most elite pilots for the mission. There is only one problem. One of those pilots is Goose’s son, Lt. Bradley ‘Rooster’ Bradshaw (Miles Teller), and he blames Maverick for the death of his father and sabotaging his career. This distrust and pain between the two of them are palpable.
This leads me to my only real complaint about this film. While the camera system used to track the pilots and planes is out of this world and a true sight that must be seen on the biggest screen possible, the mission drawing these pilots together is a little flimsy. When Maverick first learns of the mission, they do not even bother mentioning the country. Of course, we all know it is Iran, a fact that is later confirmed. In the grand scheme of things, it is only a minor complaint with this film, but it hung a shadow over the film for me.
With the distrust that exists between Maverick and Rooster, as well as the rivalry between Rooster and Lt. Jake ‘Hangman’ Seresin (Glen Powell), Maverick is finding it nearly impossible to lead the team before him. Needing some guidance, he turns to the leader and friend who has always had his back, Adm. Tom ‘Iceman’ Kazansky (Val Kilmer). This on-screen reunion inspires Maverick to push forward. More than that, it serves as a moment in the history of cinema that I will never forget.
From here, the mission before Maverick’s team becomes more dire. The timetable is shortened, and loss hangs in the air. To remedy this, a moment we never doubted finally arrives as Maverick steps up and becomes the team leader. Selecting the team he wants by his side, he makes another choice we never doubted and selects Rooster.
It is easy to forgive the predictable storyline because the final twenty to thirty minutes of this film are some of the most beautiful, enthralling, and exhilarating I have seen in an action film. Sure, there is little doubt about how this film will end or the movie as a whole, but the ride is a cinematic experience I will not easily forget.
Best,
Nathan
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