Top Gun: Maverick

When the teaser trailer for Top Gun: Maverick went live somewhere in the middle of 2019, it immediately became one of my most anticipated films for the following year but little did I know it would be nearly three years until I would finally get to watch this.

Hollywood has a strange track record with "legacy sequels" that don't always hit the mark and there is the risk it might damage the original film, which weighed a lot in my mind being a fan of the original Top Gun. Fortunately, its leading man Tom Cruise was taking this very seriously and, teaming alongside director, Joseph Kosinski, returning producer, Jerry Bruckheimer, and his Mission: Impossible buddy, Christopher McQuarrie, he returned to the role of Maverick with the best team he could find. 

Set 33 years after the original, Maverick is called back to the Top Gun academy to help a new generation of fighter pilots who are facing a perilous mission but among the new faces is the son of his old co-pilot, Goose, who is played by Miles Teller complete with a moustache and piano playing skills that would make his old man proud. 

The stakes to get this right were high and the decision to reunite Kosinski with Cruise is an interesting one considering McQuarrie might have been favourite choice to take over from the late Tony Scott. McQuarrie had worked with Cruise on three films by this point whereas Kosinski's only credit with the leading man was the enjoyable Oblivion, but the director had proven himself with not only that but also the visually thrilling Tron: Legacy (another "legacy sequel") and the heartfelt character drama, Only the Brave so maybe this could work, and it exceeded all expectations. 

Top Gun: Maverick strikes the perfect balance between breaking new ground and the nostalgia one might expect from a sequel like this. The opening introduction that mimics the original as fighter jets take-off from an airship carrier while Danger Zone by Kenny Loggins plays in the background sets the stage beautifully as it welcomes back fans of the original while giving newcomers something to enjoy, which neatly encapsulates the entire film. 

I was surprised though by Kosinski's restraint when it came to the nostalgia, particularly with the decision to only bring back a very small number of returning faces when so many of the cast of the original are still alive and working today. There is one scene though which might have benefited from a few of the old cast members and it is something I see as a small missed opportunity but is only a blip in an otherwise stellar film. 

Part of the thrill with this is also Cruise's commitment to shooting practically as he put himself and his co-stars through the wringer filming again with actual fighter jets which will take your breath away. I would say the original might still claim gold when it comes to the aerial shots but the action sequences are still fantastic to see, but Kosinski and Cruise also prove more than capable with the human drama. It was these scenes that helped to solidify the original and they do so again here with a fantastic cast across the board.

Top Gun: Maverick might just be one of the very best sequels around and is a great film in its own right. I don't know if this will be enough for Cruise and if a third might be on the horizon but the story can end here and it would feel just right. This film is more than easy to recommend and will be one I look forward to revisiting again.