Top Gun: Maverick
★ ★★★
I don't have an affection for the 1986 Top Gun like a lot of people my age. It wasn't until college that I saw it, and though I understand its appeal, I wouldn't have rushed out to see this film if it wasn't for my social media blowing up during Memorial Day weekend. It's as if all my friends went and saw this movie. I never like to be left out of a pop culture moment, so I made Tom Cruise proud by seeing this on a wonderful IMAX screen.
It's easy to say that they don't make films like this anymore, but Top Gun: Maverick (which might as well have been called Top Gun: The Old Man's Still Got It) accomplishes the near impossible. It doesn't stray from what made the first one so popular, yet seems original. In a lot of ways, it contains the same plot but twists it in such a way to make the film delightful and invigorating at the same time. Mainly this is due to a stellar cast that knows how to perfectly deliver the cheesy lines with sincerity. All the dialogue seems to be said in divisive statements and it just works.
It evokes the spirit of the '80s movies that I grew up on. A simple plot mixed in with memorable characters, scenes and lines. I'm the first to admit that I'm not one who salivates over aircraft or machines in general, but the flying scenes are pretty incredible. The final act in particular pays off in a big way. It does go in some directions that seem a bit out of place. At first, I was thinking, "Well, this is where the movie derails," but the dynamic between Cruise and Miles Teller saves it.
Cruise never stops smiling throughout this film, as if he knows how charming this movie will be for audiences. I absolutely loved the supporting cast (Teller, Jennifer Connelly, Glen Powell, Jon Hamm) and through all the ridiculousness, you leave the movie thoroughly entertained. This movie may actually save the movie theater business. Not so much that it's the greatest movie of all time, but more so because it will remind you of why you enjoy going to the movies so much.
