Tom Cruise delivers Big Time on Top Gun Maverick

by Edgar Allan E. Yu

This could be one of the best sequels in movie history, if not The Best. It brought a lot of 80s nostalgia, due to the several callbacks to the original. But it also brought a lot more - new batch of Top Gun graduates, new fighter planes, new love interest, and updates on Maverick's life. 

Set more than 30 years after the events of the first movie,  Lt. Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, who's now a test pilot, is forced to go back to Top Gun school to train a new batch of graduates for a very dangerous mission. One of the graduates is Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw, son of Maverick's best friend Nick "Goose" Bradshaw who died in a freak accident in the first film.      

Tom Cruise is in his best element here. As Maverick he's now more mature and more experienced, but he still has the same charisma and attitude that the young hotshot fighter pilot had back in those days. And he wants to impart those same skills and dedication to the new pilots. Glen Powell who plays Hangman, is like a combination of a young Iceman and Maverick. He's got the looks and energy of both. Monica Barbaro is Phoenix, the lone woman in this group, and she can totally kick some ass. Miles Teller is Rooster, who's been holding a grudge with Maverick for the longest time. And Teller holds his own on every scene with Cruise. The other pilots are Payback, Fanboy, Coyote, and Bob.     

Other supporting cast who stood out were Jon Hamm as Admiral Beau "Cyclone" Simpson. He is a strict officer who didn't want Maverick in Top Gun. Jennifer Connelly as Penny Benjamin is the old/new love interest in Maverick's life. In the first movie, her name was actually mentioned as the Admiral's daughter.  At 51 years old, she's incredibly gorgeous and  has great chemistry with Tom Cruise.  And then there's Val Kilmer, who is  back as Admiral Tom "Iceman" Kazansky. His throat cancer (in real life) was integrated to his character and his scene with Tom Cruise is poignant and very emotional.

     

The most exciting part of this movie is of course the aerial fight scenes. The cinematography is stunning !  The pilots had to undergo intensive training, designed by Cruise, for  several months prior to shooting.  Six IMAX-quality cameras were installed in the cockpit to capture how it feels to be inside those F-18 jet planes. They recorded more than 800 hours of aerial footage. It's just so amazing how they were able to film those flying sequences. Kudos to Director Joseph Kosinski and Cinematographer Claudio Miranda.    

This is not just a legacy sequel, it improves on the original, has amazing cinematography, great sound design, more story arcs, more heart, more humor, and definitely more action. It's an exciting and thrilling ride that is meant to be experienced on the biggest screens and loudest cinemas !  This is my favorite movie of the year so far, coming from a guy who loves comic-book movies, both Marvel and DC Films.    

There's no other actor like Tom Cruise in the industry today. He is known for his star power and perfectionism. His dedication and passion for his craft is second to none. The first Top Gun made him a superstar, this one puts him back to the Top of his Game. It's no wonder then that he is called the World's Biggest Movie Star !  

Photos c/o #ParamountPictures

#TopGunMaverick

#TomCruise