Directed by:
Joseph KosinskiCinematography:
Claudio MirandaCast:
Tom Cruise, Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Val Kilmer, Bashir Salahuddin, Charles Parnell, Glen Powell, Monica Barbaro, Lewis Pullman (more)VOD (4)
Plots(1)
After more than thirty years of service as one of the Navy’s top aviators, Pete “Maverick” Mitchell is where he belongs, pushing the envelope as a courageous test pilot and dodging the advancement in rank that would ground him. When he finds himself training a detachment of TOPGUN graduates for a specialized mission the likes of which no living pilot has ever seen, Maverick encounters Lt. Bradley Bradshaw, call sign: “Rooster,” the son of Maverick’s late friend and Radar Intercept Officer Lt. Nick Bradshaw, aka “Goose.” Facing an uncertain future and confronting the ghosts of his past, Maverick is drawn into a confrontation with his own deepest fears, culminating in a mission that demands the ultimate sacrifice from those who will be chosen to fly it. (Cannes Film Festival)
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Reviews (17)
The first one was youthful, impetuous, restless and surprisingly a lot harder and less predictable. The second one plays on safety. Lest it sound bad, it's a great movie. What Bruckheimer was able to produce, Kosinski to shoot, and Cruise and co. to star in will be in the textbooks for the next decade on how to make an "aerial film." All those polished shots, breathtaking camera twists and F18s rolls (and it wouldn’t be Tom Cruise without a Cobra at least once per film) are truly eye candy and you can't help but smile at the commitment of the actors. But there is not a single surprise, not a single unexpected scene throughout – there is one hint towards the end, but after a few seconds the sensation dissipates in another onslaught of clichés. Of course,we are speaking about clichés with refinement, elegance and overall acceptable consistency throughout, though. The filmmakers partially develop the story of Maverick and actually kind of recreate the fan-favorite moments of the first film for audiences three generations younger. The older ones smile because they know, the younger ones stare wide-eyes because they don’t know and they like it a lot. That means everyone is a target and that's why Maverick will make a bundle and deservedly so. However, the screenwriting qualities are not nearly as high as the technical ones. But that in the end is obviously not such a problem for a high rating, because when Cruise puts on his dusty jacket and sits on his motorbike at sunset, it's hard not to just slap five stars on there out of nostalgia.
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We have long been aware that Kosinski knows how to work with visuals and emotion, and here Bruckheimer and Cruise take him on a very pleasant journey of nostalgia. The connection to the original film is literally loving, the characters’ motivations complex and expansive. Fans of the original will get more of the same, but better, with an upgrade of the action scenes to a never-before-seen, physically honest airshow in the mold of Nolan. It’s been a long time since I’ve been so glued to an IMAX seat. I’m not giving Top Gun: Maverick a fifth star because the plot was safely predictable through the first 90% of its runtime in order to soothe fans of the original. The final 10%, however, is a wonderfully delightful Hollywood attraction. And I was pleased by the inclusion of Val Kilmer’s character.
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Nostalgia pushed to the limits, driven by the human desire to overcome obstacles. Cruise breathes life into this and sets out on the ancient battle between man and the machine meant to replace the man. The test is a Mission Impossible = to destroy an impregnable and almost invisible (probably) Soviet nuclear missile development center. Overall quite current right now... nostalgic but still current. Excellent actors. Primarily Teller and Powell. Equally macho hard-asses as last time learn to work together and keep pushing the limits and Maverick is the boss that is meant to teach them how. This direct and simple story is presented excellently and giving feelings of intense pleasure in just the right places, with the main protagonist looking for a place to belong. The bits with Kilmer are great and Jennifer Connelly is amazing again. Oh, and Tom Cruise carries it all on his shoulders with the strength of the last rightful star in Hollywood. A dying breed. But a chapter in itself. The mucking about at Top Gun is just a warm-up for the final inferno which will bowl you over not only at the IMAX, but even in a regular movie theater. Marvelous maneuvers by the F-18 (and another iconic machine) with gripping dog fights that have the viewer pinned to his seat. For two hours, the world was completely fine; the movie worked wonders on me again - I enjoyed it. Time is your worst enemy!
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I’d love to avoid using all the usual superlatives and come up with something truly original, but that would be a huge disservice to this film. The sequel to Top Gun is an absolute blast from start to finish. The acting is stellar across the board, featuring both the old cast and new faces. The clash between these two generations is exactly what you’d imagine, filled with nostalgia and the frustration of dealing with the disrespectful youth. And then there's Tom Cruise, who turns in a fantastic performance, not just in his role but also in the real, non-CGI action scenes. The practical effects are insane, and the last half-hour of action will leave your ears ringing the next day. If this isn’t the best sequel to an 80s classic, I don’t know what is. A well-deserved blockbuster that proves a great popcorn flick is still possible.
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The story is lemonade again, but this time not as flashy and more sensitive than the previous time, and you don't think so much about Hot Shots while watching it, and if you giggle at anything, it's perhaps only at the plan, which is reminiscent of the destruction of the Death Star – even using the Force in the final set-piece :) Otherwise, everything is perfectly fine, the film whizzes along for two hours like a fighter jet, and Tom Cruise proves that he deserves his star status as much as anyone, regardless of all his oddities. The aerial scenes are incredible, and watching the closing credits I thought to myself that at least half of those people must be from insurance companies. The last time I felt this authentically "there" in the cinema was probably when watching First Man, which was not filmed in any rockets. Top Gun: Maverick is, in short, an excellent, honest film with so many scenes that I'd like to see again that I'd rather watch the whole film right away.
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