Top Gun: Maverick

 3.5/4

Starring: Tom Cruise, Miles Teller, Jon Hamm, Jennifer Connelly, Glen Powell, Bashir Salahuddin, Charles Parnell

Rated PG-13 for Sequences of Intense Action, and Some Language

Here it is: the long awaited return of "Top Gun."  Arguably one of Tom Cruise's most iconic films.

It's a little amazing that, after nearly 40 years, "Top Gun" is getting a sequel.  It wasn't a great film, but as pure popcorn entertainment, it was fun and exciting and sexy.  But it struck a nerve with the public and reserved a space in American pop culture.  Which is really the only reason its getting a sequel.  Was it worth the wait?

Yes.  Definitely yes.

All the hype you've heard, all the buzz its been generating (and there's a lot), and all the mania that's infested news lately is earned.  "Top Gun: Maverick" is awesomely high spirited entertainment.  The amount of adrenaline it produces is at times unbelievable.  No big budget entertainment has had generated this much exhilaration in years.  Not since "In the Heart of the Sea," the whaling epic that absolutely no one saw, has a film left me in such a state of awe.

Pete "Maverick" Mitchell (Cruise) is once again doing what he does best: pushing the limits of flying and the patience of the higher ups by his insubordination and being damn good at what he does.  Much to the delight of an admiral intent on shutting him down in favor of drone research (Ed Harris in a cameo), he's been called back to Top Gun.  A nuclear refinery enriching uranium has just been discovered, and Maverick is assigned to train the best pilots to pull off the impossible mission of taking it out.  In three weeks.  Making things more complicated is that one of the pilots, Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw (Teller), is the son of his late best friend, Goose.  And he has an ax to grind with Maverick.

The original "Top Gun" could be crudely (and perhaps unfairly) described as "stupid fun."  Its appeal was purely visceral.  Hot stars, exciting action, and superficial drama.  It had its dark moments, but it was built mostly on adrenaline and sex appeal.  That's changed here.  A significant component of the narrative is centered around Maverick's lingering guilt regarding Goose's death.  This is a darker and more grounded film, and Joseph Kosinski's adept direction makes some moments hit hard.  Not as much as the underrated "Only the Brave," but there are times when it comes close.  Add in his adept sleight of hand, and this is a movie where the final outcome is very much in doubt.  The wonderful scene with Val Kilmer, reprising his role as Iceman, is a case in point.

Tom Cruise is generally a better actor than people give him credit for; his star power overshadows his talents.  The actor sells Maverick's guilt and skillfully fluctuates between the cockiness and the pain.  Miles Teller is also good as Rooster, although he has less juicy of a role.  Strangely, this is the single element of the film that doesn't really work.  Obviously there is a lot of pain and resentment between the two of them, but the film never really addresses it.  The film indicates an upcoming confrontation between the two of them, but it never happens.  It feels like there is a scene missing.

The supporting cast is strong, with stars like Jennifer Connelly and Jon Hamm taking supporting roles.  The role of a higher up with a stick up his ass is within Jon Hamm's limited range, and Jenifer Connelly easily handles the role of the love interest.  The true find is Glen Powell, who is in top form as the cocky showoff.  Powell is just as charismatic as Cruise, and steals his scenes from the veterans.  This guy needs to headline his own film ASAP.

The final mission which takes up a good half hour, is simply sensational.  One of Tom Cruise's stipulations for making this movie was that they use real planes and not CGI.  It shows.  The climax of this movie is exciting nearly beyond words and the adrenaline it generates is intoxicating.  When the planes are zooming through the air, pulling off impossible maneuvers, it's simply amazing.  And while it can't quite make us forget what must happen, it comes pretty damn close.

"Top Gun: Maverick" is so well done that it's easy to forget how much it relies on the previous film.  True to movies of today, there's plenty of fan service and nostalgia.  But the difference here is that it's germane of the story and not at all gimmicky (like in the MCU).  They're details.  Just as they should be.

People are itching for a reason to go back to the theaters.  Tom Cruise has given them one.

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