Top Gun: Maverick
[This is a spoiler-free post/review of Top Gun: Maverick]
Was I able to find dents in the shiny new armor of the sequel to the much beloved Top Gun?
Yes, of course.
But as I was walking out of an early access screening, those thoughts didn’t last long once I realized that Top Gun: Maverick has actually managed to pull off an incredible feat of adhering to the old and yet providing something completely new.
The movie starts off with replaying the prologue of its predecessor — inch by inch and beat by beat— that font, that adrenaline-pumping music taking us into the danger zone, those sleek shots of fighter jets taking off and landing on a familiarly large aircraft carrier, cool-looking guys gesticulating in cool-looking semaphores, all of it in the backdrop of a beautiful magic-hour glow.
This is one of those movies that knows exactly what it’s doing and lets you know early on what lane it’s going to take and then sticks to it with style, finesse, and grandeur. And as a member of Gen-X, let me say that this movie drums up just the right amount of nostalgia while thrilling us with something new — an occasional small win for our generation that often gets forgotten in this upside down world.
Top Gun: Maverick looks incredible on a large screen (an advantage when compared to its predecessor) and easily the best IMAX experience I have had in a while. I say that because I could feel the lengths to which this film goes to use real-life stunts over green-screen sorcery and the result is simply stunning. There are many incredible flight combat scenes and every major flight scene includes cockpit cameras that exploit the added height of IMAX’s 16:10 ratio. The flying stunts are choreographed to let this camera angle showcase Top Gun-caliber stuff. From seeing vapor trails, other planes in view, dumped flares, to glancing shadow of the jet against the Earth’s surface, this is some top notch stunt choreography. Now add how the actors explode with emotions inside the cockpit glass and how those actions extend across the entire IMAX screen. Phew!!
A few characters from the older movie have been completely jettisoned and hardcore fans may be left wondering what happened to them. I suspect that those scenes/gaps were chopped off at the editing table even though they were part of the original script. We may find out in future.
But one thing is for sure. The word “Maverick” in the film’s title should be taken in all its seriousness because this film is his character’s film more than anyone else’s. Yes, the rest of the cast drives the strory, drama, tension, and fun. But they all play alongside while Maverick contends with his old demons as he tries to figure out what his path ahead is. Pete Mitchell (Maverick) has become a far more interesting and a mature protagonist in this movie — mellowing into a man with some miles on him. He’s still being dressed down by superiors and yet they still can’t resist his charms, ending nearly every argument by gazing at him with adoration.
The new song by Lady Gaga leaves little impact on this movie, as the sequel, overall, relies heavily on the impactful soundtrack of the original — from the original theme, to the guitar riffs and the danger zone song. That’s not really a complaint.
When his admiral says his time may be coming to an end soon, Maverick responds with a telltale smirk “But not today”. When I walked out of the theater, I was glad that he put on his uniform to fly into the air for one more ride to the danger zone.
To summarize, I was relieved to indulge in an extravagant cinematic experience that did not feel like I was watching a video game or a three dimensional comic-book.
Movies used to bring out this kind of cinematic experience, once.
Top Gun: Maverick reminds us that they can still do it.
