Top Gun: Maverick- Peak Nostalgia!

1986 introduced us to the prestigious school for the US Navy’s best pilots. The Naval Fighter Weapons School was its official name. The audience and its students, however, were more familiar with it as Top Gun. Audiences were enthralled by the fast-paced action as well as the tender and moving scenes between lovers and friends right from the outset. This had the impression of being the beginning of a successful franchise. Sadly, that franchise was never made.

It took almost 40 years for a follow-up film to release. The sequel, Top Gun: Maverick hits theatres on 27^th May, and if early critic reviews are anything, it’s going to be a massive hit both critically and commercially. But is it better than the first one? Luckily, I got a chance to see it early in the theatres. SO let me share with you my thoughts on Tom Cruise’s latest blockbuster.

The film finds Capt. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Cruise) still being a part of the US Navy after 36 years of ducking promotions to keep flying fighter jets. On the orders of his old rival turned friend Admiral Tom “Iceman” Kazansky (Val Kilmer), he is placed to be in charge of a group of young Top Gun graduates. Maverick is directed to train these pilots for a dangerous mission, requiring them to perform dangerous and potentially deadly tasks.

While training the students for the mission, he has to deal with some cocky pilots which include Jake “Hangman” Seresin (Glenn Powell) and Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw (Miles Teller), the son of his late best friend and wingman, Nick “Goose” Bradshaw. The chances of everyone returning to the mission are slim, with Maverick fearing that he would lose all of his students, especially Rooster, who he sees as the son he never had.

Will Maverick be able to save his squad from a mission that could prove fatal? Or will he wind up going to their funerals with his new love, Penny (Jennifer Connelly)?

I was in my teenage years when the first Top Gun came out, and during those teenage years, I was full of drive and passion and wanted to prove which was just what the original Top Gun was all about. The film was on my mind even after several viewings, so much so, that I was even considering joining my country’s air force at one time! Unfortunately, that dream never came to fruition due to some issues but it remained my favorite movie for quite a while.

Now in 2022, I find myself believing in the direction skills of Joseph Kosinski. He’s able to capture the same edge-of-your-seat action from the first film and bring it to a new audience. I went to the movie with low expectations, I had a feeling that it would be a decent movie, but I had no idea that it would be my no 1 contender for the best action movies ever made. It has the right quantity of high intensity, pulse-pumping action, character development, humor, and drama for fans of the first installment, as well as new viewers.

Overall, Top Gun: Maverick delivers a stunningly awesome performance from its cast. The story is quite easy to understand, regardless of whether you saw the first film or not. The action is over the top, and the nostalgia hits you as soon as Kenny Loggin’s iconic “Danger Zone” plays in the opening credit and the film doesn’t let down from there.

I give the movie Top Gun: Maverick five stars out of five, making it a must-see. Prepare to relax, engage the afterburners, and reach Mach 10!