Top Gun: Maverick

Top Gun: Maverick

After more than thirty years of service as one of the Navy’s top aviators, and dodging the advancement in rank that would ground him, Pete “Maverick” Mitchell finds himself training a detachment of TOP GUN graduates for a specialized mission the likes of which no living pilot has ever seen.

  • Released: 2022-05-24
  • Runtime: 131 minutes
  • Genre: Action, Drama
  • Stars: Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer, Miles Teller, Ed Harris, Jennifer Connelly, Glen Powell, Jon Hamm, Roberta Sparta, Manny Jacinto, Charles Parnell, Jay Ellis, Bashir Salahuddin, Danny Ramirez, Monica Barbaro, Lyliana Wray, Jean Louisa Kelly, Raymond Lee, Jake Picking, Greg Tarzan Davis, Kara Wang, Randy Davison, Lewis Pullman, Rachel Winfree, Jane Vande Voorde, Adam Pepper, Landon Gordon, Peter Mark Kendall, Jack Schumacher, Chelsea Harris, Darnell Kirkwood, Austin Bowerman, Stephanie Andrea Barron, Peter Mark Kendall, Ian Gary, Bob Stephenson, James Handy, Chido Nwokocha, Chaz Ingram, Rachael Markarian, Shannon Kane, Norman Ralph Eliasen, Anthony Edwards, Meg Ryan, Tom Cruise, Alec Williams, Margaret Strabala, Ryan Heilmann, Shantel Limbo, Whylip Lee, Tristan Henry, Jason Robert Boles, Brian Ferguson, Kelly McGillis, Phil Jordan
  • Director: Joseph Kosinski
 Comments
  • nightshot_95 - 26 June 2024
    Nice
    "Top Gun: Maverick" is the return of pure, nostalgic blockbusters, instantly becoming one of this year's personal favorites. The best aerial action sequences ever amaze even the highest expectations, not only due to the absolutely insane real stunts but largely because of the flawless contribution of all filmmaking elements.

    1. Tom Cruise Soars:

    Tom Cruise reprises his iconic role as Maverick, a Captain in the United States Navy.

    His charisma and commitment elevate the film, reminding us why he's a megastar.

    2. A New Mission:

    Maverick faces an impossible task: training Top Gun graduates for a critical mission.

    The stakes are high, and the tension keeps you engaged throughout.

    3. Nostalgia Done Right:

    The film pays homage to the original while adding fresh elements.

    Maverick's backstory is revisited, connecting past and present seamlessly.

    4. Aerial Spectacle:

    The aerial dogfights are jaw-dropping, thanks to practical effects and stunning cinematography.

    You'll feel the G-forces as planes scream across the screen.

    5. Emotional Resonance:

    Maverick grapples with ghosts from the past, including memories of his late friend Goose.

    Jennifer Connelly's character adds depth and heart to the story.

    6. Stellar Supporting Cast:

    Val Kilmer's cameo as Iceman is a treat for fans.

    Jon Hamm and Miles Teller shine in their roles.

    7. Joseph Kosinski's Direction:

    Kosinski (known for "Tron: Legacy" and "Oblivion") delivers adrenaline-pumping action.

    The film balances nostalgia with modern sensibilities.
  • briancseel - 10 June 2024
    An Enjoyable Notalgic Play, But Could Have Been More
    Reviewing this film with a little distance from the initial hype that accompanied the release. This film was very clearly buoyed by the decline of Hollywood in the MCU era and the fact that movie theaters not only shutdown due to COVID but lack of quality for 2 years prior to the release.

    The movie is first and foremost enjoyable to watch and surprisingly so for a sequel 35 years late. Enjoyability, in the vast wasteland of MCU Hollywood, counts for a lot.

    At it's core, it is a nostalgia play. As it makes clear from the opening notes, reusing the soundtrack if not the opening images from the original this is not a reboot or an attempt to make Top Gun for a new generation. A transition from Rocky to Creed this is not.

    Despite the toll time has taken on the original cast (minus the ageless Tom Cruise of course) we hit all of the notes. The bar full of cocky young pilots, the awkward first encounter with their Top Gun leader, the flying, the hard deck, Goose's death, every scene seems to harken back or be a mere echo of the original 1986 film.

    Yet it works. You realize it works because of the depth of the source (Top Gun '86) material. That movie was more than just an ad for the Navy or a star vehicle to launch Tom Cruise or a music video popcorn summer blockbuster. It had real depth, real emotion and character development.

    Unfortunately if there is one critique of Maverick it is that none of that happens in the context of the new story. When it happens in the film it is drawing again from the well of the original film, which fortunately is deep.

    But we learn precious little about any of the new class of Top Gun characters and even a competent veteran actor like Jon Hamm seems to be just playing an echo of "Viper" (Tom Skeritt) from the original film. Time has taken its toll on Val Kilmer's health and while the inevitable Iceman-Maverick reunion scene is powerful, it is not what it could have been.

    Some of that seems to be due to the fact that we are robbed by time limits of the ability to draw out the emotion from or dwell on any particular scene because we need to get to the hammy last 20 minutes of the film which contorts itself to give us one last sugary nostalgia high.

    And that speaks volumes as to the choices, tenor and ultimate trajectory of the film. A nostalgic callback to a blockbuster film for Gen X, a long overdue sequel that ties up the original story, but certainly not a film that is likely to leave younger generations clamoring for more.
  • javillalobos3 - 16 May 2024
    What a great movie!!!
    Truly a great movie, will be my favorite movie for a while. From the action, to the story line, to the love story, to the leading up of the prequel, to the acting! Everything was perfect. Great freaking job Tom Cruise, absolutely loved it. I honestly cant think of anything they could've done better, every piece of it was well thought out. I really loved the end where they had me on the edge of my seat thinking so many things and having so many different emotions.

    I was expecting a good movie. But never a movie that I could really and sincerely call my favorite movie of all time. I will be watching this movie religiously for years and years to come.
  • dianablart - 11 January 2023
    Just Beautiful
    This movie was beautifully done. I felt so many emotions while watching this. I would recommend anyone who hasn't watched the original 1986 ' Top. Maverick' to watch that one first then this one. It felt great to see those who were in the original in the sequel. I was on the verge of tears so many times. It was so beautiful. I believe this will be remembered forever as a film masterpiece. I enjoyed the storyline a lot. It was interesting, unpredictable and anxiety inducing (in a good way). I have no complaints. It's obvious that everyone who played a part ( on or off screen), did their part well.
  • evg42 - 8 January 2023
    Borders on creative bankruptcy, 70% boring, 30% planes
    In Top Gun 2 Tom Cruise plays the fastest plane man and he has to teach other plane men to be fast. He also goes to a bar like in Top Gun 1, has a romance almost identical to Top Gun 1, and plays sports on the beach like in Top Gun 1.

    What a thrilling experience, seeing a mediocre movie I've already seen after being told I'd see a new movie is just the best.

    This dull repetition of Top Gun starts right after the intro and continues all the way up to the climactic set piece, which to the movies credit is truly great and not just taken from Top Gun 1 (it's arguably taken from Star Wars but I think the massively increased technical detail of the mission elevates it over episode 4).

    Are the plane scenes fun? Yes, tons of fun. But they are a fraction of the run time. Don't come into this thinking it'll be like Mission Impossible where there are many interesting set pieces interspersed throughout a well paced movie, there are only 3. To make it worse the second one is repeated over and over and over and over again until they actually run the mission which is the last repetition of it. Fortunately the third set piece which follows is fresh and is also genuinely great, so the movie does end on a high note.
  • Danil-2222 - 5 January 2023
    For the full effect, watch on the big screen !
    We used to say that the second part will not be cool as the first. But now in 36 years after the first part, I can confidently say that this film exceeded all my expectations.

    Tom Cruise is one of my favorite actors and I'm very glad that he continues to entertain everyone with his acting skills.

    The movie kept me in tension all the time, because for this there were well-chosen soundtracks and excellent performance of the actors, and of course cool filming, which you had to watch on the big screen.

    Especially these fighter flights, which I watched with wide eyes. Because it was really something incredible and cool that I had not seen before. And this explains that the film industry does not stand still and will always find something to surprise the audience.

    There weren't minuses in this movie for me, so I definitely give it 10 stars.
  • dan-can-do - 2 January 2023
    Better Than Most Sequels
    I get the negative reviews. Is it cheesy? Yes it is. Does it steal some of the epic lines, plot and character types of the first movie? Yes it does but, it's worth watching for many reasons and you might enjoy it.

    The co-stars shine here because Cruise can't carry this movie like he did the first one. The flying scenes are incredible and you can tell some of it is not green screened or CGI. These people flew in these aircraft and you can see it on their faces. I wouldn't be surprised if they all puked after shooting some of the scenes. Kilmer being in the movie was a nice touch too even though his screen time is very limited. Give it a chance folks, you might be surprised like I was.
  • mtl429 - 31 December 2022
    Entertaining
    I would definitely say this movie was fun to watch. The flight scenes were great, and the characters seemed to have good enough chemistry to make the scenes really enjoyable. I do feel based on the flow and story that it was 100% intended to be just an entertaining sequel, and not a possible Best Picture nominee. I bet even the ones who made the movie are a bit surprised on it's success. I grew up in the 80's, so don't get me wrong here. I'm always open to a modern continuation of movies or tv shows from my childhood. I don't think it's the best movie I've seen, and I do feel like it's a bit overhyped (A 2nd release in theaters? Really?). I'm glad people truly enjoyed this film and see it as a 10. I just personally don't feel like it's that amazing, but again, was definitely entertaining.
  • gilleliath - 30 December 2022
    it's not the best film ever, don't be ridiculous
    Seen some absurdly over-the-top reviews of this. It's probably the most predictable film I've ever seen in my life, every move is exactly what you expect and the final mission is a blatant rip-off of the original Star Wars (albeit that in turn was ultimately derived from celebrated British war film The Dam Busters).

    But the flying sequences are great, the performances and general vibe less arrogantly hubristic than in the first film, and it's interesting that they have resisted any wish to bring back that God-awful song. On the whole, although it's no more than a well-made but mindless action pic, I prefer it to the original. And it is little short of amazing that Tom Cruise can convincingly reprise such a role at his age.
  • ceejay-13178 - 29 December 2022
    Meh, Flag Waving Junk
    As much as I enjoy Tom Cruise movies, this franchise has bored me to tears, it's cheesy and romanticises American imperialism. USA good, everybody else bad.... quite the opposite.

    Flight sequences aren't bad, yet I can get the same fun in a simulator - without any cheese.

    Guessing that maybe my views aren't popular, but they're my opinions and Top Gun Maverick, really isn't great and it's something I'll not bother watching again, only just about made it to the end.

    Triumph over adversity, pushing forward the agendas of an unwanted invader, cliché, cliché, cliché. If that floats your boat, then this is for you. But definitely leave your brain in the garage for this, completely dumb.