And we’re back – after the long 36 years including some COVID-related runway delays. And so, what’s better than seeing Tom Cruise once again with a cute and crazy superstar smile and yes, flexing his bizarrely ageless body in an eye-popping blockbuster.
It surely takes your breath away, dammit.
Okay, coming back to the overall movie, Top Gun: Maverick, which comes as a sequel is now hitting the big screen with thousands and thousands of people coming for it every day.
Top Gun: Maverick is the sequel to Maverick.
Pete Mitchell, after spending more than three decades in the Navy, has gained the rank of captain. He’s now one of the best fighter pilots in the team who is ever ready to take wing, but the U.S. military hierarchy has become quite a treacherous political business. And we all know; that Maverick is anything but a politician.
In the presence of a senior officer he is expected to salute, he smirks and pushes his career into the middle of the table like a stack of poker chips.
He’s all in. Always.
Let’s watch the trailer together and discuss the details then:
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Release date: May 27, 2022 (USA)
Featured song: Hold My Hand
Producers: Tom Cruise, Jerry Bruckheimer, Christopher McQuarrie, David Ellison, Don Granger
The Super Duper Cast:
1: The combination of characters from leading roles to the supporting actors is a perfect match for cast members. In the movie, we see the following members
2: Tom Cruise as Capt. Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell
3: Jennifer Connelly as Penny Benjamin
4: Miles Teller as Lt. Bradley 'Rooster' Bradshaw
5: Val Kilmer as Adm. Tom 'Iceman' Kazansky
6: Bashir Salahuddin as Wo-1. Bernie 'Hondo' Coleman
7: Jon Hamm as Adm. Beau 'Cyclone' Simpson
8: Charles Parnell as Adm. Solomon 'Warlock' Bates
9: Monica Barbaro as Lt. Natasha 'Phoenix' Trace
10: Lewis Pullman as Lt. Robert 'Bob' Floyd
11: Jay Ellis as Lt. Reuben 'Payback' Fitch, and more.
The Worth-Remembering Movie Background:
The original Top Gun movie released back in the 1980s, was, of course, a fun action movie. It was entertaining, light on plot, and heavy on golden skies. Top gun initially raised the bar for good movies to release after that and became the ultimate template for the action movie genre of the 80s and early 90s.
Back then, it turned out to be the blockbuster that makes heaps of money.
For the new fans of Top Gun, here’s the link to the trailer of the oldie
Much of the film’s theme lies in the baggage carried by it, most of all the recruitment success for the US Navy, and the tragic in-production death of a stunt pilot. Top Gun: Maverick is also a tribute to the deaths of a producer and its director.
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What’s in the NEW Top Gun?
The sequel Top Gun: Maverick kicks off with the same theme, same movie line, and same pre-film message. Right in the beginning, we are stunned by the opening aircraft carrier shots mirroring the original, but this time the technology is advanced. It is featuring F-35s and Boeing F/A-18E/Fs replacing the original Grumman F-14 Tomcats and carrier air wings from 36 years before. The majestic golden skies remain, but there’s a lot new in the movie to discover.
One of the many good things is the constant references to the original in music, shots, plot, and true 80s-style flashbacks. It is a complete nostalgia and surprisingly it blends so perfectly that it doesn’t feel like a drag on the film. The music played in the sequel is better than the first one, with pleasing reliance on the classic UK pop and rock songbook.
Are there dogfights in this movie?
You’d be on the edge of your seat while witnessing the dogfights in this movie. They are blistering. The sweaty aggression of Maverick’s training and group bonding is truly a masterpiece. The days he spends under training may be what brings in a new generation of recruits and Top Gun fans.
All the characters are such greatly involved that you cannot help rooting for them.
What to Admire About Top Gun: Maverick?
The Outclass Performances:
From A to Z, all the performances are solid. Other than the demanding roles, Jennifer Connolly, Jon Hamm, and, director, Joseph Kosinski’s regular collaborator, Miles Teller, every single one of them is putting their 100percent into the character. You can’t say who is less confident than the Maverick himself.
Also, to add icing to the cake, there is a moving cameo by the original's Val ‘Iceman’ Kilmer which is a showstopper of sorts between acts.
The Awe-Inspiring Stunts:
What is an action movie without its nail-biting action scenes and stunts? Well, Top Gun: Maverick stands tall in the stunt game, once and for all. While watching the movie in the theater, you’d love the smooth action sequences, the fighting scenes, and the sound associated with it. It all will look absolutely real and, that is because they are!
According to the news and reports, there was no CGI or VFX involved!
This is shockingly true. Kevin LaRosa II, who was the aerial stunt coordinator as well as actor Tom Cruise got training in flying, and then they flew real jets. So, it’s all REAL!
The effort put into the training and the entire process of presenting it on the screen just shows how diligently the film has been made for the big screen.
Clarity of The Mission:
One of the biggest issues in the original movie of Top Gun is the confusion about the plan. The audience didn’t have a clear sight of the exact intricacies of its mission. Fortunately, these matters got resolved with the sequel. Watching the Top Gun: Maverick will not keep you in misperception.
Not only is the mission's plan extremely simple and straightforward, but it's laid out very briefly in an attempt to give the audience a very crystal-clear look at who are the naval aviators, and how are they graded.
The movie also runs through the same route multiple times and sees the training steps again and again, so they know what to expect during the mission. Clarifying details like this goes a long way in the success of the movie and creating a more immersive experience for its viewers
The Aerial Sequences:
The mind-blowing and unmatched aerial sequences in the Top Gun: Maverick is out of this world. These are one of the most prominent differences Maverick had from the original. What the people enjoyed the most is the reality of these sequences. Everything was done practically in real-time to shoot the scenes. Not only did the actors and supporting actors have to learn to fly a jet, but they shot their scenes while flying, which is amazing!
There are very rare movies where you get to see such reality-based action scenes and that’s why Top Gun: Maverick has a huge number of praises.
If we talk about the details, Tom Cruise-stunt fashion got perfect in the rigorous training and each actor went through a difficult five-month training program to get flight-ready. Moreover, after learning how to fly jets, Cruise, Kosinski, and the rest of the team worked effortlessly and smartly at figuring out how to put cameras in the jets themselves. This was necessary to show the realistic manner in which g-force affects a pilot and this resulted in adrenaline-pumping aerial sequences that had viewers on the edge of their seats. It is ah-mazing!
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The Addition of Humor:
When you see a true heartthrob Tom Cruise, talking and smirking on the big screen, you fell in love with him all over again. The added comedy in the Top Gun: Maverick is what raises its standard more than the other positive points.
All the fans who have seen Top Gun will agree that the movie wasn't exactly a comedy, nor even the slightest of comedy. The reason why it is highlighted is that none of us expected Maverick to be much of a comedy either. That’s a moment of surprise and happiness combined.
It’s not the unnecessary comedy, but the team has added well-placed instances of comedy. But wait, it doesn’t put the great Top Gun: Maverick into the comedy genre.
The Latest Cinematography & Visuals:
From the actors to the directors, everyone worked round the clock to push themselves over the edge and delivered a film with world-class cinematography. There are multiple great names attached to it, including the Academy Award winner Claudio Miranda who took over the cinematography. He is best known for his work in Life of Pi and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
They used world-class equipment and tried a piece of unique bootstrap gear while flying their respective jets. It is almost like bringing an idea to life. The hard training that went behind getting those perfect aerial shots and the close-ups of the performers while they flew is insane and applaud-worthy.
A Better Love Story:
Of course, every movie feels empty without a supporting leading female role going side by side with the hero. And when there is Tom Cruise, how can a female role be missed?
The sequel, however, gives us a better storyline than the Top Gun. We get to see Penny - played by Jennifer Connelly – as a character in her own form before sending Maverick after her to let the audience know her purpose in the story.
Yes, she's in the love role, but she has an important story to tell, before that.
In the movie, Penny is close to Pete. She knows him quite better than anyone else, as notably referred to many more times in the sequel, the person and doesn't care much for the pilot. Unlike the traditional love stories, Penny isn't waiting around for him to make up his mind about how he feels for her.In a much better plot decision, she doesn't abandon her plans with her daughter or invite Pete on a mother-daughter trip, to give it a cute relationship look; instead, she finds him afterward.
There are no extra romance scenes, but just the realistic acceptance of each other - which works well with Maverick's character.
Audience’s Take on Top Gun: Maverick
With the runtime of 131 minutes, the movie casts a spell over its viewers and it’s not what our movie buffs at FAYVO have to say, but the buzz is going viral around the world. Here you see it:
Yes, Tom Cruise is Tom Cruise, no matter the age!
Well, this guy had already predicted the future. Woah!
And yet, so many people were waiting for it!
From the fans and the critics alike, Top Gun: Maverick stands tall among every other movie of its kind!
Top Gun: Maverick Hitting the Record-Breaking News
'Top Gun: Maverick' is this year's biggest box office hit, and undoubtedly, it has won millions of hearts. With that, the movie has generated $291 million in North America and $548.6 million globally in its first 10 days of release.
According to a popular source, Variety, it is reported that the movie Top Gun: Maverick has grossed $156 million domestically over the Memorial Day weekend, beating 2007’s Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End by three million for the record.
After the month of its release, the movie is still running a house-full in the theaters worldwide!
Movies to Stream – Like Top Gun: Maverick
At FAYVO, every movie buff is appreciated and listened to. While we love superhero adventures, romance films, and action-packed sequences, we care for each and every FAYVO member alike.
For the fans of Marvel movies and the Top Gun: Maverick, there are some similar movies to stream. We have Mission: Impossible – Fallout, The Right Stuff, Midway, Oblivion, and more. With FAYVO, you can find unlimited movies to stream. Be it your fantasy craving or the superhero craze, we have it all. Download the app, add your interests and start getting real recommendations from people around you. Moreover, you can share your watchlists with friends and family to let them know about the crazy super hits you love. Do it now!
