Top Gun: Maverick

"Please don't tell me we lost an engine."

"Alright, I won't tell you that."

Thirty years after graduating from Top Gun, Captain Peter "Maverick" Mitchell (Cruise) is a highly decorated pilot.  However, he is still haunted by his past and his antics keep him from rising above the role of Captain.  After his latest stunt, he is sent back to Top Gun for a new assignment.

Vice Admiral Beau "Cyclone" Simpson (Hamm) and RADM Solomon "Warlock" Bates need Maverick to train the top twelve Top Gun graduates for a dangerous mission.  His students include Lieutenant Bradley "Rooser" Braddock (Teller), the son of his late friend Goose.  Maverick and Rooster have a strained relationship and are not excited about working together.  He is also reunited with Penny Benjamin (Connelly), an old girlfriend who owns the bar near Top Gun.

Initially, the candidates, including Hangman (Powell), Phoenix (Barbaro), Bob (Pullman), Payback (Ellis), Fanboy (Ramirez), and Coyote (Davis), question Maverick's abilities, until they see him fly.  Can Maverick and Hondo (Salahuddin) teach the pilots how to work together, complete the mission, and make it home again?

The sequel to the 1986 film Top Gun, directed by Tony Scott and starring Tom Cruise as Maverick.

The Good:

The nostalgia quotient is high, but not alienating to new viewers.  From the opening scene and Maverick's motorcycle ride to the strains of Kenny Loggins' "Danger Zone", it is clear that the film is going to bridge the gap between the new and nostalgia.  For fans of the original, the story hits familiar beats and lots of action, while still showing something new.  For new audiences, the story takes time to remember the past (i.e. the big events of the original film).  The plot has actual stakes, without being overly complicated or confusing.

It also is a good mixture of action and impressive flight maneuvers, and humor.  The cast works well together.  Val Kilmer's Iceman made a brief, but memorable and welcome appearance in the film.  Once again calling back to the events of the original film, and moving the franchise into the future.

The Bad:

No real complaints.

Other Comments:

-I thoroughly enjoyed this film - the action (and the way it is filmed) impressed and kept me engaged throughout.  And the banter between characters kept us laughing.

-The film was well received by audiences and critics.  It has been nominated for several awards and is expected to be nominated for the Academy Awards.

-It feels like they could continue the franchise by focusing on the younger pilots introduced in this film.  Apparently they are in discussions about a potential sequel focused on Rooster.

Top Gun: Maverick (2022) 130 minutes

Rating: PG-13 for sequences of intense action, and some strong language

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Starring: Tom Cruise as Maverick

Miles Teller as Rooster

Jennifer Connelly as Penny Benjamin

Val Kilmer as Admiral Tom "Iceman" Kazansky

Glenn Powell as Hangman

Jon Hamm as Cyclone

Monica Barbaro as Phoenix

Lewis Pullman as Bob

Charles Parnell as Warlock

Jay Ellis as Payback

Danny Ramirez as Fanboy

Greg Tarzan Davis as Coyote

Bashir Salahuddin as Hondo

Romancing the Stone

"Is there anybody who isn't following you?"

Joan Wilder (Turner) is a popular romance writer, but unlucky in love.  After finishing her latest novel, she goes to Colombia to rescue her sister Elaine (Mary Ellen Trainor).  Elaine has been kidnapped by American criminals Ira (Norman) and Ralph (DeVito).  They want the treasure map that Elaine's late husband sent to Joan.  Against the protests of her publisher Gloria (Holland Taylor), Joan takes the map to the Colombia.

Ralph and Ira are not the only ones seeking the map.  The brutal Colonel Zolo (Ojeda), who murdered Elaine's husband, also wants the map.  He directs Joan to the wrong bus, headed into the jungle.  He tries to take the map by force, but is stopped by Jack Colton (Douglas), an American bird hunter.

Stranded in the jungle without a vehicle, Joan hires Jack to guide her to the city of Cartagena, for a fee.  Ralph tries to follow and report their progress to Ira.  They are also pursued by Zolo and his military police.  Can Joan and Jack set aside their differences, save Elaine, and find the treasure?

An action romance film that launched the careers of the director, Robert Zemeckis (this was his first successful film), and some of the stars: Mary Ellen Trainor's film debut (she was married to the director), Michael Douglas' first action role, etc.

The Good:

The story (written by Diane Thomas), is interesting: it has action to hold your attention, good chemistry between Kathleen Turner and Michael Douglas, and intriguing side characters.  The adventure is interesting and includes plenty of comedy to keep things from getting too heavy or too violent.  My favorite scene is the car chase in Pepe with Juan (Alfonso Arau).

The Bad:

Colonel Zolo is a one-dimensional villain.  He is imposing and evil, but doesn't really have any other purpose or character traits.  Not enough of Danny DeVito's Ralph... which is corrected in the sequel.

Other Comments: 

-The studio did not expect the film to do well, but it ended up being a success.

-The main cast (Douglas, Turner, and DeVito) returned for a sequel, The Jewel of the Nile, in 1985.  A third film, The Crimson Eagle, was in development but never made.

-While the film may not have the prestige of others made at the same time or by the same people, it definitely influenced subsequent films (i.e. The Lost City, etc).

-Won Golden Globe Awards for Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy and Best Actress - Musical or Comedy for Kathleen Turner.  Also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Film Editing for Conn Cambern and Frank Morriss.

-The novelization of this film and the sequel are credited to Joan Wilder, but actually written by Catherine Lanigan.

-An enjoyable, action-packed film.

Romancing the Stone (1984) 106 minutes

Director: Robert Zemeckis

Starring: Michael Douglas as Jack Colton

Kathleen Turner as Joan Wilder

Danny DeVito as Ralph

Zack Norman as Ira

Alfonso Arau as Juan

Manuel Ojeda as Zolo