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