It’s been 36 years since Top Gun took to the skies and dominated the box-office to become the highest grossing film of 1986. Usually with that sort of success you’ll see sequels and spin-offs flying out from the studio left and right; however, Tom Cruise, who plays the film’s protagonist Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, was against doing so at the time, and went on record saying he wouldn’t consider it until the time and story was right. Here we are almost four decades later and not only do we finally have a sequel to the iconic ‘80s film, but it actually surpasses its predecessor on every level. To put it bluntly, Top Gun: Maverick is why we go to the movies.
It’s clear throughout the film the passion that Cruise has not only for the role of Maverick, but also for aviation in general. When he said he wanted to wait for the right story to come along it’s easy to see that he would’ve happily never done another Top Gun film over simply cashing in for something lesser than a movie that would take what’s expected from a movie like this and taking it to a level never seen before. That’s what we get here, as Cruise, director Joseph Kosinski and a specialized team designed IMAX-certified 6K cameras that would fit inside the cockpit of the F-18s being used in the film. This allows the audiences to be right in the thick of the action on a level that’s never been possible before, and the results are absolutely breathtaking.
When you delve into the film’s special features you get an even better idea of just how much was asked of everyone that took part in the film. The actors who play the pilots would be on their own once they took off and they’d have to slate their own scene, deliver their lines to nobody, react to things that were supposed to be happening around them, all while dealing with the unfathomable physical pressure that flying at the speeds they were flying at required of them. It’s easy to think that they just hopped into the cockpit and read off their lines while a green screen did its thing behind them, as that’s often the case for Hollywood these days. That’s not a knock at that type of filming whatsoever, but to see the faces of the actors actually distorting due to the natural reaction of being hit with such incredible g-force, it just adds a level of realism and intensity that can’t be faked.
The story itself is wonderfully engrossing in full-on blockbuster fashion. It brings back enough of the past to tie the two films together, while not dwelling on old storylines or forcing cameos that would interrupt the flow of the current plot. The film picks up over 30 years after Maverick graduated from Top Gun and he now works as a test pilot. While his friend, Tom “Iceman” Kazansky (Val Kilmer) went on to become a commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, Maverick has remained in a position – albeit through his own forms of insubordination – that while causing him not to move up in the ranks, would allow him to continue to do what he loves, which is take to the air.
Time has caught up to even Maverick here, as after his most recent act of disobedience instead of being discharged he’s bailed out by “Iceman” one last time and is relegated back to Top Gun to be a teacher. The reason for this is that there’s a mission on the horizon that requires a team of recent Top Gun graduates in order to get it done. It’s an all but impossible operation, and it will take someone with Maverick’s unique skills to pick those who make the team and make sure they’re ready for anything. Oh, and just to add to the dramatic stakes, one of the graduates he has to train is Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw (Miles Teller), the son of Maverick’s late wingman and best friend, Nick “Goose” Bradshaw.
Even that brief summary about the opening moments of the film don’t do the strength of the story justice, as Maverick going back to Top Gun in a teaching role just makes sense, but getting him there in a way that requires the stakes to be higher than him begrudgingly “going back to school” is what makes this special. Top Gun: Maverick is the type of movie I love because there’s so much planning and coordination, and the actual mission is left right up until the latter part of the film. It’s like a great heist movie, where you see the team feel one another out, all while planning for how things should play out during the heist, why things will go wrong, what could go wrong, how they’ll handle it, and so forth. It’s all handled so well here by screenwriters Ehren Kruger, Eric Warren Singer and Christopher McQuarrie that there isn’t a time when what’s happening on screen isn’t completely engaging.
Cruise once again proves why he’s the best in the business when it comes to making a movie feel like a true spectacle. There’s so much about Top Gun: Maverick that sets it apart from the average Hollywood blockbuster and he’s the main reason for most of them. Not only does his work behind the scenes help catapult this film to a new level of action film, but his work on the screen is as good as ever – and even though the majority of the film takes place in the air, he still manages to fit in a running scene! *chef’s kiss* The supporting cast is believable and hold their own alongside this Hollywood heavyweight, while seeing Kilmer back on screen is a fantastic moment as well. I also love the introduction of Penny Benjamin (Jennifer Connelly), who was a character mentioned to be an admiral’s daughter in the first film. We learn without an onslaught of exposition that she and Maverick were a thing at one point in time and now there’s a chance to rekindle that romance. It’s simple, it works, and the chemistry is just there.
Top Gun: Maverick was originally meant to be released in July of 2019, but the pandemic caused it to be delayed multiple times. With the future of cinema in an uncertain place, Maverick was a gem of a finished product to potentially cause a bidding war that would see it land on a streaming network, but Cruise was never going to let that happen. While the box-office still hasn’t recovered fully from the pandemic, it was déjà vu for Cruise and Paramount, as Top Gun: Maverick – much like its predecessor – is currently the highest grossing film of the year (and number five domestically all-time), with over $715 million taken in domestically thus far. This is a movie that should be in everyone’s collection, so if you’re feeling the need…the need for speed, then take the highway to the danger zone, pick yourself up a copy of Top Gun: Maverick on 4K and let its absolute cinematic magnificence take your breath away.
Overall Rating: 5/5
4K Blu-ray Video and Audio Review:
Unsurprisingly, Top Gun: Maverick is one of the best looking home releases of the year. This is the type of movie that you use to show off your system at home, and even if you don’t have a major one with surround sound or the likes, it’ll still push whatever you have to the limits and amaze you. The 4K release is the cream of the crop, landing in 2160p/Dolby Vision and just presenting itself with phenomenal visuals. The details are spectacular, whether it be the views from the cockpit (which are just astonishing) or simply the rich detail on clothing, surroundings, or scenery.
The film is lit stunningly, and every aspect of the visuals here just make the film more enticing and that much more fun to watch. I’d have to bring out a thesaurus to find more words to describe the beauty found here, and I haven’t even touched on the top tier audio yet. The Dolby Atmos absolutely rips through your speakers in the best way possible. The jet engines roar, the guns blaze, the missiles explode in eruptive fashion, and none of them interfere with the film’s crystal clear dialogue that is continuous throughout the majority of the action sequences. We’ve also got a great soundtrack and score that harmoniously elevate what’s happening on screen, and it’s just an absolute gem if a transfer.
There have been some truly fantastic home video releases, and I mentioned it just moments ago but it bears repeating: Top Gun: Maverick is the showcase release for proving what your home theater system is capable of.
Special Features:
Cleared for Take Off – This feature comes in at just over 9-minutes in length and we learn just how harsh and tough the training schedule was for the actors joining on to this film. In order to go up in the F-18s the cast actually had to pass certain tests and requirements, and I’m honestly not sure how they all made it through without anyone dropping out because this was intense. A must watch.
Breaking New Ground – Filming Top Gun: Maverick – This feature hits the 8-minute mark, and while it’s not overly long there’s also no fat to be found here. This is a full-on feature that only makes you want to see more. We get to see just how hard it was to film the movie, what it took to get the cameras made to fit into the cockpits, and the challenges of filming a movie like this without any sort of green screen help.
A Love Letter to Aviation – This one comes in at just under 5-minutes in length and showcases even more how much Cruise loves flying. The P-51 used in the film is actually his, and he took Connelly up and they filmed the final sequence in very fun fashion. It’s again a shorter bonus feature, but it keeps it tight with solid information and no wasted time.
Forging the Darkstar – This is a seven-and-a-half minute feature that looks at the hypersonic aircraft used at the beginning of the film. It only has a brief appearance, but we get to see how vital it was to the movie, to where Maverick was and the importance of flying to his character, as well as the absolutely gorgeous shots taken for this amazing opening sequence.
Masterclass with Tom Cruise: Cannes Film Festival – Here we get to see Cruise interviewed at one of the biggest cinematic events held, and this is the first post-pandemic. There’s no drama here, and it’s just Cruise talking about his absolute love for cinema, for making movies for the big screen and the importance of doing so. It’s an amazing watch with loads of great information for fans of Cruise or fans of movies in general.
Music Videos – We’ve also got a pair of music videos with Lada Gaga’s “Hold My Hand” and “I Ain’t Worried” by Onerepublic.
Paramount Pictures Presents Top Gun: Maverick. Directed by: Joseph Kosinski. Written by: Ehren Kruger, Eric Warren Singer, Christopher McQuarrie. Starring: Tom Cruise, Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Val Kilmer, Glen Powell, Monica Barbaro, Ed Harris, Lewis Pullman. Running time: 131 Minutes. Rating: PG. Released on 4K Blu-ray: Nov. 1, 2022.
About Brendan Campbell
