Can we just change Tom Cruise’s name to “hold my beer and watch this”? Because what he does is absolutely amazing. I remember watching the most recent Mission Impossible at the cinema a few years back and I came out thinking “wow, what a great action movie, how’s he ever going to top that?”. Well, he did with this movie and again I’m thinking “how the hell do you top that” because ‘Top Gun Maverick’ is not only a great action movie, it might be the best, most thrilling and most realistic action movie I’ve ever seen in my life. My mouth was literally wide open at what I was watching onscreen. I mean, holy heck, they actually did all that stuff for real and it looks it too. To say I felt like a kid again is an understatement.
For a movie sequel to the original that was made 36 years later they don’t miss a beat. It’s like a direct continuation, 36 years later, of Top Gun. Maverick is still Maverick. He’s not broken, doesn’t need to go on a journey to “find himself”. He looks the same and is the same man we all fondly remember. Importantly, the movie is about him, it’s not a soft reboot. The movie itself has the same charm and flavor as the original from the visuals to the music, to the stern admirals and wild boys. It’s actually has well placed humor in places too.
Walking out of the theater I was left with the same opinion going in. Tom Cruise will go down as one of cinema’s greatest for the work he has done. The work he has done with this film and others show how much he cares about cinema and movie theaters, the experience and the value of seeing these classics on the big screen.
I highly recommend seeing the movie in IMAX or the largest cinema screen possible to truly appreciate the spectacle on display.
Favorite quote: “Don’t think. Just do.” – Maverick
All of this has happened before 