I'm a couple of hours away from seeing Top Gun: Maverick, and I wanted to write my review of the original beforehand, so that there would be no risk of having my perception colored by comparing it to the new one. I re-watched it last week, as I have only ever seen it once, and that was probably close to a decade ago.
The first phrase that comes to mind after watching this film is the oft repeated refrain of cinephiles everywhere: "they don't make them like this anymore". However, unlike it's typical usage, in this case that phrase actually came to mind for some negative reasons. This movie's plot is incredibly simple. Combine that with an aggressive pace and you get an experience that just feels shallow compared to what I expect out of a film. And that's not to say that shallow/simple movies aren't being made today. They most certainly are. But I'm not sure that new films of this type are ever going to have the massive cultural impact that Top Gun has secured over the last 36 years. All of this is to say, I think modern movies that want to secure a place in the cultural zeitgeist may have to aim a bit higher, which I'm hoping/expecting the sequel to do.
To the original movie's credit, it does feel cognizant of that fact that it is telling a very simple story. It's not like it tries and fails to be some more ambitious, multifaceted thought provoker. Nope. It's just Tom Cruise doing Tom Cruise things (although looking slightly more baby faced than I'm used to). He flies jets. He plays volleyball shirtless. He wins over the girl.
Despite all of these critiques, the movie is far from bad. There's plenty of fun to be had, with one liners aplenty and enough fighter jet action to keep most viewers engaged.
On the topic of fighter jet action, I do have one final critique. The dogfights that comprise the majority of the films runtime did outstay their welcome for me. I just think it's an inherent difficulty with the subject matter. It's tough to create visually engaging and distinct scenes when all you've got to work with is characters in cockpits and footage of jets against various sky backdrops. It just all starts to feel very same-y. As such, I think everything outside of the action (plot/characters/etc.) has to carry more weight than your typical action blockbuster. In this film, those elements were passable, but only just. Hopefully the sequel will find ways to improve in every respect.
Review by SkinnyFilmBuffVIP 8BlockedParent2022-06-04T00:18:35Z
I'm a couple of hours away from seeing Top Gun: Maverick, and I wanted to write my review of the original beforehand, so that there would be no risk of having my perception colored by comparing it to the new one. I re-watched it last week, as I have only ever seen it once, and that was probably close to a decade ago.
The first phrase that comes to mind after watching this film is the oft repeated refrain of cinephiles everywhere: "they don't make them like this anymore". However, unlike it's typical usage, in this case that phrase actually came to mind for some negative reasons. This movie's plot is incredibly simple. Combine that with an aggressive pace and you get an experience that just feels shallow compared to what I expect out of a film. And that's not to say that shallow/simple movies aren't being made today. They most certainly are. But I'm not sure that new films of this type are ever going to have the massive cultural impact that Top Gun has secured over the last 36 years. All of this is to say, I think modern movies that want to secure a place in the cultural zeitgeist may have to aim a bit higher, which I'm hoping/expecting the sequel to do.
To the original movie's credit, it does feel cognizant of that fact that it is telling a very simple story. It's not like it tries and fails to be some more ambitious, multifaceted thought provoker. Nope. It's just Tom Cruise doing Tom Cruise things (although looking slightly more baby faced than I'm used to). He flies jets. He plays volleyball shirtless. He wins over the girl.
Despite all of these critiques, the movie is far from bad. There's plenty of fun to be had, with one liners aplenty and enough fighter jet action to keep most viewers engaged.
On the topic of fighter jet action, I do have one final critique. The dogfights that comprise the majority of the films runtime did outstay their welcome for me. I just think it's an inherent difficulty with the subject matter. It's tough to create visually engaging and distinct scenes when all you've got to work with is characters in cockpits and footage of jets against various sky backdrops. It just all starts to feel very same-y. As such, I think everything outside of the action (plot/characters/etc.) has to carry more weight than your typical action blockbuster. In this film, those elements were passable, but only just. Hopefully the sequel will find ways to improve in every respect.