This movie did a great job of trying to make America look weaker than we are for china audiences. Great propaganda Hollywood. Sure they won in the end but they made America out to be the underdogs. When the American Navy and Air Force could do what they did without blinking an eye. 2 and I repeat 2 F-22 Raptors would have been able to do this mission all by its self. Lets say you do need 2 for the missles it still would be a walk in the park. Compared to what they made it look. 2 Raptors would be in and out before anyone knew what happened. Jammers dont matter when the cross-secton the size of a bumble bee thats 0.0001M² thats hoe big they look on radar. Oh and they have radar jamming capabilities. So why do they use F-18s? Because they needed a plot to make money to give to their great China rulers and spit propaganda for China. Hell they even removed the Taiwanese patch from the Chinese version of the film because of china's communist views. I wanna see the 207 dollars my tax dollars spent on Raptors. Oh and don't get me started on the Star Wars rip off.
A simple script but extremely well executed with a lot of hearts, full of jaw-dropping visuals and great sounds.
The definition of a well-produced movie. It deserves all the praise it's getting.
Same story (pretty much exactly) as the first movie but with more modern CGI action scenes.
I think I let my expectations get ahead of me on this one. I was looking for something more than the original; something fresh and new. Instead, they chose to go the same route as The Force Awakens, leaning into the nostalgia and making a film that closely follows the original formula. Clearly it was the right call, as the movie is breaking records like crazy, but I can't help but be disappointed that a $150+ million dollar sequel had to borrow the structure of the 36 year old original. This borrowing has the added effect of creating a very predictable film. Many of the beats can be seen coming well in advance, which can take a bit of the oomph out of otherwise fun/exciting moments.
Now, that said, the movie is still an improvement on the original. The fact that the second act training sequences have a well defined objective that ties in to the final third act action sequence is a big improvement from the generic and somewhat meaningless training exercises from the original film. It allows that whole portion of the film to maintain much higher stakes, rather than leaning on the low stakes of bragging rights in an educational pilot competition.
That said, this pro is somewhat offset by a minor con related to the specifics of the mission. When they have their introductory briefing, I couldn't help but roll my eyes as they described a dangerous trench run culminating in shooting a proton torpedo missile into at an impossibly small target to destroy the Death Star nuclear facility. I was waiting for Miles Teller to tell us that it was just like his days shooting womp rats out on Tatooine. I understand that there really aren't that many options when it comes to exciting parameters for fighter jet missions, but it was still a tad disappointing for it to feel so familiar.
The movie also suffers from some corny dialogue, which again seems to hearken back to the original film. Additionally, the last couple action beats really throw suspension of disbelief out the window, feeling like they would be more at home in a Fast and Furious film.
To leave off on a positive, despite the familiarity/predictability of the plot, there are still plenty of make-you-smile moments, my favorite being when, after being fired/discharged, Maverick pops up on radar to prove that the mission can be flown within the original time limit. It's the writers giving the audience exactly what they want, i.e Maverick gets to prove that he's the best.
To a Top Gun fan, this was the equivalent of Force Awakens to a Star Wars fan (without the terrible follow ups). Ticked the box for the original movie fans but ramped it up for 2022. The fighter plane scenes are what it is all about and the direction of this was superb. Also, loved how they didn't try and write a new soundtrack just for the $'s. Kept it all oldskool...just. Great movie and would go see it again tomorrow.
Seen twice now and 2nd time was even better.
As someone that thought the first was good but nothing special (albeit a great soundtrack) and not a big plane guy, this movie was incredible and one I would recommend seeing in theaters. It was big, spectacular, gripping, and a tight plot. It was genuinely everything you could want from a movie. Despite it only being May, I do not foresee any other movie catapulting this and Everything Everywhere All at Once as the best movies of 2022. I will have to see both again to fully determine which is better! Anyways, everyone should check this out, and they should do it on the big screen!
Rating: 5/5 (:star:) - 10/10 - Must See
Incredible film. Way better than I expected it to be. tops out the first one by a lot. see this one in theaters you'll be on the edge of your seat the entire time
The rare decades later follow up that is better than the original in most every way. Not as gay, but that was hardly intentional in the first and was drowned by the forced romance. This one was much more believable, and the film had firmer emotional stakes and character. Plus much more exciting flying. I’m sure if you grew up on/with Cruise the film’s rumination on his aging and status as one of if not the last true stars in the age of autonomous franchises hits more, but before I saw the Top Guns this weekend the only movie I saw him in was Goldmember, so. Still, a fun time, and I really admire the respect paid to Val Kilmer here.
EDIT: Reading thoughts on the matter none of that matters tho for the negative effect this’ll have as propaganda, the active dehumanization of the enemy, the cowardly refusal to name names, the hyping up of new jets for America and Lockheed to sell, the further rehabilitation of the military’s image… a solid movie does not justify this.
Watched it in a 4DX Cinema, god what an experience :O
What a great movie! What movies should be like. This needs to be viewed in theaters! Highly recommend.
I thought the release date for this is November 19, 2021, not July 1st, 2021.
More Top Gun
Less Synth Drum
https://boxd.it/2Ulwzf
Sure those jets are cool toys, leather jackets are stylish, the Porsche is shiny, bikes are fast, aviators sunglasses are great, the ship is fast, cruise stayed infuriatingly young and maybe - if I remembered the first movie - 80's nostalgia would kick in.
However, the plot is mediocre at best. It's easily summarized in a few sentences. Plotholes are not to be questioned in such movies. Only the enemy and political background remains strangely unspecified. (I bet that's Iceland, Norway or Greenland planning to rob the riches of the Western Hemisphere. Vikings are not to be trusted - especially the Danish.) Most dialogues are from action movie hell. The young pilots (especially during the bar introduction scene) are the worst: adrenaline and testosterone has this effect on boys (and a girl it seems). The personal conflicts in this movie are standard Hollywood BS. The (superfluous?) romantic story is another trope. Charming Connelly and Cruise harmonize well though. I'm very annoyed by the patriotism, jingoism, pathos and the bombastic score. And of course the ending is way too happy to be interesting.
At first I got the impression that dialogues and 80s inspired pathos was supposed to be an ironic comment on the role models propagated by the first movie. But they take this serious, don't they? If you wanted to give this a positive twist, you could say that they honor the first iconic movie. They recapture its look and feel (even if that's contrary to the zeitgeist) and thus refrain from ridiculing the first movie. Maybe they have a point here. That's what makes many other sequels unwatchable: they become a parody of their prequel and the aged main characters become caricatures of their younger selfs - it helps that Cruise doesn't age.
I never expected an intellectual masterpiece. Surely this isn't a clever movie. This will never be a 7/10. There's simply no second layer that could warrant such an above average rating.
Now, let's talk about the positive things: the flying is breathtaking. Whether that's realistic or not - I don't care. Don't know how they did this, but this alone makes this a very entertaining action movie. The initial scram jet sequence is great. The action makes this movie a solid 6/10.
I love this movie with my whole being
It’s a shame Porkins and Wedge weren’t on hand for this.
I don’t know. Feels like the other Star Wars movies were better.
An easy tale of Top Gun new story
Wish i could've seen this in imax, i know it would've been great on the big screen. The climax was incredible and gripping and the acting was incredible throughout. Glen powell is someone ive only seen in comedic roles and it was so good to see him take something more serious. Tom cruise was brilliant as always. I really loved this.
I felt the first part was a bit fad / long, but the payoff after 1 hour of character introduction is insanely well produced and full of action. Really makes you feel that you’re part of the dogfights
This one might actually be better than its legendary predecessor.
Great movie with excellent Dolby Atmos sound.
I never bothered to watch this movie, thought it would be terrible and a waste of time. I finally just did watched it and now I regret I didn't earlier. What a awesome movie, I really enjoyed a lot. Pretty sure I'll be watching it again in the near future.
I quite enjoyed the original Top Gun, but there’s so much my suspension of disbelief can go. Maverick simply defies logic and physics right in your face. Furthermore, these are movies you obviously do not watch for the plot but at least the original has the self-awareness to not act like it relies on one. Maverick tries to build a master plan, a mission impossible quite literally and it is laughable if you think about it. But the biggest difference is that I could not help but notice how “dead” the new generation of pilots are compared to the 80s gang. The first movie had style and vibrancy, it pumped you up right from the beginning. Maverick has effects and some cheap steals at nostalgia by straight out copying scenes. Still fun to see the sequel I guess if you have nothing else to do.
A weird setting with the rogue state nuke plant. But nostalgic as fck.
I put off seeing this as i wasn't a fan of the original. Though, i found it to be engaging. The sound mixer was on point
A nearly perfect movie of the sort that most writers, directors and the like seem to have abandoned these days in favor of pretty much the exact opposite in terms of characters, motivations and plot. I'm incredibly glad that Team Cruise reject that mindset here. My only question -- which might get answered when I rewatch it at some point (and I WILL be rewatching this one) -- is why they didn't just use a synchronized missile strike on the target instead of using it on the airfield and runway located elsewhere. Sure, that would negate the need for Maverick's team to do their thing, but you'd think that the writers could have come up with SOME legitimate reason for why the human element was required here. It's possible that I just missed something that explained this, but I thought that I was paying pretty close attention...
First time re-watching this at home since the IMAX Laser. The 4k disc was a fantastic release. It looked stunning. Those IMAX shots were spectacular on a JVC x9000. Sound was increadible. I hope one day we'll get a 3D conversion like with the original Top Gun!
I did watch the first Top Gun the week before. I feel like the first movie is much more re-watchable - I' mean I've seen it 30-40 times. I can't see myself doing that with Top Gun: Maverick. I certainly will but it won't reach those numbers. Loved how Maverick in an F-14 splashed 2 next gen fighters in a dog fight. Movie magic!
One of the best movie i ever watched.Must watch :heart_eyes:
[5.1/10] The original Top Gun film is not a masterpiece, exactly. But by god, it had character. A sneakily good script, matched with charisma and camaraderie out the wazoo, gave it a certain endearing quality, a sense of over-the-top yet sincere humanity amid its fly-boy sky jockey action spectacle. It’s not a deep film, but it’s one founded on the believable-if-goofy interactions of men and women immersed in the ebbs and flows of its feisty, high-stakes world.
By contrast, Top Gun: Maverick is a bland, soulless film. It is no deeper than the 1980s original, but it pretends to be. It draws back to something closer to realism in its presentation than its predecessor, but cannot find the truth of its moments to justify a retreat to naturalism. And most of all, while the original film flourished on the backs of vivid, up-to-eleven characters, Maverick offers nothing but empty shells in its main figures, with even its most developed and focused characters seeming like hollow vessels for the film’s trite ideas.
Top Gun: Maverick is also awash in nostalgia. That is to be expected in the legacy sequels that are now du jour. But this successor film is shameless in its attempts to conjure the past. The eponymous Maverick puts on his old jacket. He rides his old motorcycle. He repeats the same lines. His surrogate son plays the same Jerry Lee Lewis song on the piano his wingman once did. They both somehow end up in an F-14 Tomcat by the finale, because of course they do.
Occasionally, these callbacks are meaningful, or at least defensible. Maverick whispering “talk to me Goose” while he considers what approach to take with the man’s son and his own life, is enough of a twist to warrant a C for cleverness in the new wrinkle. But too often the film indulges in empty parallels for the sake of empty parallels, and saccharine reverence for the adventures of old the current story fails to earn.
Still, a little empty wistfulness could be forgiven if Top Gun: Maverick gave the audience anything to care about in the here and now. None of the new, replacement characters in the film make the slightest impression. The script does get some points for a sound premise, as Maverick is brought back to the Top Gun fighter pilot school to teach an all-star team of former top grads in preparation for a dangerous mission.
Unfortunately, all of the new cocky fly-boys (and fly-girls, hooray for progress) are one-note nothings. In fairness, that was often the case with the original, but the contenders for the top gun prize at least had more personality and presence to counterbalance what their characters lacked in fleshing out. “The douche, the dork, the friend, and the rest” is about all you get from the new wave of recruits. And somehow the film manages to waste John freakin’ Hamm as a hardass by-the-book air boss who operates as the authoritative foil to Maverick’s usual miniature rebellions.
On the personal front, without Maverick’s former love interest, who is conspicuously absent in a story fixated on revisiting the past, all Top Gun: Maverick can muster is a warmed over romance between Tom Cruise and Jennifer Connolly. The two actors have all the chemistry of a second grade science project, and lack the crackling back-and-forth that made Maverick’s dalliance with Charlie so memorable. This pairing is a pale substitute, rendered inert by a generic, supposedly feisty dynamic between them and a tacked on backstory to their coupling.
The point where the two cross is in Rooster, the appropriately avian-named son of Goose who’s one of the best Top Gun grads invited back to train with Maverick. It’s here that the film deserves the most credit. In a film chock full of threadbare nostalgia, bringing back Goose’s son, as a means for both he and Maverick to reckon with the death of the boy’s father, shows conviction in using past events to drive story and character in the present rather than simply reminding the audience of old touchstones.
That conflict lays the foundation for Maverick and Rooster’s character arcs, the only one in the films. (Give or take an undercooked but still welcome show of loyalty from the team’s resident jerk in the third act.) Despite being a top pilot, Rooster has a tendency to overthink and show hesitancy, implied to be motivated by his father’s fate, until Maverick teaches him to “Don’t think; just do.” Maverick has to overcome his own reluctance with allowing little Rooster to fly from the nest, given Maverick’s protectiveness of the young man in the shadow of his father’s sacrifice.
It’s all pretty standard, and not especially profound, but it’s solid storytelling, founded on the key emotional legacy from the original Top Gun while projecting it to the next generation to make meaning anew. Paired with a stock standard but similarly well-constructed, “We gotta get these kids in shape for the big mission” setup, and it’s the best thing this legacy sequel accomplishes.
The problem is three-fold. First, the realization of these ideas is trite at best. How Rooster and Maverick overcome both of these problems is limited to a couple of rote speeches and then, boom, emotional breakthrough. Second, Miles Teller is all but anonymous in the role of Rooster, with only a smidgeon of personality that pretty well ends at his mustache. (Which is especially galling since Anthony Edwards all but stole the show as Goose in the first film.)
Third, it’s hard to blame any individual performer in the film when everyone here is unconvincing and plastic in their roles. Top Gun: Maverick tries to recreate the playful rhythms of the interactions with the original crop of recruits, but all of the new class feel like they’re pretending toward snark and bravado rather than embodying it. Thudding dialogue and cheap one-liners render most relationships – be they paternal, adversarial, or romantic – utterly dead on arrival. Even a mildly moving reunion between Maverick and Iceman struggles to find the truth in the moment given such a cheesy presentation.
But maybe the blame lies at the feet of Tom Cruise. Where his iconic performance in the 1980s originator sees Cruise as recognizably human and unvarnished as he’s ever been on screen, Top Gun: Maverick is full of scenes where he is capital-A Acting. As the title character, Maverick is expectedly at the center of all the film’s grand emotional moments, and while a couple of them land, and a vet like him rarely veers into an outright bad performance, his big attempts to emote almost always feel like a put-on, rather than an organic reaction to the scene. Gone is the rough-around-the-edges young actor playing the rough-around-the-edges young fighter pilot, and in their place is a polished pro unconvincingly playacting as the inveterate rebel.
The same pathology afflicts the film’s action sequences. There are a few standout set pieces here. Maverick’s solo training run to prove the big mission can be accomplished is a highlight, A “cobra move” contest between him and Rooster, and his initial Mach 10 test both have some good verve and respectable scene construction.
But so much of the action here is too choppily edited to follow any of the balletic moves of the fighter jets. Some impressionist choices (like showing the field of vision blacking out while the pilots are pulling Gs) is a nice touch. But too often, Top Gun: Maverick makes a hash of its big chases, escapes, and engagements. Everything comes with an anodyne sheen, and the obvious CGI sweetening takes away how impressive fighter jet moves seem on camera.
All those problems aside, the best thing you can say about the film is that it understands its title character. The Maverick of old was not cavalier for the sake of being cavalier. He was someone who took extra risks so as to protect his comrades.
So here, he disobeys an admiral and pushes the limits of the test jet, not to put another feather in his cap, but to protect his colleagues’ job. He presents a challenging and risky mission plan, not because he wants to set records, but because the alternative would cost lives. And he wants to interject himself in the mission despite being grounded, not because he needs to fly, but because he needs to protect those kids, Rooster chief among them.
That's the most important thing to get right, and building the narrative around that facet of his character is the right call. Unfortunately, what Top Gun: Maverick actually builds around that strong core is generic and forgettable. Gone is the life and infectious energy. Gone are the cheeky, lived-in character dynamics. Gone is the cheese that somehow crosses the line back over into earnestness.
In their place is a steady but unadventurous film, that sands down the rough edges of its predecessor and gives the audience something far more polished, pristine, and ultimately flavorless. Sadly, this goose is cooked.
Should have been a 9, if only I watched the first one then maybe I'll be nostalgic/moved by the drama scenes. Although you can go into this blind as the past events where shown.
The action was really good, the fighter planes movements and overall view from and into the cockpit was very nicely done.
Was expecting the Darkstar (experimental plane shown on the early scenes) to have an action sequence.
Great job Maverick!
I had too high expectations. The nostalgia saves it but it were so many parts that was almost a copy from the first movie that it almost became ridiculous.
Rescuing the same ingredients that made Top Gun a cult film, Maverick returns almost forty years later to give you a jolt of nostalgia and thrill us.
Because, honestly, it is neither different from any Hollywood production in which Tom Cruise is involved nor does it offer anything new, but because it is aimed at those of us who were thrilled with those duels between MiGs and F-14s so many years ago. And it more than succeeds.
It repeats scenes - there is a limit between homage and crude copy - the denouement is predictable and the relationship with Jennifer Connelly's character is absolutely dispensable, but the flight scenes are thrilling and exciting, making your hair stand on end. You can't ask for much more.
And they bring back some themes from the Top Gun OST!
I found the original borderline unwatchable but this one is honestly a ton of fun.
If we pretend to ignore the basic notions of the world of military aviation and related technologies, it turns out to be a rather enjoyable film with good actors.
Top Gun: Maverick hits all the same beats and delivers all the same thrills and excitement of the original. Former aviation instructor Pete “Maverick” Mitchell returns to the Navy’s Top Gun academy to train a group of pilots for a special mission. Tom Cruise, Jennifer Connelly, Miles Teller, Jon Hamm, and Val Kilmer lead the cast and give strong performances. And director Joseph Kosinski does an impressive job at capturing the intensity and dynamic energy of the aerial combat. However, it’s a little disappointing how slavish the script is to the original; feeling more like an updated remake than a sequel. Still, while it may lack originality, Top Gun: Maverick is a high-adrenaline action film that also has heart.
Given the influence of rose-tinted nostalgia and the remarkable staying power of the original, Tom Cruise and company could be forgiven for just running everything back and cashing it in for the Top Gun sequel. And, as far as the plot is concerned, that’s pretty much what they’ve done. Sure, we’ll see a few mild distinctions, plus a shift in perspective (Cruise certainly isn’t going to play a student pilot, nor is he apt to give up that top billing), but the bones are essentially the same. Cocky kids in an elite dogfight academy are ordered to set aside their differences and accomplish an impossible mission in hostile airspace. Adrenaline, testosterone and pheromones run wild. We even get a reprisal of the YouTube-famous beach volleyball scene. It’s a fitting tribute and a worthy successor, modernized to suit today’s high-end home theater equipment, but not half as gloriously ‘80s-tastic as the first film.
Where Maverick really soars (if you’ll pardon the awful pun) is in a technical sense. This was evidently an area of special concern for filmmakers, and they deserve special credit for the accomplishment. All that work to embed an array of super-resolution cameras into the pilot’s seat has paid off: this is a major level-up moment, on par with the very best IMAX showpieces. Paired with a persistent soundtrack of strained grunts and rapid breathing, the footage does a fantastic job of conveying the intense physical effort that’s required to maintain control of a fighter jet, while also portraying the stunning vistas and dizzying speeds of afterburner combat. More than just special effects for a film, Maverick’s vision of airborne cinema borders on a true life experience. As a film, it’s a light-hearted flex of the bicep, designed to pluck memory threads and evoke warm feelings established by the original. Worthwhile, especially for long-term fans, but not particularly special. The cockpit scenes, though, especially that blood-rushing one-cut takeoff from the aircraft carrier, will stick with me for a long while.
Man I wish I'd seen it in theaters. Epic visuals and sound ! The story itself, if it matters to you, is quite cliché and predictable (I wouldn't watch a Tom Cruise movie if I wanted some deep plot type shit tbh). Nevertheless, it remains a must watch for aircraft and music lovers. Had a great time !
Unwatchable garbage. Could not get to the end
I have watched this movie so many times since its release. I still get goosebumps when Maverick breaks Mach 10.:sunglasses:
I have rated this movie 10/10 here on Trakt. Clicked the "Recommend" button. What else do you want me to do? I don't know why you're reading this stupid comment instead of watching the movie. Go watch it dammit!
Very well done sequel to the original. Same vibe and true to the original plot line. Tom Cruise still looking good. His romance feels a little random, but I guess it works to give him someone to go home to in the end. Great casting on Goose’s son. Overall fun to watch and a nice trip back to the eighties classic.
DISCLAIMER: I did not see this movie in its original language(English), but in a dubbed version(Italian). I may have missed some nuances.
This is how you do a blockbuster! Top Gun: Maverick does everything a fan of the original would expect from a sequel. I was a bit worried it would be a delusion (like many sequels tend to be lately), but it exceeded almost all of my expectations.
The flight scenes were amazing, the fact that the CGI was kept at a minimum really shows; it enhances the feeling of being in that aircraft. I thought the whole movie looked great, from the scenes in the desert to the tundra finale. Really pretty.
On a personal note, the F/A18 doesn’t have the same charm the F14 had in the original and I was hoping we’d get to see the F-35, but I understand why they went with this choice (even though the explanation they gave in-movie was so dumb).
The cast did a good job. Excluding for a second Tom Cruise, the rest of the cast had a tough job ahead of them, having few scenes to portray their characters. But, credit to them and the script, they all managed to do great. And of course Tom Cruise was the unchallenged star of the movie; nobody can deny his great acting as well as his dedication to the stunt world.
I liked the story. Before seeing the movie, I feared they would make up some convoluted plot, with twists and turns everywhere. Instead, they kept it nice and simple. A mission to do, how to do it, training. Same formula of the original, still works.
In the end, I loved every second of this movie. It knew what it had to do, and it delivered. It had the right amount of fanservice that the fans of the original expected/demanded, but it didn’t abuse that. Highly recommended to anyone, a must-see for fans of Top Gun.
9/10
If there's any movie that deserves to be seen in the theaters with big screens and booming speakers. It's :Top Gun Maverick.
the reason why rooster has hated maverick is the only bad thing in this film
Consider me a bit underwhelmed. WAY too much of this film was spent recreating scenes from the original. I get the fan service and the callbacks, but this was just a tad too much. The action scenes, however, were top notch and there were still a couple of legitimately great character moments, most notably between Maverick and Iceman. But the rest was...clichéd and bland. It is a decent popcorn flick if you're not looking for much beyond that.
I had not seen the original Top Gun from 1986, and when maverick came out 36 years after, I watched both of them back to back. The new one has the stunts, but the first one was a better movie for me.
This write-up considers both movies together.
Tom Cruise plays Maverick, a reckless but extremely skilled fighter pilot in both films. In the first film, he has a companion, Goose. In the second one, we have Goose's son to tie it to the previous film.
The first one was the story of Maverick, as much as it was of the elite fighter pilot school, Top Gun. Maverick was cocky, but at one point in the film, he becomes vulnerable, has doubts about his abilities, and seeks advice. All signs show the hero's journey, we don't see anything of that in the new one. That is largely due to the plot differences.
Top Gun: Maverick has a clear mission at the end of the movie. The entire focus of the film is inching slowly towards that culmination. This leaves very less for actual character development and their interplay. It is a thoroughly plot-driven movie. Whereas the older top gun was more balanced. The love interest made sense, the protagonist was someone you rooted for. In the later movie, we are mostly caring about the goal, which is a plot device for the stunts to shine.
There is no doubt that Top Gun Maverick wins hands down in the action and stunts department. Due to 36 years of advancements in filmmaking, the later top gun is way too polished and has better handling of set pieces and execution. Although the latter one has finesse, it feels artificial as the contrived mission that they have to fly at the end. The older Top Gun was still a brilliant feat in the eighties and its action felt more spirited among the two.
Being a character-driven film, the older Top Gun has a much more believable romantic arc. The same can not be said about the latter. Frankly, the omission of the entire arc with Jennifer Connelly would have made the script much tighter and a through-and-through plot-driven action film. This shows in the runtime too. the older one was 1hr 49mins, a good 30+ mins less than the new one. Yet it managed to deliver a much-rounded story.
This comparison does not mean I am panning the new one. Both these films are worth watching and are still better than average. I am just more biased towards the older.
The movie has a lot of nonsense, especially around the exposition of maverick romantic involvement... I know they probably had a short time to put all that info in the movie and they kind of set it up in the first one... But maybe it was something that should be left out. I know it's there for the appeal to the people that like romance in movies, but it felt away out of touch with the whole movie, precisely the way it was shown, with those cringy exposition-heavy dialogs about how they were in the past, those silent scenes, gives me chills just remembering that. It just felt really out of place.
One thing is worth pointing out though... Even though those scenes were pretty bad, Tom cruise's performance is really good in those, so at least it felt like he was trying to deliver something.
But the flying scenes + the main plot are top-notch... Those are worth the movie alone. Aside from Maverick's pick at the end of the film which was completely out of the blue and undeserving going completely against his motives for doing what he did to the person at first putting an unprepared, undeserving, and clearly worse fighter on the line.
The last 30 minutes of this movie gave me a headache. I don't recall having felt this tense watching a movie in a long time and for so long. At some point I caught myself grasping for air because I simply forgot to breathe.
Trust me, it's that good!
I didn't care for the "Yeah!-let's-go-kill-some-nameless,-faceless-foreigners-Go-'Merica!" vibe of this movie, but for what it was, Maverick was a sequel worthy of its predecessor, and those are few and far between.
Much better than the first one, a visual spectacle but still very forgettable.
Top Cruise with another amazing performance.
Somehow this was a breath of fresh air, of course more action than real substance but it was a fun ride amidst all those comic adaptations and movies that can't get dark or complex enough. Well done.
Pretty poor flick. Like other have mentioned: All about Tommy, 80s flick with 2020s budget/tech. A very forgettable experience. Zzz Zzz
Two hours of soft core porn for middle aged white men. Beautifully shot. Nice fan service. Planes go brrrrrr
Definitely delivers what it advertised and set out to do. Zero surprises
Haven't seen the original film, but this was fun!
No doubt lives up to its name of one of best films in 2022. No necessary to watch the original first, but makes this sequel so much better if you do. Maverick follows the main character maverick from the first film 30+ years after his heroics in the ending to the original and how he has stayed a captain and still flying even at 50+ years old, but this time he is brought back to Top Gun academy to train new bees for a daring mission that makes for an emotional, inspiring, patriotic action packed marvel of cinematography last scenes. The ties from the first film for tying up lose ends that were created in the 30 year gap are made such an incremental part of this film that it keeps you on the edge of your seat and still rooting hard for Tom Hanks.
“You Got Some Balls Stick Jockey.”
I guess I'm not aligned with the majority on this one.
The only good part are the flight scenes (it's Top Gun, after all), from around 1h34m onward (loved that scene when the enemy plane dodges the missile vertically with some crazy ass move). Aside from that, it's just poor and predictable "cocky-hero" dialogue and a weak story to develop upon, that feels forced most of the time (like the romantic story and the whole "your job is obsolete because of drones" and then assign him for a mission that, seems to me, would be the perfect kind to be executed by drones!). I guess it gives everyone a warm feeling of closure from the first one (I watched it back in the 90's, but didn't rewatch it before this one), maybe that's why it's so loved...
Didn't want to hate on it, but it was just disappointing.
not very often can a sequel live up to the original film but maverick not only does but it might just have exceed top gun I think director Joseph Kosinski recaptures the feeling of the original film by making this film look and feel very similar the casting of miles teller is great and the rest of the cast is very good as well the film leaves you feeling like a million bucks and that's why it's so good
Sure, you could argue that this has too many cliches in it and that it’s US army propaganda. But screw it: this is a good movie with some amazing action scenes and great performances all around. It’s just a good trip back to the ‘Danger Zone’.
Standard, predictable fair done extremely well.
usually sequels suck, this one did not, so enjoyable!
So I don’t get what all the hype was about here. It was basically a poor rehashing of the original movie, with a shit ton of stuff that would never fly and then they steel the major plot point from Star Wars a new hope.
Holly wood has gotten so lazy at this point. I expected much better for the Russo brothers.
I went into this with really low expectations but was very pleasantly surprised. A great stand-along film, an even better sequel. Really glad I took the time to watch it.
Literally spent a whole therapy session talking about this. As a film, I didn’t buy it–it just doesn’t have the magic of the original, and it all felt very modern in the most garish and retrograde sort of ways. (Death Star? Really?) As fan service, it had its moments (hello Miles Teller’s mustache). But as a meditation on aging, film history, and the decline of the American empire…it prompted a lot of feelings.
[SkyShowtime] Tom Cruise must be recognized for his determination to remain faithful to movie theaters, and his devotion to big movies. This sequel manages to blur the conservative and macho narrative with spectacular sequences that change the aspect ratio to be enjoyed in all its splendor. With a script that is as effective as it is predictable, copying scenes from the first film, some moving homage and outstanding showmanship, it brings a tone of nostalgia that is the greatest virtue of a film that feels like an oldie F14 freshly painted, as colorful on the outside as archaic on the inside.
I didn't know the whole movie would be just training for a mission.
And to think they risked real human lives doing stunts in planes, when they could have just used good special effects and saved the cost of using real planes.
I actually liked the rip-off movie Top Gunner better! https://trakt.tv/movies/top-gunner-2020
They tossed in every cliche in the book, but goddam that was good! Dear Tom Cruise: Thank you for saving movies!
Typically, not an action movie watcher, but this one I enjoyed more than I thought. Good Plot and not cringe
As entertaining as this film is, and it is incredibly entertaining, this film is plagued by a variety of puzzling and bexing flaws that cause it to merely limp along until the thrilling action moments in the third act. There are plenty of nods to the first film that work incredibly well, but the attempts at imitating the story beats from the first film often fall flat because they miss the environments from the first film that brought them to pass in the first place.
Everything new in this film works spectacularly though, and allowing us to see the mission in the end makes me retroactively wonder if the first film not doing so was a severe oversight.
That's not the only good here; we also get some great cinematic renditions of the classic theme songs from the first film, like Danger Zone, which works quite well with the modern cinematography, and the dialogue is certainly more intelligible, realistic and grounded than the first film. There's also some more clarity on the mission the fighters are called to take, in another welcome change. And again, I can't stress enough how exciting, entertaining, and well done the final act is.
"The end is inevitable, Maverick. Your kind is headed for extinction."
Top Gun: Maverick is the best sequel ever made that took so long to be made. It even surpasses the original.
First off it looks amazing, the dogfights, the training, it will take a lot of work for movies to top this! It also shows we will never get enough of Tom Cruis driving a motorcycle, we always love people singing "Great Balls of Fire", "Danger Zone" is still a song we can rock out to, Miles Teller rocks that Goose mustache and seeing Maverick and Penny fly away together is lovely!
But the best part for me was the way the handles Ice aka Val Kilmer. Such a lovely way, such an incredible scene and very emotional. Never expected it to be handled this way.
Top Gun: Maverick has some fun characters, great dog fights, top notch Tom Cruise, nostalgia, beach sports, a great dog fight and some great humor.
Tom Cruise is unique and is only getting better with age. Hopefully age will only start to catch up within after the next two Mission Impossible movies!
This is a product where the people who made it understand that the most important part of it, the story comes first! Then what most movies we are having right now are full of wokeness! You can't even tell that there is diversity in the cast in this film because of how organic all of the characters they've made into making the plot. One of the best things that happened this year in the film industry. I regret not watching it back when it was in the theaters! It surpasses the first film miles away.
:zzz::zzz: no offence … well, actually offence. Works better than a sleeping pill. Promise!
Classic blockbuster filmmaking with a third act that is pure dudes rock
I can only agree with most of the viewers here! This movie is one of the best hollywood movies in recent years. Yes I like to watch some marvel movies from time to time, but lets be honest: Its always the same with all the hyper cool animation effect. Here its so different. This here is such a drastic change from your usual hollywood blockbuster, its so refreshing. Its like the team here tried to create a movie jewel in the style of old days. Super crazy computer effects arent necessary here. I really cant find anything bad in this one. Respect to Tom Cruise who played a heartwarming Maverick in this one. All around a great movie! 2hours plus but it sure doesnt feel like it. For me best movie this year!
Good:
-Astounding action. Direction, cinematography, sound effects and all the technical aspects of this film are extraordinary
-Realism. In an era in when even dialogues between characters are shot in front of a green screen, the fact that they decided to shoot this film in the air, with real planes doing real maneuvers and to put the actors inside a real cockpit must be praised
-Tom Cruise. The film is basically a celebration of the actor and his acting\action skills
Bad:
-More a remake than a sequel. There is little of original in this film.
-The non-action scenes. A lot of them are bad copies of what we already seen in the first movie. The themes are also recycled from the first film but explored in a worse way.
-Actors (Tom Cruise aside of course). An ill and mute Val Kilmer has still twice the charisma of all the new actors they introduced as pilots.
-Romance. Forced and compared to the love story between Maverick and Charlie in the first film terrible.
-Why didn't they call back Kelly McGillis? For a film that focus a lot on nostalgia, her absence is a serious shortcoming.
DVD Quote:
Rooster: "I saved your life!"
Maverick: "I saved your life! That's the whole point!"
the intro scene where Maverick's piloting Darkstar and just casually breaks mach 10 was so beautiful, the entire movie was quite an experience and fun
Best sequel to a classic movie from my childhood! Even much better than the first part. Picture and especially the sound quality are phenomenal!!!
Didn't like the first one, maybe cause im too young, maybe cause the jump cuts confused the hell out of me and didn't understand what was going on.
But this one... THIS ONE.
Good god. Beautiful film. Cruise, Teller, Hamm, Harris, Kilmer. Absolutely beautiful
Another movie all about Tom Cruise !!!
I miss these movies so much. This was amazing! Thank you!!
A Fantastic Film, with good acting and a decent story.
From my point of view, however, it still fails to keep up with a masterpiece like the original Top Gun.
Wow this movie was great!!! That Miles Teller casting was spot on!!! I wish all sequels could be this great!
This Review Contains Spoilers
Top Gun Maverick was a poor attempt at a sequel. Maverick was still fighting this same demon of his father plus now he had Goose's ghost, and his son to deal with. Too bad many of the former actors on the original film didn't return. The ensuing was a disappointment, and how the lead Character's role ended his story was lame. It didn't match his character at all.
The soundtrack was a disappointment, they reused the songs from the original film, and there weren't as many dog fights and there were an the previous film.
I rated it fairly high only because they convinced Tom Cruise to return, and he did a good job in reprising his role as Maverick.
Also because the actor who played Ice Man returned, and their scene together was probably the best in the movie. The F-16 also made a return in the sequel, even though the Navy is already phasing out use of the plane. If you watch, you'll see how.
Overall, for me, the movie, was a disappointment. But, a highly rated one for the reasons I listed. See it for yourself, and make you're mind up for yourself. I grew up in the era of the original. This sequel failed to recreate the feel of the first movie for me.
You just know you are watching a good movie when the intro music is matched with the scenes and the songs are correct. Loved the movie all the way.
Damn this was a good movie. This is what movies used to be like. No modern day BS. Just pure enjoyment.
Damn this was good. I'll definitely be watching this again soon
This is rated higher than the original film??? That's cray cray.
Good movie. Being a sequel, I was afraid it wouldn't be any good. But, it turned out to be a surprisingly good movie. Great scenery, good acting, and how can you not like watching dogfighting! The actual mission was a bit much (Star Wars anyone?) but the rest of the movie was pretty good.
Gave it an 8 out of 10.
Not much different from the first film, although a lot has changed.
Well shot movie and good action sequences. The right amount of nostalgia sprinkled in. This is what a good action movie needs to be like. It's a perfect movie if you ignore the fact that most movies of the sort seem to glorify the US armed forces/feel like propaganda.
Seen this movie more than once and it's tons of fun. On rewatches, I realized that some of the "nostalgic" feel unnecessary in what is otherwise a well paced movie and story. At the end of it, I can't stop watching the action sequences on repeat.
Simple but so, so, so very well executed. Loved it! Great music, good dialogue, awesome cinematography. What really clinched it for me was the excellent editing, it really made scenes more engaging and inspired. The movie managed to pay homage to the original while at the same time stand out from it. This is going to be one of those movies I wouldn't mind watching again and again for years to come.
Great Movie! Can watch this daily. The Fighter Jets are just insane!
Reviews solely based on the history of the previous movie. Without that and actors, this is a mediocre movie at best. Dry plot. Chaotic story telling.
I had the pleasure of being a kid and watch the TOP GUN in theaters, majestic at that time and i came for a family of Fighter Pilots. I was totally afraid of this sequel, but it did more than justice to the Original. So nostalgic, the theme gave me goosebumps, the motorcycle sprint with the airplane, flashbacks, and a really good script with great action. Regret not seeing in theaters.
Absolutely love this movie. It pays homage to the original in all the right ways. It is a perfect movie. One of the few times the sequel out performs the original.
3 Thoughts After Watching ‘Top Gun: Maverick’:
They managed to take the only poignant moment from the original and evolve it into a much more compelling story. This isn’t exactly my kind of movie…. but I was curious… I was entertained… and I was moved. One of the rare times a sequel gives the original purpose.
Unlike the original, in my opinion, the mission was clear. You could actually feel the stakes and tension here. When Maverick came back and accomplished the simulation, I had an instant smile on my face. Great moment. And great setup for an intense final act.
Watching these two films back-to-back, you can clearly see how Tom Cruise has grown as an actor. Say what you want about him, but he can sure carry a film. I look forward to what else we see from him during what feels like a bit of a renaissance.
Bonus Thought: Just like the first film, the love story felt fairly unnecessary. But maybe that was intentional.
Extra Bonus Thought: The casting of Miles Teller was perfection.
Sooooo good omg! It's one of those moments when the Sequel outdoes the Original.Salute Iceman
Was not very good. by the book script and lots of boring segments. everybody loves jets but that wasnt enough to make up for the lack of ingenuity. Isnt attacking a county for no reason a declaration of war and a war crime? is top gun 3 gonna focus on the dirty bomb iran sets off in the new york harbor?
A must watch movie. Better than the 1st one.
I wasn’t expecting that.. the story, the cast, the kawa!
Fly away home Iceman :airplane_departure:
Shout by jmmorrisonVIP 7BlockedParent2019-12-02T23:32:42Z
Loved Top Gun as a kid and so excited for this to come out (although I fully expect Hollywood to ruin my childhood)