Spoilers

2 years ago i went to go & see Top Gun Maverick in Screen X thinking well this will be okay… I ended up seeing it 4 times at the cinema. 2 times in ScreenX. I have never seen a film at the cinema as many times as this. & ive seen it on tv since & been tempted to type a sofa viewer review but have stopped myself. So here we are finally giving it the DVD treatment. This might take a while but trust me when i say this is a passion review, cos the film is that fucking good.

I spent years upon years not watching Tom Cruise films as a teen, not getting the hype, not understanding why he always was so loved while being a little bit icky, & then i saw mission impossible fall out which i didnt realise at the time was the greatest mission impossible film of all time (we will reconvene at a later date to discuss this again trust me) & i fell into the rabbit hole, edge of tomorrow, collateral, the original top gun. I started playing catch up. & then the pandemic happened & this just kept getting delayed & Tom was insistent on having this in the cinema & im so fucking glad he did because damn, i think that is why i think of this so fondly. Seeing it that many times & watching that man make his movie magic was addictive. You couldnt not go & watch it & he became one of the saviours of cinema because he decided to delay the film. Tom really means it when he says he will see us at the movies.

Can we also appreciate the rest of the young supporting cast, who had to wait through delays to all get their breaks & are all now booked & busy. Obviously Miles had been in other films before this where he had been co lead or a named actor for it, but Glen, Dani, Monica & Lewis. They all made it. I mean there are 2 avengers here & someone whos been oscar nominated. & i think the fact Tom put them all in the backs of planes & made them all train together really does show. I know Glen could even give Dakota some chemistry if he acted against her, but they all feel so natural in everyone presence. It just works & its amazing. & its most prominent in that beach football scene. One Republic kicks in, its the golden hour & it really does just feel like they are having a blast on the beach. I know that if your good actors it should be easy, but its the fact that whenever i watch this scene, it never looks forced. Maybe except when Miles stares at Tom, but even when John Hamm turns up hes like actually good point.

This film does follow a lot of tropes that legacy sequels have always done, but knowing how sick Val had been, for him to actually show up…lump in the throat moment. The whole thing was exactly what that film needed. He got to say goodbye to cinema on his own terms & Tom turns it up & the words being types as he tries to keep it together, it gets you in the feels, no matter who you are. Now that Val has passed it hurts even more.

This film puts them in the air for a lot of the movie. I know they were mainly in the back seats of the planes, but they are still up there & there are some plane stunt people who were pulling out all the tricks for it all. Its a sight to be scene for sure, cleverly done & choreographed so well.

I love that we never actually find out the name of the country that they want to bomb, however its such an american thing(especially with the world with how it is now a few years after this review should have originally been published) to do. Just go in because you dont like a few bits of intel you have & blow the shit out of it. Also the target is so batshit is crazy, are we really meant to believe its going to hit that both times. Stupid.

The opening of the film using the danger zone was brilliant. Proper retro vibes & when they used the flash backs to the first film, that worked so well. It knew it has to show them but it also needed to not over use it. Also the fact that they were embarrassed when he walked in as their teacher & he just lets it slide as he knows that was once him. Also they kept goodness gracious great balls of fire, iconic. Also Jennifer was meant to be the girl briefly mentioned in the first film. I think this is also the first film that acknowledges that Tom has got old which is a first.

Im going to say it & you can all kick off but were Miles & Glen a couple back in the past which adds more to it. Those looks between them arent enemies, when they have their little fight its extra extra & then when he is like no i got to go save them at the end, its more than just colleagues. Or maybe the chemistry was just too much.

The opening, when Ed Harris turns up to shut them down & that plane takes off, bloody hell. I may not have a cinema at home but it still feels epic on bluray. Its such a brilliant shot & then just pushing it to far & it all going kaboom. I did like the theory that he died in that crash & what he saw was actually his brain going this is what it could have been. & then when he gets to that diner & asks where he is expecting a state or a town & the kid just goes “earth” instantly iconic.

Hes been in the Navy all that time & then is just like erm how to boats work. I mean its not a normal boat its an americas cup boat for crying out loud. Did they borrow it off nolan from tenet? Also if you play the drinking game for Tom on bikes… DRINK!

Whenever the planes take off or sneak up on anyone theres just this rush of adrenaline that flows through you, you know its full on & its going to get you all hyped up.

When Tom gets shoot down & the screen goes black when i saw this in the cinema the first time i was like thats it, thats the end of the film weve got 10 mins left maybe for a memorial & to hand it on to the next gen & then to see him wake up watching Miles get shot down as he had finally gone talk to me dad/goose, it was amazing. I had been so engrossed int he film that i hadnt realised we still had so much more left in this film.

Tom Cruise Runs, we know this but in this film TOM CRUISE RUNS IN THE FRICKEN SNOW! I know what the hell & then about 5 mins later theres a dash to get to a plain & Miles is like were running now arent we & hes like yep we are. Brilliant. They know what we want & they delivered.

The whole escaping that damaged run way in the old school plane & Rooster doing exactly what goose would do & then their fight to get away & thinking they are doomed &then to survive it it jsut works the score, the noise, the visuals, you sit there going oh shit at everything because it all just works & makes you feel like your in the plane with them. Its brilliant. Seriously you just have to embrace & feel every second of it. & then for the return for the fly past, it had to be done.

How pissed must some of those students at top gun had been, that a mid 50s guy is leading the mission, & that youve been left behind as support. & they are the best of the best in the new planes & yet this old guy with grey morals & no rules is just like yea im going to do this. Also i do love how they just keep saying yep hes old. It just is very funny. Especially the rhetorical question when tis like do we fire you or do we promote you for being a dick.

I get that this film is better to watch at the cinema than it is at home, but as soon as the end score kicks in with him & miles building that plane & the girl coming back for him as lady gag sings, thats fucking cinema & i wont have you say anything else.

Yes theres cliches & yes its an updated version of the original, but bloody hell this still works & i love that i saw this so many times at the cinema, its just works with everything & i aint worried bout it. ITs a must see & proves that Tom still has his movie magic.