A few days a go I watched what is arguably: the most anticipated film since the pandemic, the most anticipated film of 80s nostalgia, and the most anticipated film of action fans. Pretty much the most anticipated film in years.
I will start saying that generally speaking, Top Gun: Maverick was not a dissapointment. It actually was a great experience, but like Tron: Legacy, it left me with the following thought in my mind: “Is this it?” Unbeknown to me, Top Gun Maverick’s director coincidentally happened to be Tron Legacy’s director. Hence why throughout the film I kept getting this weird feeling: “This movie somehow feels very similar in tone and structure to Tron: Legacy.” After leaving the theater and critically disecting the film, I realized that the overall experience was also similar to Legacy.
Since I believe New York Time’s article is one of the best reviews of the film, what I will do is that I will make a quick summary of the what I liked and didn’t like of the film:
I liked:
- Tom Cruise. He’s terrific in his role and simply nails it. He has magic, aura, presence and he is completely believeable as Pete Mitchell, now a 50-year-old who’s ego keeps writing checks his body cannot cash.
- The film felt like a real movie. No major CGI, actual stunts, great action sequences. It was great to feel that exciting feeling in a movie theater again.
- It was good to see Val Kilmer.
- Tom’s introduction at the beginning. Say what you will, but it was humbling to see him thank the audience for being there.
I did not like:
- The new characters were okayish. Definitely not on par with Iceman, Slider, Hollywood, Viper or Jester. They just looked one-dimensional and other than Rooster, did not seem to have any distinct personalities.
- “Fifth-generation fighters.” I guess this is because of PC, and it was inappropriate to say “Sukhois.” My issue here is that everytime they said that it took me out of the movie. Does our army refer to enemy aircraft as “fifth-generation fighters” instead of calling them by their names?
- The ending was a little dragged, forced, and could have done better. It felt as if they ran out of ideas and came up with whatever they could to wrap the movie up.
- Jennifer Connelly’s character was predictable and useless. She added nothing to the plot.
Is it better than the original? No. Is it a fun film to go see in the theaters? Absolultely.
HR