After more than thirty years of service as one of the Navy’s top aviators, Pete Mitchell is where he belongs, pushing the envelope as a courageous test pilot and dodging the advancement in rank that would ground him.
It is an understatement to say that Tom Cruise can hold his own when it comes to being a Top Gun. With seemingly more energy and impulse than was displayed in the original “Top Gun,” Cruise has managed to pull off one of the best acts of revenge that is humanly possible, simply getting better with age. While some of the closest shots in the film double down on a few crinkles in his skin, nothing can compare to the full story of how his physical body can still hold it together in harrowing episodes of his journey to prove that he is still a top-notch actor who knows himself and his limitations best. In addition, Paramount Pictures did themselves a favor by seemingly sparing no expense to get director Joseph Kosinski’s project out to the studios despite the setbacks and delays in filming amidst Covid protocols. If anyone were to dwell on the negative news that hit the airwaves regarding the turmoil, it all seems futile after seeing how well it is worth the wait.
When the film opens, Lt. Pete Mitchell (Tom Cruise) has found himself in an uncompromising position when his inability to follow orders has once again crossed the threshold of acceptability. While he has seemingly not learned any lessons to keep himself out of trouble, it could be attributed to the widely-known fact that his longtime mentor and buddy, Lt. Tom’ Iceman’ Kazansky (Val Kilmer), will always be around to save him. While none of the other military leaders, such as Rear Admiral Chester ‘Hammer’ Cain (Ed Harris) nor Adm. Beau’ Cyclone’ Simpson (John Hamm), want to put up with Lt. Pete’s lack of commitment to the missions, they also realize that despite his quirks, he is one of the best out there. As long as Lt. Tom Kazansky is alive, they feel he will always make amends for Maverick’s behavior and find a particular spot for him to be productive. When Maverick is given one last opportunity to redeem himself after repeated failures to prove his worth, he finds himself headed back to Miramar to train some of the best Top Guns in the world, one of which is the son of his late friend, Lt. Nick’ Goose’ Bradshaw. Rooster (Miles Teller), who has never forgiven him for shortchanging his career, makes the job more impossible than Maverick could ever have imagined. Yet, Maverick has to let go of the angst to get the team ready for the mission. Even more compelling is Maverick’s run-in with an old flame, Penny (Jennifer Connelly), who gets him back for past transgressions, one bar tab at a time.
Through trial by fire, Maverick is successful at his final mission after several soul-stirring setbacks that he has to overcome to prove to himself and his trainees that they must be top-notch at all times to be Top Guns. Director Kosinski uses the Navy’s resources and a team of heavyweight actors to inspire and create a level of authenticity that Cruise’s followers have come to expect from an actor of his caliber and from a sequel that proved to be beyond expectations. With an interfacing storyline that shows the good, the bad, and the ugly, “Top Gun: Maverick” rewrites one helluva story that is appealing to all ages and demographics to show the human side of greatness!
In Theaters Friday, May 27th
