The first “Top Gun” film came out in 1986 – a whole year before I was born.
But, I have to admit to having seen it plenty of times over the years.
And, honestly, I didn’t think it needed a sequel – Goose died and Maverick had to make do with his misplaced guilt.
That means he probably should have undergone some sort of therapy.
But, hey, it was the late 1980s and the military only cared about mental health when someone truly snapped.
Then again, if Maverick had gone to therapy, we might just not need this second film and that would be a shame.
While I’m not a rabid Tom Cruise fan, he did this role justice after being away from it so long.
Plus, it runs almost completely parallel to the first film and features the importance of trust and teamwork.
Top Gun: Maverick is an action drama film directed by Joseph Kosinski and written by Ehren Kruger, Eric Warren Singer, and Christopher McQuarrie, from a story by Peter Craig and Justin Marks.
The film stars Tom Cruise as Captain Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, reprising his role from the original, alongside Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Charles Parnell, Glen Powell, Lewis Pullman, Ed Harris, and Val Kilmer.
It’s 131 minutes long and rated PG-13 for sequences of intense action, and some strong language.
Over 30 years after Top Gun, Captain Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Cruise) is a U.S. Navy test pilot and avoided promotion to continue flying.
Rear Admiral Chester “Hammer” Cain (Harris) plans to shut down the hypersonic “Darkstar” scramjet program, redirecting the funds to drone programs.
In true rebellious form, Maverick takes the Darkstar prototype to its Mach 10-speed objective before Cain can arrive.
Reaching Mach 10 he pushes further into high-hypersonic speed, resulting in the prototype’s destruction.
Cain is poised to ground Maverick, but Admiral Tom “Iceman” Kazansky (Kilmer) orders Maverick to NAS North Island as a TOPGUN instructor.
Iceman is now his friend while also the commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet.
Maverick’s task is to train an elite group of F/A-18E/F Super Hornet pilots assembled by Vice Admiral Beau “Cyclone” Simpson (Hamm) and Rear Admiral Solomon “Warlock” Bates (Parnell) for an urgent mission: to bomb a uranium enrichment facility.
As it sits in a deep depression at the end of a canyon and is defended by surface-to-air missile (SAM) batteries and an airbase with Su-57 fifth-generation fighters, the mission requires a risky high-speed low-level approach in the canyon beneath hostile radar coverage to reach it.
That means pushing the aircraft beyond its NATOPS limits.
As GPS jamming makes the F-35C unsuitable, Maverick recommends striking with two pairs of Super Hornets, destroying the entrance first followed by the facility itself.
He is initially rebuffed by the pilots, particularly by the cocky Lieutenant Jake “Hangman” Seresin (Powell) and by Lieutenant Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw (Teller), the son of Maverick’s late best friend and RIO Nick “Goose” Bradshaw.
Rooster has a rocky history with Maverick and resents him for blocking his application to the Naval Academy, setting back his career by four years.
The training prepares pilots in basic fighter maneuvers, nap-of-the-earth flying, precision-guided munitions employment, and the importance of teamwork.
The pilots discover the relationship between Rooster’s father and Maverick, causing animosity between Hangman and Rooster due to the Hangman’s cavalier attitude towards his wingmen and the Rooster’s cautiousness.
As the pilots observe Maverick’s skill, they reassess him, and the team coalesces around him.
During the training, Maverick reunites with former girlfriend Penny Benjamin (Connelly), who provides him guidance, particularly with his overprotectiveness of Rooster.
Still, there are more heartbreaking truths to be heard before Maverick finally starts to mature.
Or, at least work through his issues while racking his body with several gravitational forces.
I maintain that therapy would’ve done the character a world of good, but then we’d miss out on the awesome airborne dog fights, spins, and thrills on the big screen.
I’d definitely catch this while you can in theaters to get the full experience.
