(Photo credit to Paramount Pictures)
Before moving on to “Mission Impossible,” Tom Cruise reprises his most famous role as fighter pilot Maverick. The first “Top Gun” film seems slightly out of time. But the ’80s nostalgia is in full swing, giving the “Top Gun: Maverick” revival a good shot at success.
“Top Gun” was an 80’s movie par excellence. Above all, spectacular flight scenes characterized the story about an elite academy for US fighter jet pilots. Macho posturing, dramatic guitar riffs, and exaggerated sentimentality could not be missing. Back then, it was a recipe for a mega-blockbuster that made Tom Cruise a straight star. Even the film’s spoof, “Hot Shots” starring Charlie Sheen, was a hit. Nowadays that would probably not be so convincing. We were all the more excited about the new twists in the “Top Gun: Maverick” revival. Especially since we had to wait forever for him because of Corona. Therefore, the first trailer is bizarrely almost three years old.
The story of Top Gun Maverick
After 30 years, the daredevil Maverick – like Cruise himself – does not want to grow old. Too often he has messed with superiors and faces dishonorable dismissal. But now comes his last chance: He is to train new Top Gun recruits for a life-threatening mission. This time there are also women among them – but the beefy attitudes and patriotic celebrations of the US Navy remain. Cruise continues to stylize himself as an action legend, and a few dramatic character developments aren’t worth mentioning. But you don’t come to “Top Gun: Maverick” for deep character drama, you come for the flying action.
Just nostalgic attitude?
Of course, there are a few references for fans of the original. “Top Gun: Maverick” couldn’t resist a few sentimental flashbacks either. The film also starts straight away with a throwback. Once again, fighter jets land on an aircraft carrier in slow motion and accompanied by 80s rock. This not only serves nostalgic minds, but above all makes the difference to the predecessor immediately clear. The new soundscape and modern camera work put the jet planes in the limelight more spectacularly than ever before. The intro is literally just the beginning.
Mission Impossible meets Top Gun
The action scenes are a cinema experience you need to see. The hum of the engines and the flaming jet engines practically patter on the audience in the cinema seats. Almost every maneuver and every surge of air feels powerful. Cuts and music give the dance chases and flight fights an adrenaline-charged dynamic that leaves the first part miles behind.
The icing on the cake is the relatively high degree of realism. Cruise has been known for his authentic stunts since the last Mission Impossible parts. For this film, too, he had himself and his colleagues filmed during real flights in jets. Sure, there are also one or the other explosion through CGI tricks. But the action, despite its high speed and imposingness, is much more tangible than any computerized Marvel Showdown. If you are interested in Top Gun Maverick, you have to see it in the cinema.
My personal conclusion
“Top Gun: Maverick” fits like no other film at the moment in the cinema. This should not only interest flight enthusiasts but action fans in general. Rarely do we see practical effects that are so impressively staged. That’s why it’s a different story with ordinary TV screens. The rather standard patriotic story doesn’t really blow anyone’s mind compared to the effects, while Cruise mainly shows muscles and doesn’t admit his age. Anyone who, for obvious reasons, has not been in front of the big screen in recent years is choosing exactly the right new entry into the world of cinema with this action spectacle.
Written by Jacqueline Beckmann
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