I heard numerous people saying how great Top Gun: Maverick is and we decided to check it out. What I discovered was a really good film that relied heavily on nostalgia and may have actually surpassed the original Top Gun. Yes, it does so by taking liberally from the first film and I think without the success of the first, it wouldn’t be rated as high.

Miles Teller who played “Rooster” (the son of “Goose from the original) was excellent casting as he embodied the offspring of Anthony Edwards. Tom Cruise played Tom Cruise as he always does and the benefit of never aging means he will be able to continue to play that role likely forever.

I think the main reason this film works so well is because the original worked so well. There was nothing new… literally nothing. It had brash cockiness, it had testosterone, it had fast machines (bikes, cars, airplanes,) it had explosions, it had romance. Like I said… nothing new… just a tried and true formula. Okay, maybe it has a little new. It has been modernized with the expected diverse cast and politically correct themes. They even are careful not to mention what country is the “bad guy” as I am guessing they don’t want to piss off another country.

In a world full of superheroes films, TG:M was a throwback to an actual film that tells a story. Yes, it was a retelling… but it was still a story. Yes, it has been said that there are no new stories in the world and this film certainly lends credence to that.

Go see it if you want to see something without a superhero. Go see it if you want to feel nostalgic about the original Top Gun. Go see it if you like Tom Cruise action films. Go see it if you want to relive a simpler time in storytelling. Actually, there isn’t really a reason to not go see this film. It is fun.

by Chris Doelle

Rating 8 of 10