Every now and then a film comes along that changes the way we see cinema. There are dozens and dozens of movies being released each month, either on the big screen or the small screen. So some films can become lost in the noise and forgotten easily, but on the other side of that coin, you have films that come along and remind you why cinema is what it is today and Top Gun: Maverick is one of those films.
Back in 1986 a young actor called Tom Cruise took to the skies in the now-iconic film, Top Gun. Top Gun was the film that changed Cruise’s life, turning him into a bankable mega-star and also proving that there are no limits to what you can put on the big screen. Aeroplanes, jets and other types of aircraft fighters have been seen in cinema before, but the difference that Top Gun made was that it tried to put you in the pilot’s seat. The first film did a grand job of that, but with technology now more advanced and fighter jets at risk of being replaced by drones now seems to be the perfect time for a sequel, and it appears the filmmakers knew that too.
Joseph Kosinski has a great eye for detail. As a filmmaker, he has created films such as Tron: Legacy and Oblivion, the latter of which was his first collaboration with Tom Cruise and paved the way for Top Gun: Maverick. Together with his visual magic and camera trickery he had the right mindset to move the supposed franchise forward. Also, the legacy of the first film caused a shadow over the making of this film too, and it became a big task to bring this sequel to life. The thing is that this isn’t just a Tom Cruise film. There is also a diverse cast of young recruits in the film with the likes of Miles Teller, Glen Powell, Monica Barbaro, Jay Ellis and Danny Ramirez all joining Cruise on the big screen.
Top Gun: Maverick might at first appear to be one of those films that attempt to expand the franchise and become the first of many sequels in the years to come, but it doesn’t bother with expanding the universe. In fact it is a self-contained story about a team of pilot’s learning to take out a nuclear bunker in an undisclosed location. The training, the team building and the pay-off at the end is perfectly built up, easing us into the story and the characters and proving that this is a life and death situation. By the end of the film you almost feel breathless with the action and the sound design being so perfect that you get lost within the film. Almost the entire film was made practically with little visual effects, and it shows!
Top Gun: Maverick had a lot of weight on its shoulders, especially with numerous delays thanks to the pandemic, so to see the end result be as good as it is is so satisfying! Everything good you remembered from the first film is back again, with nods of nostalgia and grief over the losses of what happened in the first film, as well as some musical elements all transport you back to the 1980’s. This film also looks and feels like a summer blockbuster with sunsets and beaches being a key backdrop for the majority of the film, and it feels so welcoming that you don’t want the film to end.
★★★★★
5/5
Top Gun: Maverick is a huge success, and it will forever be known as the film from the summer of 2022! The whole film is filled to the brim with comedy, empathy, loss, grief and action that it all interweaves seamlessly into the plot. Some key plot points that won’t be mentioned here also surprise you and feel well earned as a heart warming pay-off to the first film. Not a lot of sequels tend to surpass their first film, but Top Gun: Maverick appears to do that. It’s films like this that remind you what cinema is all about. It isn’t just about watching a film, it is also about feeling a film. Top Gun: Maverick is an event that you don’t want to miss out off.
Thanks for reading today’s blog!
Alex Murray, the Head of Eyesight Productions
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