Last night my sister Marilyn and I went to an early access screening of Top Gun: Maverick and to say that we both loved it would be an understatement! It is the most exhilarating movie I have seen in a very long time! The large IMAX theater was absolutely packed and the crowd started cheering during "Danger Zone" in the opening credits and kept on cheering through the whole movie. There was a lot to cheer for! Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell (Tom Cruise) is now a navy test pilot but he is still breaking the rules. His superior officer, Rear Admiral Chester "Hammer" Cain (Ed Harris), wants to permanently ground him but Admiral Tom "Iceman" Kazansky (Val Kilmer) requests that he go back to Top Gun to train an elite group of graduates for a specialized mission, much to the displeasure of the commander of Naval Air Forces Vice Admiral Beau "Cyclone" Simpson (Jon Hamm) and to the delight of an old flame named Penny Benjamin (Jennifer Connelly). The mission involves bombing a facility that will soon be capable of producing enriched uranium and it is extremely dangerous because it is located in a deep mountainous canyon protected by surface-to-air missiles. Maverick is extremely conflicted because one of the candidates for the mission is Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw (Miles Teller), the son of his former wingman Nick "Goose" Bradshaw, and he doesn't want to send him on a mission he might not survive but knows that he will never forgive him if he doesn't. The story is incredibly compelling and a lot more emotional than I was expecting (I had tears in my eyes three different times). It pays homage to the original, with a lot of fun callbacks that fans will instantly recognize, while paving the way for a new narrative with a new group of pilots who are easy to root for. The action sequences are thrilling and incredibly immersive (the audience is literally in the cockpit with the pilots thanks to all of the practical stunts) and the final dogfight in an F-14 Tomcat will have you cheering out loud! I loved Cruise's performance and Maverick's character arc is a logical progression from the original movie because, even though he is still a bit cocky, he is more mature and feels his responsibility to his team of young pilots (he even has a love interest who is more age appropriate). Kilmer's performance will tug at your heartstrings (his character arc is executed so well) and Teller is outstanding. I loved everything about this movie and had a smile on my face during the whole runtime. It is the perfect summer blockbuster and I highly recommend seeing it on an IMAX screen!
No comments:
Post a Comment