7/2/22 - Top Gun: Maverick (2022) - 6+/10
Don’t think, just watch. A pulse pounding nostalgia throwback that deserves a big screen and even bigger speakers (which I’m so glad my local independent cinema provides).
I can’t help but think of George Lucas’s infamous “it’s like poetry” line in reference to the prequels’ story as we get a Top Gun redux here. It plays out in complete symbiosis with its predecessor, for nostalgic good or refried ill - your choice. It’s not going to win any screenplay awards nor is it a dramatically involved character study, but it definitely does what it says on the tin. You care enough and if you got the need, it’s got the speed.
The seemingly practical flying is pretty breathtaking and provides some ample thrills. It’s electrifying and so much more felt than the consistently green-screened CGI of the standard summer blockbusters. I would love to see a “making of” with this one.
It’s fun and if you are a fan of the original, I would have to think it would enduringly scratch that itch. Now, I do have to wonder how or even if it might work if you don’t have foreknowledge of the 80’s classic. I might also have some questions about the knowledge of 20-something’s in regards to the lyrics of “Great Balls of Fire” (1957) or why America would be behind in the latest aerial machine technology, but these are necessities for the plot that can be swept aside, much like the exciting but wholly unbelievable final battle scenes. But like Maverick tells me, “if I think,I’m dead”, so just go with it, hit those afterburners and call the ball on summer blockbuster.
PS: Could someone explain to me why there is so much love for Miles Teller’s mustache here?