Rob’s Movie Review –
Top Gun 2: Maverick
In theaters now
As I read reviews from both critics and lay-people alike who didn’t like this movie (who are in the clear and vast minority) it became clear what the consistent issue was; all of them had a stick way too far up their ass. Or they just anything that glorifies America. Or both.
Top Gun is not one of my all-time favorite movies. It’s an iconic film of my youth and it’s fine, just fine. It had its’ moments, but I rarely leave it on when I’m surfing for something to watch and it pops on. That said, I was looking forward to the sequel even before I saw the trailers and heard the back story of how it was made, and then I was hooked.
It is very bothersome to many that Cruise and his co-stars, did, in fact, fly these planes themselves. We’ve already received a dozen or so emails from people insisting that’s not true, providing either no, or anecdotal evidence to the contrary. I’m no Cruise fan, but it’s so sad we live in an age when we can’t just give people their due. The only true assertion out there is that F-18’s weren’t flown by the actors, which is prohibited by Pentagon regulations…oh gee, ok, so they only flew P-51’s…I guess that makes it all bogus. Grow up.
https://www.newsweek.com/top-gun-maverick-does-tom-cruise-cast-really-fly-planes-1710407
https://variety.com/2022/artisans/news/top-gun-maverick-cast-training-fighter-jets-1235279793/
With that out of the way, the movie is extraordinary if you go in expecting what you get; amazing aerial action and footage, some good ‘ol USA USA USA, and a fairly schmaltzy plot with a few twists and Hollywood turns. The throwbacks and homages to the original are palpable throughout and when your 2-hour ride is over, you emerge from a much-needed escape from the real world quite satisfied with one of the rare feats ever achieved in Hollywood: A sequel better than the original
