Legacy sequels have been around for quite some time. Going back to the ’80s, Academy Award winner Martin Scorcese’s The Color of Money brought Eddie “Fast Eddie” Felson (Paul Newman) out of retirement in a sequel to the 1961 classic, The Hustler. Since then, legacy sequels have been sprinkled throughout the cinematic landscape.
However, over the past seven years, studios have leaned on legacy sequels to bring existing IPs back into pop-culture conversation. While some of these films, including Mad Max: Fury Road, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Creed, and Blade Runner 2049, stand as some of the best of the past few years, there are some entries (I’m looking at you, My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2) that will make cinephiles question “How long is too long for a sequel to be released?”
That question was brought up when news first broke that the Tony Scott classic, Top Gun, will be getting a legacy sequel. As a massive fan of the original for its 80’s charm, I was pretty unsure about the prospects of a sequel after so much time. That doubt turned to excitement after the first teaser of the trailer dropped many moons ago. Top Gun: Maverick was one of the first films to be delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The film ultimately shifted two years later and landed for a release this Memorial Day 2022. All the time that passed just created a level of anticipation that may have taken me directly into the danger zone of disappointment, and once again, I was proven wrong.
Top Gun: Maverick took my breath away. The film is an adrenaline rush tailor-made for the summer blockbuster season. It gives cinephiles jaw-dropping aerial combat sequences, but it packs an emotional punch that makes Top Gun: Maverick the cinematic event of the summer.
Top Gun: Maverick reenters the world of Pete “Maverick” Mitchell. Thirty years after completing his time at Top Gun, Maverick has established a 36-year career that currently sees him as a test pilot but with no advancement in rank in the Navy. After a failed test, Maverick is called back to where it all started, Top Gun. Chosen by his former foe turned friend, Ice Man (Val Kilmer), Maverick must train a group of graduates to embark on a specialized mission. One of those graduates is Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw (Miles Teller), the son of Maverick’s late best friend & partner Nick “Goose” Bradshaw (Anthony Edwards).
Since 2010’s Tron: Legacy, director Joseph Kosinski has progressively improved his filmmaking skills, and Top Gun: Maverick feels like the culmination of that progression. In a similar fashion to the NBA’s Golden State Warriors’ rise, there was no doubt the talent was there. It was just a matter of time before they reached the pinnacle. Kosinski’s direction in the film is reminiscent of early James Cameron, where he effectively blended grand spectacle and heart to create a cinematic experience that will stay with you after the credits roll.
Aiding Kosinski’s direction is the screenplay by Ehren Kruger, Eric Warren Singer, and Christopher McQuarrie. There is no denying McQuarrie and Cruise have developed an invaluable partnership over the past few years. However, Top Gun: Maverick may be the most surprising and the best project they’ve worked on thus far. Kruger, Singer, and McQuarrie’s screenplay give the series a refreshing maturity, examining legacy, risk, ambition, and letting go. Rather than phoning it home and selling the film on just the brand and popularity of the 80’s classic, the screenwriting team manifests a movie full of heart and stakes.
The top-notch performances effectively execute the stakes set by the film’s screenwriters in the film. Tom Cruise is the engine that flies this ensemble into excellence with one, if not his best, performance since Magnolia. The Cruise charm is on full display. However, Cruise evokes such a level of emotion, regret, and poignancy to his take that evolves Maverick from a one-dimensional entity in the original film to a fully fleshed character that makes it impossible not to root for.
The Top Gun graduates are not far behind Cruise with their magnetic performances. However, standing out from the bunch is the charisma-inducing Glenn Powell. His charisma is off the charts and makes the case big bad in a multiverse of film franchises. Along with Powell, the return of Miles Teller is here. Along with The Offer, Teller has shown the masses why he was regarded as one of the best up-and-coming actors in Hollywood.
A special shoutout must be bestowed at the feet of Val Kilmer. While not much screen time, Kilmer adds so much to the film’s stakes, especially Maverick’s self-doubt about his past and his future. Because of his health issues, Kilmer is not acting as much as he used to, but his small cameo here shows his talent. Plus, who didn’t want at least one scene with Iceman and Maverick.
Top Gun: Maverick is a visual feast in a film full of praise. Claudio Miranda’s cinematography is breathtaking and among the year’s best. Miranda’s lens captures the awe-inducing spectacle that concludes with one, if not the best third act of any film seen thus far. A genuinely exhilarating accomplishment that is nothing short of superb. From the stunning flight sequences to the aerial acrobatics, the action set pieces in Top Gun: Maverick has something for everyone.
While the nods to the original may be a bit much, I entirely ate them up, including the callbacks to Kenny Loggins, because who doesn’t want more Kenny Loggins in their lives. Along with a homage to Loggins, Harold Faltermeyer, Hans Zimmer, Lady Gaga, and Lorne Balfe bring life to the film’s original score while adding new sounds that excite cinephiles. Speaking of Gaga, it’s safe to say you can pencil her in for an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song “Hold My Hand.” The song slaps, but in my opinion, surpasses “Take My Breathe Away” on the Top Gun playlist.
Top Gun: Maverick is the summer blockbuster we’ve been craving for. It’s a film that takes the best of 80’s and 90’s action films to create a thrill ride for the ages. If this is the era of the legacy sequels, then Top Gun: Maverick stands among the best.
