Top Gun Maverick has bought Maverick and Iceman back to the big screen after 36 years, Top Gun Maverick is getting rave reviews from the audience who are delighted to return to find their need for speed one more time.
Having enjoyed Top Gun Maverick as the big cinematic experience, I did find myself asking a couple more questions by the end of the film, the question that are going to get looked out in this article.
This is done as a little bit of fun around movies, with the belief we can always find 3 good and 3 negative things about any movie, even if we can enjoy them on different levels.
THERE WILL BE MAJOR SPOILERS FOR THE MOVIE BELOW.
Up 1 – Maverick
Maverick is the returning character played by Tom Cruise, after the 36 years, you can still see the regret, grief and pain he suffers through after the death of Goose in the first Top Gun. How this moment will make him care about the most important part of any mission, bringing the pilots back, challenging everyone who doesn’t put this fact first. Maverick is filled the skills to make the best, better, flawless and will understand, prepare the pilots for the consequences if they don’t improve.
Down 1 – Penny
Penny might well be a welcome addition to the movie, giving Maverick a new love interest, replacing Charlie from the original film. There is a lot of information that they were a former flame, with the need to do some research into the first Top Gun to learn that she is a former Admiral’s daughter Maverick once dated. None of this is filled in with the information given in the film, with certain parts of the film being seen as just a passing line to why she is still here.
Up 2 – Iceman’s Appearance
One of the more difficult returns in Top Gun Maverick was Val Kilmer’s Iceman, after we know the battle Val Kilmer has been through with cancer, he can’t perform the role of a fighter pilot, with even talking becoming difficult for the man. Iceman is kept with text messages with Maverick for the most part of the film, but we do get one scene with the pair, one that is filled with emotion, one that will guide Maverick, like any wingman in the air or in life. It is a fitting tribute to a man that was such an important part of the first Top Gun, being the only other returning character, getting a touching send off.
Down 2 – Drone Competition
The opening sequence in the movie will follow Maverick dealing with the idea that pilots could get replaced by drones, with Radm. Chester ‘Hammer’ Cain wanting to get the drones in the skies, as pilot are being outsourced. He reassigns Maverick back to Top Gun to get rid of him from this latest research of achieving Mach 10. This is an interesting dynamic to bring to Maverick, which would reflect on how the workforce is getting replaced, only we don’t even get a mention to this when it comes to this mission, it feels like this could have added an extra moment of conflict to making it happen, even giving the younger pilots motivation to improve.
Up 3 – The Mission
The Mission Maverick is assigned to prepare, train and teach the importance of why they need to push things even further than they have ever done before. When it comes to watching the mission unfold, we get an amazingly intense action sequence, with a time-based mission, quick thinking manoeuvring and heart stopping dog fight to show the new skills the pilots have learned, as well as bringing an emotional impact to the sequences for both Maverick and Rooster.
Down 3 – Hangman
Hangman might well be one of the few of the cadets that stand out from the crowd, with his arrogant approach, knowing he is the best in the fleet, with the personal ability, but he lacks the teamwork abilities to remain in the team leader. He does clash with Rooster over what he believes is the role he should have and Glen Powell. What this character does lack, is the reason why he doesn’t get picked, once again, this does feel like a scene that could have easily had more to it, rather than only a disappointed look. This can be seen in two lights, the latest string of pilots respect orders over personal beliefs, which then doesn’t seem to give enough to why we see such an impactful arrogant approach in the early meetings.
What do you think are some of the Ups & Downs from Top Gun Maverick?
