Top Gun: Maverick

I hate that I love this movie.

BUT I AINT WORRIED BOUT IT RIGHT NOW KEEPIN DREAMS ALIVE 1999 HEROES I AINT WORRIED BOUT IT RIGHT NOW SWIMMING IN THE FLOODS DANCING ON THE CLOUDS BELOW I AINT WORRIED BOUT IT

Rooster so hot

I love men and jets :3

It’s wild that we got this film so long after the original, successfully breaking the curse of legacy sequels failing to meet the standard. Top Gun: Maverick doesn’t just meet that level - but far exceeds it in every conceivable way.

Tom Cruise has established a serious creative powerhouse around him. His collaborations with McQuarrie, his editors, and his composers create a continuous winning formula that constantly delivers. Visually, the film is stunning, especially the sequences in the larger aspect ratio. The score hits hard, hitting the franchise’s legacy beats while bringing something fresh and modern to the film. The whole thing moves like a bullet train; the editing is superb and never disturbs the flow.

The cast does a mighty fine job, but as with any Cruise movie, he’s the center of it all. That’s not a negative - he’s the quintessential movie star. He absolutely oozes charisma and talent, not just in the action and stunts, but in the quieter moments and the comedy, where his work is often under-appreciated. Beyond the man himself, Miles Teller stands out - he’s great at keeping the spirit of Goose alive without being a carbon copy. It’s also incredible what this film has done for so many up-and-coming actors.

This is the ultimate summer blockbuster crowd-pleaser and easily one of my favorite films. This was my sixth viewing, and it still manages to make me cry every single time. Being my first watch since Val Kilmer’s passing, the “Iceman” funeral hit especially hard this time around.

Mv Tom Cruise