Paramount’s latest high-flying blockbuster, Top Gun: Maverick has finally landed in theatres. Our resident film buffs Tom Parry and Stefan Bradley went to check it out.
TP: This is a sequel three decades in the making, its release delayed by the pandemic; Stefan, what did you think of the final product?
SB: I watched the original Top Gun, released in 1986, for the first time literally two hours before we saw Maverick at the Sale Cinema. It was as if I was watching two parts of a four-hour epic, rather than reuniting with a world I remember from my childhood. There’s been a lot of these sequels of movies from decades past, like Mad Max: Fury Road, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Blade Runner 2049, David Gordon Green’s Halloween and this one. Sequels can often be a waste of time, but I thought this movie was really good. It sees Pete “Maverick” Mitchell return to Top Gun to train a new generation of pilots. Maverick still loves the rush of flying, and has not settled down with a family; he’s a middle-aged man who won’t be slowing down anytime soon. Tom Cruise sells this character, because he’s been in Mission: Impossible and these other movies doing crazy real-life stunts, so I don’t think there’s many actors in their late 50s who could do an authentic performance like this.
TP: It certainly wouldn’t be as enjoyable with a different actor. I mean, Tom Cruise is one of the last true movie stars – he’s one of very few actors whose name alone can draw an audience, and watching Maverick, you can see why.
SB: It’s just what he does. And in this movie, there are a lot of practical effects – physical stunts, air combat, aerial flight sequences – you really feel it. The plot centres on Maverick, obviously heavily affected by what happened 36 years prior – a major tragedy that happens in the first movie – so he wants all these pilots to not suffer the same fate during the upcoming mission. It’s edge-of-your-seat stress because you’re hoping that they all get out in one piece.
Photos: Paramount Pictures
TP: The first Top Gun was really a hangout movie – there wasn’t really any huge stakes involved; whereas here in the sequel, the stakes aren’t just high, they’re VERY high, practically and emotionally.
SB: For sure! And this is where Maverick has a more engaging plot than the first movie, which is as you say, just a bunch of people hanging out and having a series of training exercises. There are similarities here – most of Maverick is training exercises, but it’s leading up to a final mission. And I thought all the young new cast members were strong – they established their personalities early on, so you know who’s who.
TP: A lot of the characters were carbon-copies though. I mean, Glen Powell’s character is more or less “Iceman” from the first movie, right?
SB: Yeah, that right. Maverick’s love interest was an interesting one, because unlike the romance in the last film, their relationship doesn’t really connect with the central storyline. They could have done the movie without Penny, and it probably would have worked out fine.
TP: Now, my memory is kind of hazy; is Penny the same character played by Kelly McGillis in the original Top Gun?
SB: No! That’s Charlie, who doesn’t seem to exist in this movie, and they make no reference to her. I assume that she’s moved on with her life.
TP: Anyhow, despite that lapse of knowledge, I do count myself a fan of the original, and when I saw the opening few minutes of Maverick I did think to myself, ‘Oh no, it’s a shot-for-shot retelling of the Tony Scott version’ – it has the exact same opening text in the exact same font, the exact same shots of jet fighters on aircraft carriers and the exact same Harold Faltermeyer soundtrack. But then it morphed into a completely different screenplay after that, which I appreciated. And, dare I say it, Maverick is better than its predecessor.
SB: I have to agree with you. The soundtrack is really good in this one too – they obviously take some motifs from the original, and they build on that.
TP: Yes, they sample the first movie’s score, throw in a few retro hits as well, but also add some new pop songs too. It’s a pretty good soundtrack – I think I might buy it!
SB: Of course, the best part is the flight sequences, and they were absolutely awesome.
TP: 99 per cent of which are practical!
SB: And they are better than last time, which is hardly faint praise – those scenes from the original film still hold up today! So if you want a really good action movie that’s a bit old-school, if you have your Top Gun VHS lying around I’m sure you’ll enjoy this. And even new fans.
TP: It’s definitely a popcorn movie, but the emotional moments hit so much harder, especially the scenes with Val Kilmer’s character – I don’t want to spoil them, but I shed a tear or two when I saw those.
SB: And let’s not forget the scenes involving Goose’s son, Rooster as well.
TP: So to summarise, music is great, action sequences are incredible, performances are wonderful and we definitely recommend Top Gun: Maverick – especially if you’re a member of the Roulettes!
Top Gun: Maverick is rated M for violence and coarse language, and is currently screening at Sale Cinema.
