Top Gun: Maverick
9 January 2023
Director: Joseph Kosinski
See
Him: Top Gun Maverick directed by Joseph Kosinski is the return to blockbuster entertainment we were all waiting for post-pandemic. It’s a testament to Tom Cruise’s self belief as a producer, waiting for cinemas to reopen for maximum spectacle, enjoyment and revenue. He plays Pete
‘Maverick’ Mitchell, a military test pilot who returns to Top Gun to train a new generation of fighter pilots. Among them is Bradley ‘Rooster’ Bradshaw (Miles Teller) the son of his deceased navigator Goose.
Her: Top Gun Maverick, a sequel of the cult classic released in the late 80s, starring Tom Cruise as the Maverick, the original best of the best and Miles Teller as the new best of the best American pilots.
Think
Him: It’s a simple but effective story that reiterates the premise of the original some 30 years later. The rivalry between Maverick and Iceman (Val Kilmer) is now Rooster and Hangman (Glen Powell who I loved in Everybody Wants Some!!). The theme of ‘It’s the pilot not the plane’ is the guiding principal of the movie. The beach volleyball scene I take my hi-5 from is now team bonding beach football. Supporting stars Jennifer Connolley, Ed Harris and Jon Hamm are types, not developed characters.
She: I really wanted to follow the scene explaining their mission at the start to see if it makes it a better story thatcher than just another rollercoaster.
I think Tom Cruise was really struggling without showing his physical strength in this one, or maybe he is also getting older. Either way, I got a bit tired of seeing his very retched face in the end and scared I’ll be stuck with it. I do like watching rollercoaster films from a producer point of view. It seems like a collection of staples )rivalry between old/new, a few great chases, someone's about to faint, main character humiliated but shows he’s still top dog, humiliated again by his romantic acquaintance, final romantic scene HAS to happen on a sunset - god bless America - makes me wonder whether I’d be able to direct a movie like this if I had a gazillion dollars.
Feel
Him: It touched my heart that Val Kilmer could return, despite being unable to speak after throat cancer, but he still has a strong presence. His voice was dubbed by his and Joanne Whaley’s son Jack Kilmer. They were co-stars in Willow and their son was great in Palo Alto. But is he a nepo baby? Are they the next generation or a way to keep franchises going…
Her: Not much apart from momentary tension and adrenaline. As I said previously, they might as well have been sitting on their loos with those faces. And I don’t think I’d feel very sorry for either if they crashed.
