The aptly named Maverick (Tom Cruise) has spent the past three decades refusing to rank up beyond Captain. The Navy finally decides to ground him for his maverickness until his old wingman Iceman (Val Kilmer), now the Pacific Fleet admiral, intervenes. Maverick gets sent back to the TOPGUN program as an instructor. His mission, which he has no choice but to accept, is to train the Navy's best pilots to fly in and destroy an unsanctioned uranium plant. Chief among the pilots is Rooster (Miles Teller), whose dad was Maverick's ill-fated RIO Goose (Anthony Edwards in the first film), and the egotistical Hangman (Glen Powell).
Maverick spends quite a bit of time training these recruits and annoying Vice-Admiral Cyclone (Jon Hamm) with his antics. He also finds time with former girlfriend Penny (Jennifer Connelly). Meanwhile, Rooster resents Maverick for keeping him out of the Naval Academy. They'll have to rely on each other to get through the mission alive.
Joseph Kisinski starts the film the same way Tony Scott started the first one: aboard a flight deck at daybreak as Harold Faltermeyer's famous anthem plays before Kenny Logins' Danger Zone kicks in. The building anticipation isn't as strong as the first film's scene but it's all right. It also looks nicer thanks to Claudio Miranda's cinematography. It's a good way to get us in the mood. The mood is kept going by Faltermeyer and his scoring collaborators, Hans Zimmer and Lady Gaga.
The main mission is sure to amuse anyone who remembers The Dam Busters. Anyone who doesn't may recognize it as Star Wars on Earth (which is how the first film was pitched). Either way, you will get a kick out of its airborne sequences. There's plenty of hotshot antics in Maverick's flight school and the mission itself. Editor Eddie Hamilton builds up the suspense whenever Maverick or the others take to the skies. You'll guess right away, for example, that Rooster and Maverick will survive a firefight in an ammo-less F-14 with a "felon." How they survive will keep you guessing, and the payoff is thrilling. The visual effects also perfectly obfuscate the difference between a real plane and a mainly-CGI one.
Sure, if you've seen one hotheaded Tom Cruise character, you've seen them all. But Maverick is still a charismatic character after all this time. He tries to prove to himself and his superiors that he's still relevant. It's a compelling arc that keeps his invested for 131 minutes. He gets some laughs as he and Rooster try to sneak out of enemy territory and sadness as he visits the ill Iceman. Iceman's few raspy lines were reportedly constructed with an AI program (due to Kilmer's own ill-health) and it's a great touch to the already spectacular sound design.
Maverick's not the only Top Gun here. Rooster and the other recruits are a strong squad here. Rooster's plot is as compelling as Maverick's, while Hangman ultimately proves himself a good man despite his bravado. A few more highlights include Lewis Pullman as Bob, Monica Barbaro as Phoenix and Jay Ellis as Payback. Cyclone and Rear Admiral Hammer (Ed Harris) are acceptable and reasonable antagonists for Maverick to fly over. On the civilian front, Penny and her daughter Amelia (Lyliana Wray) bring some much-needed gravity to ground Maverick's ego.
Anyone looking for a simple blockbuster will find it here. Top Gun: Maverick will thrill you on land and in the air. You won't get too lost if you lack either the pop-cultural osmosis or firsthand experience of the original. Its relatively simple plot is a rarity today. This is the kind of film that was made for the biggest screens possible. This is the kind of film made for holiday weekends. This is the kind of film summer was made for. Simply see it soon. It's just that good.
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