Top Gun Maverick (2022)

Elevator Pitch: Pete “Maverick” Mitchell the former “Top Gun” is still flying, now a test pilot. After crashing an experimental aircraft instead of being sacked he is sent to the Navy Topgun school to train a group pilots for a secret mission. Maverick visits the local bar operated by Penny, a former lover and instructs the flyers in the job, which seems to be virtually impossible. The target is protected by missiles and the latest enemy aircraft. There is friction particularly between him and Rooster, son of Goose, Maverick’s former best friend. The admiral in charge wishes to change the plan which will almost certainly result in the deaths of the pilots but Maverick convinces him that if he is allowed to lead the raid it will all work out. But will it?

Content: It appears at one point that Maverick and Penny may have had sex, but no nudity. Quite a bit of drinking in the bar. Aircraft are seen taking off from a carrier. We see Maverick piloting the experimental scramjet – impressive. During training Maverick takes on the trainees and makes them look silly. There is a lot of flying so much time is spent in the cockpits viewing the contorted features of the pilots as they experience G forces, and later combat with the enemy planes. The task has a bewildering similarity to that required of the pilots in the first Star Wars film. 

This film has been well liked by everybody and I think made its production cost back on its first weekend. Of course this depends a bit on the manner in which the film is trailed, and it is noted that the next Mission Impossible film for 2023 is already being trailed with Top Gun Maverick. So there is a lot of flying which makes it an extremely noisy film. The love interest is more or less shoehorned in and you can tell. On reflection to appreciate the flying scenes I think I would have to see it again, and I’m not quite interested enough to bother. 

There are a great many Tom Cruise films out there, many of which have been reviewed on this site. Here are three which I liked a lot: The Edge of Tomorrow, Collateral, Rain Man.