Still a need for speed
PRAISE: Captain. Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell is still a rebel and pushing himself and jets to the limit in Top Gun : Maverick. The story this time around has Maverick Training a detachment of graduates for a special assignment, Maverick must confront the ghosts of his past and his deepest fears, culminating in a mission that demands the ultimate sacrifice from those who choose to fly it.
This movie gets a lot of things right and if you're going to make a sequel almost 36 years later this is how you do it.
The cast is all around likeable even if a bit cookie cutter with the cocky,young, and arrogant airmen and women seemingly ready to take on the world that includes: Miles Teller, Glen Powell, Jay Ellis, Lewis Pullman, Danny Ramirez, and Monica Barbaro .
Also some great supportive work from Jon Hamm and Val Kilmer
Cruise is really at his best here still portraying Maverick with the same swagger but enough pain around the edges to make him human.
There's a cute romance between him and Jennifer Connelly.
The action sequences are outstanding with dizzying visuals that are a wonder for the eyes and breathtaking. The film also hit me with a good dose of raw emotion, hitting all the right cords and then some. A lot of nice nods to the first film.
A great job is done making the story come full circle.
I wonder if writers Peter Craig and Justin Marks are Star Wars fans LOL
PROBLEMS : There's some clichéd and predictable moments and at times I wished the film could have gone down a few more gripping and realistic paths.
Scale of 1 to 10 an 8½
