Top Gun: Maverick

When "Top Gun" hit theaters in 1986, I was a total fan of the movie. The soundtrack was playing up and down in my house and huge posters of Tom Cruise as "Maverick" decorated my room. Like almost every boy my age, I wanted to be as cool as Maverick (which I definitely wasn't). And of course, I had a bit of a crush on Kelly McGillis. All of these are reasons why I was excited on the one hand, but a little skeptical on the other, when a sequel was announced with "Top Gun: Maverick" over 35 years after the original. After numerous start date postponements, Tom Cruise now takes off again in the role that made him a world star. And I must say: after many failed late sequels (I say only: "The Prince of Zamunda") here comes a film in theaters (and exactly there it belongs), which does almost everything right.

And that's what it's all about in "Top Gun: Maverick": Pete "Maverick" Mitchell (Tom Cruise), as a daring test pilot, always puts his superiors on edge. After he has once again risked his life in a risky maneuver, he should actually be put on the street. But at the urging of Tom "Iceman" Kazansky (Val Kilmer), Maverick is ordered to prepare a group of young Top Gun pilots for a dangerous mission. Among them is Lt. Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw (Miles Teller), the son of Maverick's late friend "Goose", whose death still haunts him after all these years. The encounter between Maverick and the hot-headed Rooster reignites old conflicts - but there is little time to resolve them, as the perfect team for the mission must be selected in a matter of days...

"Top Gun: Maverick" is the perfect blend of nostalgia and modernization of the familiar material. Yes, there are some scenes that are taken directly from the original and seem to be there just to please the hearts of the fans. The entire opening sequence, set to "Danger Zone" by Kenny Loggins, is strictly just a repeat of what you know from the 86 film. But screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie ("Mission Impossible: Fallout", "Edge of Tomorrow") and his co-writers have perfectly managed to modernize these familiar set pieces and incorporate them into a story that, while not reinventing the wheel, is overall very exciting and involving and builds very well on the original.

By the way, you don't need to have seen this to enjoy "Top Gun: Maverick". But it certainly intensifies the entertainment value enormously if you understand the many allusions and references. Where this second part really scores, however, are the action-packed flight sequences, which were largely created without the use of CGI. Cruise and the rest of the cast actually flew the fighter jets - admittedly with professional assistance - and captured footage that really pushes you into the cinema seat. Here the sequel really surpasses the original by lengths.

There are some clichés served now and then, but on the other hand, the production also deals with them quite self-deprecatingly. Thus, the film offers not only a lot of suspense and action, but also some amusing scenes with purposefully applied humor. The whole thing is accompanied by a soundtrack that Hans Zimmer worked on together with Giorgio Moroder and Lady Gaga. This is always particularly good when it quotes the legendary "Top Gun Anthem", but otherwise falls short of the earworm quality of hits like "Take my Breath away".

All in all, "Top Gun: Maverick" is a near-perfect sequel and top-notch popcorn cinema that offers very good entertainment immersed in images that can really flourish on the big screen. No question about it, this was really worth the wait. Absolutely worth seeing!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp