More than thirty years later, Tom Cruise puts on the Maverick costume for the sequel to Top Gun. And we did not expect such a success. Our spoiler-free review.
” The future is upon us. And it will happen without you », Asserts Ed Harris to Tom Cruise, as if to remind us of the inevitable. At nearly 60 years old, the star actor is always pushing the limits of the possible further, delaying film after film, performance after performance, the deadline. Put on the costume of Maverick, daredevil and arrogant fighter pilot, to Top Gun: Maverick, is only a symbol. But beyond the egocentric trip hides a masterful blockbuster, carried by a daring authenticity and a remarkable sincerity.
Above all, Top Gun: Maverick succeeds in a rather crazy bet: transforming what was only a guilty pleasure for teenagers who dreamed of seducing on Take My Breath Way, after riding a motorcycle with the wind in the wind. However, he starts from a simplistic issue, but which touches on the intimate: forgiveness and all the resentment that is linked to it. Beyond the F18s which only land and take off in a bewildering aerial ballet, there is the story of a hero who has evolved. From an actor, too.
Top Gun: Maverick is a masterful sequel
You have to remember what was Top Gun when it was released in 1986, namely primarily a film for boys who aspired to become men. Where sexy fighter pilots show off their youthful bodies and wear skin-tight 501s for a beach volleyball match. Either hyper virility in its most clichéd and, no doubt, also most abject form. Nevertheless, many forty-somethings, even thirty-somethings, have seen themselves in Maverick, a casual hero devoid of superpowers, embodied by a Tom Cruise who, at the time, was best known only for his appearance. Since then, the actor has become a Hollywood machine, a maker of (great) shows, endowed with a career dotted with (real) moments of bravery.
So, of course, this Top Gun: Maverick is sometimes nothing more than a way to remind everyone that Tom Cruise is still in on it, with the star doing his own stunts, as if to make up for it. But he also agrees to break the Oral B smile, even to share the cover a little with the new generation (Glen Powell and Milles Teller to name but a few). Top Gun: Maverick is a film of exploits justified by the impossibility of mourning a father killed in midair (Goose) or the need to pay homage to a figure who seemed invincible (Iceman, who had become voiceless, like Val Kilmer). No matter what is happening on the screen, the action leads to the emotion.
Top Gun: Maverick therefore manages to get the most out of a story of a seemingly impossible mission, which must oversee a seemingly has-been hero. He could have taken the easy way out, chaining bold references, which the blockbuster strives to do as soon as the stars of Paramount appear, then when Danger Zone sounds. We then enter Top Gun: Maverick with the feeling of being on familiar ground, as if back in another era. But we come out of it with the impression of having taken who knows how many Gs. It’s almost the opposite: to the borderline ridiculous tone of his predecessor, he responds with a strong sense of great cinema. The one that transports, makes people smile and breaks the heart. And, of course, awe-inspiring.
Amazing aerial sequences
In addition to a bottom which surprises by its accuracy, in spite of some lengths and facilities (yes, Tom Cruise Maverick always gets up and has the beautiful role), Top Gun: Maverick remains a film with planes. And we must underline the incredible achievement of Joseph Kosinski who, with his teams, orchestrates high-flying aerial sequences, both literally and figuratively. Outside, the tight trajectories are elegantly supported by perfect planes, accentuating the notion of danger and honoring the profession of fighter pilot. In the cockpit, the staging selfie way testifies to the almost implausible involvement of the cast.
This quest for authenticity at all costs, imposed by Tom Cruise, is an ode to cinema which destroys fakery and special effects to deceive. It ends up being part of a form of old-fashioned cinema, the better to echo the Top Gun from 1986. There is this undeniable desire to stay traditional, to please fans and give others their money’s worth. At each F18 that leaves the ground, we take uppercut on uppercut. Then, on the descent, without a parachute, we are simply delighted to see Maverick reborn from his ashes, he who spends his time burning his wings. One would hardly dare to write that Top Gun: Maverick can take you to seventh heaven — but it’s just like.
The verdict
We liked
Tom Cruise, in top form
Much more than a new guilty pleasure
Aerial sequences
We liked less
Gotta love Tom Cruise
You have to love planes
Where did the song Take My Breath Away go?
Top Gun: Maverick emerges as the sequel we weren’t hoping for. Beyond the self-centered trip of Tom Cruise, Hollywood’s ever-increasing man, and the mind-boggling aerial festival, there is a well-crafted film. He feeds on pieces of bravery, which he intersperses with moments touching more on the intimate of heroes of the past, never really ready to hang up.
Far from the simplistic tribute full of fan service, Top Gun: Maverick makes the show a necessity and, by extension, a strength. It’s great cinema, driven by a really involved cast (Tom Cruise, but not only) and a very high-flying production.