The
late director Tony Scott’s Top Gun (1986) was the top dog at the box
office in 1986, grossing over $350 million globally and understandably
compelling studio Paramount Pictures to want to fast-track a follow-up to it.
The idea that roughly thirty-six years would exist between it and the original
film, which catapulted Tom Cruise to super stardom and household name status, is
something that no one could have predicted, especially the film’s producers Don
Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer. This powerhouse producing partnership also yielded
the financially successful Flashdance (1983), Beverly Hills Cop
(1984), and Days of Thunder (1990) before Mr. Simpson’s life was
tragically cut short by drug addiction in 1996.
The
primary question most filmgoers may have going into Top Gun: Maverick is
if seeing the original film is essential. The answer is yes, as the emotional
arc that Mr. Cruise’s character undergoes in the sequel would be lost on those
unfamiliar with its predecessor. For the uninitiated, the original Top Gun
revolves around a group of the world’s best fighter pilots – the top of the
line, or Top Guns. Maverick (Tom Cruise), Goose (Anthony Edwards), and Iceman
(Val Kilmer) are among these pilots, and Charlotte (Kelly McGillis) is an
instructor who begins a romantic relationship with Maverick (he has a
reputation for taking unnecessary risks while flying, but she is intrigued by
him). While on a training mission, a Douglas A-4 Skyhawk light attack aircraft engages
Maverick (Goose is seated behind him) and Iceman (in a separate fighter).
Iceman attempts to lock his sights on the fighter and fails, so Maverick attempts
the maneuver instead. Unfortunately, Maverick’s Grumman F-14 Tomcat flies
through the vapor trail left over from Iceman’s fighter (known as “jet wash”) which
shuts down both of his engines, sending him hurtling towards Earth. Maverick
and Goose eject themselves from the F-14, but Goose slams his head into the top
of the jettisoned aircraft canopy and is killed. Maverick is devastated and
blames himself, despite the military absolving him of any wrongdoing in a
situation over which he had no control.
The
sequel, directed by Joseph Kosinski of Tron: Legacy (2010) fame, is set
over thirty years later and we find Maverick as a test pilot. The “Darkstar”
program is a manned flight in danger of becoming extinct due to the
availability of unmanned drones. Maverick pushes the limit of the prototype
beyond its intended purpose and inadvertently destroys it, infuriating the head
of the program (Ed Harris). Summoned by a now terminally ill Iceman, who is the
commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, Maverick is to head up the training of Top
Gun graduates for the purpose of sending them on a mission to destroy a secret uranium
enrichment facility set deep beneath the bottom of a steep canyon. One of the
recruits is Rooster (Miles Teller), the son of Goose from the first film. Maverick
promised Rooster’s mother that he would not allow Rooster to become a pilot for
fear of meeting a similar fate that befell his father and interfered with
Rooster’s career to stop that from happening, something Maverick discloses to
Penny (Jennifer Connelly), an old girlfriend he begins dating again. To his
chagrin, Rooster wants to be The Best, having no knowledge of Maverick’s
interference. This premise is what gives the film the conflict that needs to be
overcome along with what is unquestionably the most awe-inspiring and most
breathtaking fighter footage ever shot for a major motion picture. Had I seen
this film instead of Don Taylor’s The Final Countdown in 1980 at the age
of eleven, I would be a pilot today.
If
I have any carping about the sequel, it is the brief flashback to the original
film; the use of previous footage from a first film is generally anathema to
me, however, I understand the rationale behind the film’s use, and it is a
minor quibble that does not negatively impact the film. Poltergeist II: The
Other Side (1986) did this, with poor results. Top Gun: Maverick
also ports over “Danger Zone”, the hit song by Kenny Loggins that was featured
in the original and was a massive hit.
Jennifer
Connelly was hand-chosen by Mr. Cruise to play his former girlfriend who is
mentioned in passing in the first film. She more than holds her own in this
film. I first saw Mrs. Connelly when she portrayed Jennifer Corvino in Dario
Argento’s supernatural Phenomena (1985), a film role that she landed
after Signor Argento spotted her in Sergio Leone’s Once Upon a Time in
America (1984). She has since become one of America’s foremost actresses.
Top
Gun: Maverick is a
case wherein the sequel easily bests its predecessor. George Miller’s The
Road Warrior (1981) easily blows Mad Max (1979) out of the water,
even though the sequel uses footage from Mad Max!
Top
Gun: Maverick is
now available on 4K UHD Blu-ray and the transfer is reference quality. It comes
with the following extras:
Cleared
for Take Off (HD –
9:15) – This piece illustrates how much personal investment Mr. Cruise put into
this film and how he wanted to take on other film roles to further his craft of
acting. The level of dedication that he gave to this film is incredible. Then
again, he always does.
Breaking
New Ground – Filming Top Gun: Maverick
(HD – 7:56) – This piece dives into the technical challenges beset by the film
crew as traditional methods of filming proved impractical. The desire to film
the performers in the cockpits of the F-18 fighter jets that they are flying
could only be accomplished by designing and manufacturing miniature high
resolution. This required them all to become fighter jet pilots!
A
Love Letter to Aviation
(HD – 4:48) – Mr. Cruise wears many hats in life, and this piece illustrates
his love of flying.
Forging
the Darkstar (HD –
7:31) – This is very cool, the conception and design of the aircraft that is
seen in the beginning of the film.
Masterclass
with Tom Cruise: Cannes Film Festival
(HD – 49:04) – This is my favorite piece as Mr. Cruise talks about his
experiences making films with other directors, and when you look at his
filmography, it is mind-blowing. Mr. Cruise is humble, a wonderful raconteur,
and just as personable as he was when I met him in front of the Ziegfeld
Theater at the premiere of Steven Spielberg’s War of the Worlds in 2005.
Lady
Gaga’s “Hold My Hand” Music Video (HD – 3:52)
OneRepublic’s
“I Ain’t Worried” Music Video (HD – 2:37)