Top Gun: Maverick (2022) Dir: Joseph Kosinski
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People have been telling me for ages to watch this Joseph Kosinski directed sequel to the classic 80's action film. The popularity of the film certainly set the film in good stead, but that doesn't always mean an individual will feel the same - still, I was pretty optimistic.
First and foremost, some of the film's cinematography was exquisite. The action sequences with the fighter jets were immense. They were high adrenaline, intense and incredibly thrilling. The practical nature of the camerawork and effects made the film even more impressive to watch.
My one worry was that the story would be a dull nostalgic disappointment. I was pleasantly surprised by the direction the film took. The plot lines made sense, the developments worked and honestly it was a really entertaining couple of hours. I have to say I really enjoyed it.
Obviously some of the narrative was built around the previous film, but it wasn't purely for fan service. It had a functional, believable impact on the plot. None of it felt forced, and it built towards a genuinely interesting and satisfying conclusion.
Tom Cruise gave a solid and consistent performance as his now-iconic leading character. He had some good emotional scenes, but this was not one of his best performances, at least for me. That is not to say that he was poor, by the way - far from it. I have just preferred some of his other performances.
I thoroughly enjoyed the performance of Miles Teller, who both emulated his character's father and forged a new and memorable personality of his own. He had the presence and the execution to stand side by side with Cruise - a great casting choice, in my opinion.
There were a few names who, while not prevalent in the film, were all excellent and well worth their brief minutes. These standouts were Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm and Glen Powell. Of these, Powell was my favourite for his cheek and charisma, which was perfect for the role.
Lewis Pullman and Monica Barbaro were the best of the rest, though there were several others who deserved mentions, those being; Ed Harris, Bashir Salahuddin, Greg Tarzan Davis, Charles Parnell, Manny Jacinto and Val Kilmer.
Overall, I have to say I was very impressed with this sequel. I enjoyed the vast majority of it, and I can definitely understand the rampant enthusiasm surrounding it. It had so many great flight sequences, and a surprisingly sincere story behind them, which allowed it to feel like much more than the lazy money-grab it could've been.
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