Close Menu
NERDBOT
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram YouTube
    Subscribe
    NERDBOT
    • News
      • Reviews
    • Movies & TV
    • Comics
    • Gaming
    • Collectibles
    • Science & Tech
    • Culture
    • Nerd Voices
    • About Us
      • Join the Team at Nerdbot
    NERDBOT
    Home»Movies & TV»“Top Gun: Maverick” is the Best Sequel Since “Aliens” [Review]
    Tom Cruise plays Capt. Pete "Maverick" Mitchell in Top Gun: Maverick from Paramount Pictures, Skydance and Jerry Bruckheimer Films.
    Movies & TV

    “Top Gun: Maverick” is the Best Sequel Since “Aliens” [Review]

    Bill WattersBy Bill WattersMay 24, 20223 Mins Read
    Share
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest Reddit WhatsApp Email

    In cinema, there are few things more rare than a sequel of a pop-culture classic winding up being good. Those numbers drop off more when it’s a sequel released decades later. The contemporary fondness for all things nostalgic far more often result in “And Just Like That…” more than “Lost in Space.” In the case of “Top Gun: Maverick,” director Joseph Kosinski (“Tron: Legacy“), working from a story by Peter Craig (“The Batman“), has managed to bring about something that’s not only good, but a great action film that sets it apart.

    It’s been a long time since I’ve been in a theater with the audience cheering and reacting in earnest to the screen, and it’s refreshing. There are few films regularly worth it to brave the trek out to the theater. “Top Gun: Maverick,” however, is definitely one of those.

    “Top Gun: Maverick” Paramount Pictures

    The story is set 30+ years after the events in the first film, following the exploits and tribulations of Captain Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell, played again by Tom Cruise. After doing another feat of infuriating a superior officer, he is dispatched on one last assignment – to train an elite squad of recent Top Gun graduates to accomplish an all but impossible mission.

    With the banter between the pilots and their being prior Top Gun survivors, it does has a certain feeling of a Hunger Games Quarter Quell. But the characters are largely fleshed out with their own personalities and arcs within the story. “Top Gun: Maverick‘s” arial stunts set a new standard for thrilling dogfights. As impressive as the first film’s were back in ’86, this outing lifts it that far again.

    Miles Teller “Top Gun: Maverick” Photo by Scott Garfield, courtesy Paramount Pictures

    It’s not all perfection, though. Jennifer Connelly (“The Rocketeer“) as Maverick’s love interest feels less organic than might have been hoped given the smooth polish of the rest of the film. Miles Teller as Lieutenant Bradley ‘Rooster’ Bradshaw, the son of Maverick’s dearly departed wingman Goose, is both great casting as well as a superbly written role. It elevates the film from being simply an adventure flick, to an estranged father/son-esque story.

    Rating: 9 out of 10

    There are a few cameos of actors revisiting their characters from the first film, and they work to enhance the story rather than being fan service. If you were to pick only one of all the films to have come out in 2022 to see in the theater, this is it.

    “Top Gun: Maverick” is rated PG-13. It opens in theaters on May 24th, 2022.

    Do You Want to Know More?

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Email
    Previous ArticleWhat You Should Do to Protect Your Rights After a Staged Car Accident
    Next Article A List of The Best Programmable Robot Kits For Education
    Bill Watters
    • Facebook
    • X (Twitter)

    Bill Watters is a child of the late 70s- he walked into a theater to watch Star Wars, and emerged to become a lifelong fan of cinema and television. Spending nearly a decade as a projectionist, he fell into the Silicon Valley dot-com boom and became a codemonkey for a range of game companies. These days he's a frequent speaker, moderator, and panelist at pop-culture events and conventions, as well as a prolific film and television critic and genre news writer. He is also a member critic of both the San Francisco Film Critics Circle and the Broadcast Film Critics Association. In addition to his writing, he is also a photojournalist and can be found on Getty Images.

    Related Posts

    "M3GAN," 2025

    “M3GAN 2.0” A Sequel That Forgets to Have Fun [Review]

    June 29, 2025

    “F1: The Movie” Thrilling Cars, Crash and Burn Story [Review]

    June 28, 2025

    It’s OVER 9000! CASETiFY Launches New “Dragon Ball Z” Phone Accessories

    June 23, 2025

    “28 Years Later” We Live, We Die, Life Goes On [Review]

    June 21, 2025

    Official My Little Pony Coffee UNICORN POWERS Will Have You Feeling Magical!

    June 16, 2025

    Halfway Through 2025: These Are The Best Films (So Far)

    June 15, 2025
    • Latest
    • News
    • Movies
    • TV
    • Reviews

    “Trainwreck: Storm Area 51” Gets Teaser for Netflix Docu

    July 2, 2025

    Marisa Abela Joins Chad Stahelski’s “Highlander”

    July 2, 2025

    “Perfect Dark” Reboot Cancelled After More Microsoft Layoffs

    July 2, 2025

    How Smart Brands Use Podcast Marketing Services to Drive Revenue

    July 2, 2025

    President Trump Will “Look” at Deporting Elon Musk

    July 2, 2025

    Revitalize Your Mind and Body: How New Image Wellness Transforms Mental Well-being

    July 2, 2025

    Netflix to Stream NASA Launches, Missions, and More

    June 30, 2025

    Is the BYDFi App Worth Downloading? A Practical User Review

    June 30, 2025

    Marisa Abela Joins Chad Stahelski’s “Highlander”

    July 2, 2025

    Marvel Studios Reveals BTS Look at “The Fantastic Four”

    July 2, 2025

    David Dastmalchian to Play M. Bison in “Street Fighter”

    July 1, 2025

    Edgar Wright’s “The Running Man” Gets First Trailer

    July 1, 2025

    “Trainwreck: Storm Area 51” Gets Teaser for Netflix Docu

    July 2, 2025

    Neil Druckmann Leaves HBO’s “Last of Us” Ahead of Season 3

    July 2, 2025

    First Look at Chatsubo Bar from Apple TV+’s “Neuromancer” Series

    July 1, 2025
    “The Tiny Chef Show”

    “Tiny Chef Show” Raises $80k After Nickelodeon Cancelation

    June 28, 2025
    "M3GAN," 2025

    “M3GAN 2.0” A Sequel That Forgets to Have Fun [Review]

    June 29, 2025

    “F1: The Movie” Thrilling Cars, Crash and Burn Story [Review]

    June 28, 2025

    “28 Years Later” We Live, We Die, Life Goes On [Review]

    June 21, 2025

    Official My Little Pony Coffee UNICORN POWERS Will Have You Feeling Magical!

    June 16, 2025
    Check Out Our Latest
      • Product Reviews
      • Reviews
      • SDCC 2021
      • SDCC 2022
    Related Posts

    None found

    NERDBOT
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram YouTube
    Nerdbot is owned and operated by Nerds! If you have an idea for a story or a cool project send us a holler on [email protected]

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.