Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
It’s what my dad would’ve done.
THE SUMMARY: Maverick returns to the ‘Top Gun’ fighter pilot school to train an elite group of prospects for an impossibly dangerous mission, making peace with the son of the guy he got killed last time. Taken on its own, I would probably like Maverick more. It’s action-packed and entertaining. But it’s almost the exact same movie as the first one - it just has better scenery, the original love interest is too old and fat now so they brought in Jennifer Connelly, and it’s slightly less overtly homosexual, but not much.
NO MOVIE-PICKER COMMENTARY: Once again, the movie nominations were rejected in the vote two weeks ago, so Top Gun: Maverick is a random selection from IMDB’s top-250 list. It currently ranks #140.
JAMIE AND JEANNE’S AI FACESWAP ART:
This pilot will crash your plane and beat your ass.
Blackface was the only way I could get hired as a pilot anymore.
Soon to become one with the hillside.
Twin grin.
With this thing I can fight Joe Biden in Civil War 2.
I guess I'm the child of these two.
THE BEST:
The action is cool: Do you like planes that fly fast and do stunts? Sure, who doesn’t? There are plenty. High speeds. Upside down stuff. Maverick’s signature ‘slam on the brakes’ move. Precision bombing. A tight takeoff. Passing out from how crazy the stunts are. It’s all entertaining, even if hollow in any intellectual value.
The scenery is nice: Flying through the mountainscape added some scenic intrigue. Not just the topographic obstacles, but the aesthetic of the snowfall too. The movie is very beautifully set and shot.
It’s decently authentic: For as visually impressive as the movie is, it’s actually minimal CGI. The planes are real, the stunts are real, and the pilots (off screen in front of the actors) are real. Maverick mostly used two-man planes with a real pilot sitting in front of the actor, so Cruise and company were just along for the ride, but the actors also completed a fairly rigorous training program to prepare for the physical demands of such aggressive flight.
If you like the first one, you’ll appreciate the throwback nostalgia: As someone who mostly did not enjoy the first movie, the constant callbacks and scene recreations meant nothing to me. But if you loved the original, you probably enjoyed this one too. The same crazy plane stunts, the same ‘80s power ballad, the same lots of things, as I’m about to get to. Sticking with the formula makes sense, if you love the formula. I don’t, but I get why people would.
Maverick proves it can be done.
This time there's snow - that's how it's different.
THE WORST:
It’s almost the exact same movie: On the other hand, there’s sticking with the formula so strictly that you’re making the same movie almost 40 years later. That’s Maverick. Let me count the nearly identicals:
The Highway to the Danger Zone opening montage is almost exactly the same.
The lame sex scene isn’t quite as bad in Maverick (less gross tongue silhouette in a strange blue color), but very similar to the original.
Goose’s son plays Great Balls of Fire on the piano just like his dad.
Both movies culminate with an impossible mission somehow achieved, and celebrations aboard the aircraft carrier.
Instead of gay beach volleyball, this time they play gay beach football, which fittingly goes both ways, since they now include women.
Callbacks are fun. References are appreciated by the fans. But Maverick is really just a recreation of the first movie, almost scene-for-scene. The plot progression is the same. The details are the same. The challenges are the same. The ‘fun’ parts are the same. The only difference is Goose’s son gets redemption for his dad. That’s nice, but it’s not much effort for story telling.
Maverick is kind of a loser, actually: Why is Maverick unmarried, without children, chasing a single mom, jumping out her bedroom like he’s 16? Why doesn’t Maverick have a life outside of work… at all? Despite his talent and success, Maverick never builds what matters: a family. I guess we’re supposed to trust he’s finally gonna settle down now… at like 60, when it’s way too late. Sure, he’s a great pilot. But he’s apparently not that great of a man, and it’s harder to make him a true hero for that reason.
How perfectly diverse these elite pilots are: This was far from the worst example I’ve ever seen, but the Top Gun elite are clearly not actually elite. They’re way too perfectly diverse. There’s the black guy (actually two) And the hispanic guy. And the hispanic chick. And the Asian guy. And the sort of femmy, maybe gay guy. They absolutely checked the boxes with these actors, and there’s zero chance the Navy’s most elite pilots would break down this perfectly demographically. Maverick doesn’t throw some progressive diversity message in your face, but they clearly cast the roles with that intent.
Time to grow up, Mav.
My, what wonderful demographics you have.
THE RATING: 3/5 Wickies. It’s perfectly fine popcorn entertainment, and the action is more impressive than the first, but if you saw the first, you saw this one too.
YOUR RATING: Vote here ⬇ Note: if you get a notification saying you have already voted and you haven’t, this is because of an issue with iOS (Apple mobile devices). Try voting on a desktop or laptop computer.
NEXT WEEK: The Silence of the Lambs (1991). I have made an executive decision because I strongly suspect last week’s vote was fortified. Highly unusual voting patterns pushed wildcard past The Silence of the Lambs later in the week, in volume not typically seen.
Please do not game the vote. If you do, you ruin the segment for everyone, and I will have to make difficult choices about how to manage it. Have some respect. Don’t be a f**got.
AFTER THAT? YOU PICK - VOTE! July’s nominations are from listener Jacob. Remember: please be respectful. Make your vote, and move on with your day. Don’t be a f**got.
Want to be the movie nominator for the month? Here’s how - fill out the form below. Note: once you are entered, you are eligible for selection on an ongoing basis. One entry per participant - multiple entries will be rejected.