Top Gun: Maverick
Directed by Joseph KosinskiSet 30 years after its predecessor, it follows Maverick's return to the United States Navy Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor program (also known as U.S. Navy-Fighter Weapons School - "TOPGUN"), where he must confront his past as he trains a group of younger pilots, among them the son of Maverick's deceased best friend Lieutenant Nick "Goose" Bradshaw, USN.
- MikeOctober 11, 2024Top Gun: Maverick is more than just an exciting experience, but the thrilling fighter jet scenes is where it shines the most "What the enemy doesn’t know is your limit." I did not expect this film to be this good. It was everything I wanted it to be... and more. It wasn't just an exciting experience with thrilling fighter jet flights, it was also a film with a strong emotional connection and solid humor that was delivered by some great acting. But I do have to admit that the fighter jets were definitely the aspect where this film shines the most. The story and character arcs in this film were pretty cliché, but luckily they were supported by great pacing, great acting and a solid plot. The plot had a great balance between the action and non-action sequences, which heavily contributed to the overall pacing. Although the character arcs were pretty cliché, I really liked the character arc and chemistry between Maverick and Rooster. The other characters didn't have much character development, which resulted in a muted emotional connection with them. This is in my opinion something the original film did better. Another aspect I really liked was the fact that not only the pilots are prepared for the mission, but the viewer is too. This builds a lot of tension and nerve-wrecking moments during the third act, which made it very captivating. The cinematography was really immersive and created a lot of tension during the action scenes. The cockpit shots with the center framed pilots really emphasized their reactions and facial expressions, which showed the stress they experienced during these action scenes. These shots also had the same aesthetics as the original film, which I liked. The fighter jet aerial shots were also really beautiful. With multiple impressive fighter jets on screen you don't want the cinematography to be distracting, you want the focus to go to the fighter jets so the viewer can be immersed in the action. This is exactly what the cinematography of Top Gun: Maverick achieved. The cinematography wasn't the only thing that focussed on the fighter jets and the action, the audio did too. The audio in this film was, for me, the most impressive aspect of the film. The sound of the engines have a very strong impact on the viewer, which heavily contributed to the immersive experience. There is just something special about the roaring sound of a fighter jet. Read full review at Letterboxd: Mike_v_E
- alihoneycuttApril 29, 2026I'm currently recovering from a lengthy hospital stay after having watched this film. More on that later. This movie is a MASSIVE cringefest. First of all, everything that empowered girl pilot did was uber cringe. The cracking of the knuckles. The sitting with her legs spread. The man-style shit talking. No woman is ever persuasive acting like a man because they think all guys do is burp and scratch their balls. It's never worth casting a broad where a man belongs. Second: Maverick takes the rule book...then throws it in the trash. Clichéd. And *CRINGE* Third: Maverick goes mach-10+ through disobeying orders (Why? Well, he's "Maverick"). But he also ejects from his aircraft at mach 10+, which would turn you into spaghetti sauce instantly. But hey, you enjoy films like this by not thinking. *CRINGE!* Finally, there's the snotty, wise-ass, teenaged daughter for whom nothing is ever good enough. And she didn't have a father. So we are, yet again, promoting single motherhood. Hollywood can't help themselves. Not that a healthy functional nuclear family ever did anyone any good, but hey. *CAAARINGE!!* But every movie is like that these days. In order for you to enjoy them, you have to ignore the California dumb shit. I never thought you could cringe so hard that you needed medical attention. That's the effect of watching this movie. Have an ambulance in the driveway in case you or someone you love has a cringe attack. Good movie though. Yeah I said it.
- Joshua HeneyMarch 25, 2026A great movie honestly. Had been awhile since I watched it and decided to see it again. Forgot about how cool the different scenes were where they did some insane shots of the different jets and whatnot. Trying to be vague so I don’t give too much away, but this is definitely the perfect successor to the original Top Gun. Would definitely recommend to anyone who loved the first who’s interested in seeing how this story branches out and continues.
- makdelartMarch 25, 2026All in all, it’s a very good sequel; it ties in nicely with and builds on the storylines from the first film, though that doesn’t change the fact that the real excitement only really kicks in once the actual mission begins. Personally, I’d have cut the whole Jennifer Connelly storyline – there was no spark there anyway – and focused on the flying and the missions. That would have been a great film!
Watch Top Gun: Maverick Videos
Top Gun: Maverick Trivia
Top Gun: Maverick was released on May 21, 2022.
Top Gun: Maverick was directed by Joseph Kosinski.
Top Gun: Maverick has a runtime of 2h 10m.
Top Gun: Maverick was produced by Christopher McQuarrie, David Ellison, Tom Cruise, Jerry Bruckheimer.
Set 30 years after its predecessor, it follows Maverick's return to the United States Navy Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor program (also known as U.S. Navy-Fighter Weapons School - "TOPGUN"), where he must confront his past as he trains a group of younger pilots, among them the son of Maverick's deceased best friend Lieutenant Nick "Goose" Bradshaw, USN.
The key characters in Top Gun: Maverick are Capt. Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell (Tom Cruise), Lt. Bradley 'Rooster' Bradshaw (Miles Teller), Penny Benjamin (Jennifer Connelly).
Top Gun: Maverick is rated PG-13.
Top Gun: Maverick is an Action, Drama film.
Top Gun: Maverick has an audience rating of 9.9 out of 10.
Top Gun: Maverick had a budget of $170M.
Top Gun: Maverick has made $1.49B at the box office.