The original Top Gun movie debuted in theaters when I was in fifth grade and I saw it at the drive-in theaters with my family. As you know, it was a huge hit and immediately became part of popular culture. Roughly 36 years have passed since then, so one has to wonder if a Top Gun sequel is something people want to see. Keep reading to find out what I and others in the early screening audience thought (and for my family-focused review).
Before I watched Top Gun: Maverick I wondered how a sequel based so many years after the original could possibly tell a compelling story that made any sense. However, I was excited to attend an early screening because I was hopeful. The atmosphere in the theater was electric as the movie started, especially when the opening was identical to the original movie’s opening. I knew we were in for a nostalgic ride. What I did not expect is that Top Gun: Maverick would smash the sequel mold that so often results in a huge disappointment for fans.
Top Gun: Maverick is true to the original, connects to the original, but tells a new and exciting story that you could enjoy even if you had not seen the first movie. Additionally, it has a bit of movie magic that so many films have completely lacked for too many years. There are no political messages, no weak attempts at virtue signaling, and no awkward scenes of adult content. This movie is a thrilling, edge of you seat ride that will have you cheering in the end.
One thing I really appreciated was that Top Gun: Maverick has scenes with futuristic fighter jets, present-day planes, plus the older planes we all remember from the original movie. This is film that embraces it past, focuses on the current story, and extends its legacy. The audience I saw the movie with applauded several times and clearly enjoyed the film. Personally, I though this movie was better than the original.
Families can be assured that there are no sex scenes, although intimacy is implied in at least one scene. There is some profanity including one f-word (which I do not remember hearing), about 20 s-words, and other more minor profanity. There are several drinking scenes and some shirtless men playing football on a beach. As I always say, know your child to determine if the movie is appropriate for your family. The movie is rated PG-13, which is probably right about where it belongs. I would say for kids who are okay with very intense scenes, that age could go lower, although many families will not appreciate the language.
Here is the movie’s official synopsis:
After more than thirty years of service as one of the Navy’s top aviators, Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Tom Cruise) is where he belongs, pushing the envelope as a courageous test pilot and dodging the advancement in rank that would ground him. When he finds himself training a detachment of TOPGUN graduates for a specialized mission the likes of which no living pilot has ever seen, Maverick encounters Lt. Bradley Bradshaw (Miles Teller), call sign: “Rooster,” the son of Maverick’s late friend and Radar Intercept Officer Lt. Nick Bradshaw, aka “Goose”.
Facing an uncertain future and confronting the ghosts of his past, Maverick is drawn into a confrontation with his own deepest fears, culminating in a mission that demands the ultimate sacrifice from those who will be chosen to fly it.
Details
Rating: PG-13 for sequences of intense action, and some strong language.
Runtime: 131 minutes
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I attended a media screening of this movie to facilitate my review. All opinions are my own.
About Janice
