WeeklySA_AdminFLICK: High-flying action coupled with some old school nostalgia
By Sonke Gumede
Film: Top Gun: Maverick
Genre: Action-Drama
Cast: Tom Cruise, Miles Teller,
Maluma, Jennifer Connelly,
Jon Hamm
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Producers: Jerry Bruckheimer, Tom Hanks, Christopher McQuarrie, David Ellison
RELEASE DATE: 27 May
After more than 30 years of being the navy’s test pilot, Pete “Maverick” Mitchel (Tom Cruise) has been avoiding every chance of advancement in his career that would ground him.
Hearing that Rear admiral Chester “Hammer” Cain (Ed Harris) plans on shutting down the hypersonic scramjet programme to fund his Drone project, Maverick ends up destroying a drone. He is forced to become a TOPGUN instructor to a group of young elite pilots.
The programme itself is meant to train these pilots to undertake a perilous mission to destroy a uranium enrichment plant. It’s deemed too dangerous to the USA by the Pentagon. The facility itself is armed with counter measures against attacks in the form of surface to air missiles, GPS jamming or enemy jets. Maverick is tasked with the job of planning the attack as well as getting the pilots ready come mission time.
Initially finding it difficult to instruct the pilots due to their rebuffing his attempts at teaching, particularly by Lt Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw (Miles Teller), the son of Maverick’s late best friend, Nick “Goose” Bradshaw (Andrew Edwards). The group eventually work through this heartfelt resolution and mutual respect, thus growing closer as a team.
Top Gun: Maverick is the sequel to the 1986 film Top Gun. The film has a lot of love letters to its predecessor, bringing a feeling of nostalgia for fans of the old-school favourite. While the first film focused on Maverick and Goose as the outcast duo trying to prove themselves, this instalment has Maverick as the hotshot instructor trying to earn the respect of his students.
The overall chemistry between the characters is fantastic, but the standouts definitely have to be Cruise’s Maverick and Teller’s Rooster who’s on-screen chemistry yields some of the most powerful performances in the film.
The Director Joseph Kosinski delivers a phenomenal movie, easily one of his best works. Not only is every scene beautiful to look at, but the balance of emotion with the characters will leave you satisfied.
Kosinski previously worked on Oblivion, starring Tom Cruise. He also lent his magic touch on And Only The Brave featuring Miles Teller. This is also the second legacy sequel he’s directed. The first being TRON: Legacy.
This is the kind of movie that makes you ask yourself “why don’t they make ‘em like this anymore?” So, if you’re in the mood for some high-flying action coupled with some old-school nostalgia, Top Gun: Maverick is the one for you.
Published on the 53th Edition. Get E-Copy
