For those of us who were teenage boys when it was released, Tony Scott’s Top Gun (1986) was an inspirational movie that made us all, briefly, want to be fighter pilots. It told the story of a rebellious, slightly childish, young US Navy aviator, in the form of Tom Cruise, who played Lt Pete Mitchell, callsign “Maverick”. His pilot nickname was the giveaway. He has talent aplenty but is hard to discipline. Thus, as Maverick goes to the fighter pilot school dubbed Top Gun to hone his talents, he comes up against his fellow would-be aces.
In a story of testosterone-fuelled rivalry (“that’s right, I am dangerous”) in a sidebar story he enjoys romance, but then suffers a tragedy that shakes up his world. However, in the end young Maverick comes through as a hero in his F-14A Tomcat as he fights off enemy jets for real in order to keep his aircraft carrier and “bromance” buddies safe (“You can be my wingman any time!”).
Top Gun: Maverick Courtesy: Paramount
And so, 34 years on, a sequel directed by Joseph Kosinski (Tony Scott sadly committed suicide ten years ago) has finally been made. In the original, Tom Cruise was the notional hero but, in truth, the coolest guys on screen were the older and wiser instructor pilots (such as Tom Skerritt’s character) who threw around their nippy little A-4 Skyhawk jets to keep the F-14 jocks on their toes. Glorious flying scenes were all there on screen – as they are in this new movie.
The partially-in-disgrace Maverick is now back, this time as one of the wise old Top Gun instructors who is helping some modern-day young pilots (now male and female) plan and practise an air bombing strike on a nuclear processing plant in Iran (no mysterious unnamed Middle Eastern country in this one). In effect it steals the idea from the movie 633 squadron (1964) – a World War II fictionalised “impossible” air bombing mission using RAF Mosquito fighter-bombers – a plot that also most evidently influenced Star Wars (1977).
It similarly depicts the trials and tribulations of training a squadron of elite pilots in their F-18E/F Superhornets to hit the mountains-surrounded target, which they have to escape from before enemy missiles (in lieu of flak guns) and fighter jets can get them. By the way, while Iran does have snow and mountains, the fir trees make it look more like Russia than Iran.
It is not just cocky bravado and supersonic g-force dogfight action. One particularly poignant scene is shared with his one-time pilot rival but now close friend “Iceman” (Val Kilmer) who, unlike our lowly Captain Pete, is now an Admiral. There is also Maverick’s continuing story of getting over the emotional baggage of losing his best friend “Goose” in the first film’s flat-spin ejection flying accident. He is also blamed by Goose’s son (played by Miles Teller) for deliberately holding back his own US Navy pilot career.
Other parts include the uber-competitive Glen Powell as “Hangman” – the modern-day equivalent of “Iceman” – and John Hamm as Maverick’s exasperated two-star admiral boss. Bashir Salahuddin plays the equivalent of Maverick’s “batman” as he tries to keep his boy out of trouble. Meanwhile, an aging Ed Harris crosses political swords with him in an early part of the film.
In the middle of the marvellous melee is a tale of past love and broken hearts involving bar owner Jennifer Connolly, but there’s no mention of what happened to “Charlie” (Kelly McGillis) – the brainy but beautiful older woman who captured our Maverick’s heart in the original movie. This annoying mystery is pointed up by the fact that Maverick’s new love also apparently likes classic silver Porsche sports cars. On the subject of silver, there is that other mystery: the lack of silver go-faster stripes in the near 60-year-old Tom Cruise’s still dark hair.
For those more interested in aircraft, there are some good ones on display, including what look to be Russian-built Sukhoi Su-57s as the movie’s “fifth generation” fighters – presumably CGI-generated given their lack of loanability. By the way, to add to the realism CGI is thankfully kept to a minimum, with most of the impressive flying actually being done.
There is one error, however: the Su-57’s stealthy attributes seem to be suspiciously missing as they are all too easily picked up by US Navy E-2 Hawkeye radar planes. Also, a so-called scramjet-powered SR-72 Darkstar hypersonic aircraft, in dummied up form on a runway, has reportedly even fooled Chinese reconnaissance satellites.
Back to reality, the venerable and much-loved F-14 Tomcat makes a showy return, albeit with the wrong engines for the “A” version and, worst of all, this time in Iranian colours (Iran famously used its pre-revolution F-14A Tomcat purchases to good effect in the Iran-Iraq war).
Finally, the movie has Tom Cruise’s very own World War II P-51 Mustang fighter but, dare we say it, it is also in the wrong livery. The US Army Air Force paintwork may not be wrong for the aircraft but it is for a Navy man.
For fighter plane aficionados, this film might be one to enjoy while they still can. In reality, the trend Ed Harris’s character apparently champions is actually slowly coming true: cruise missiles and drones are making crewed jet fighters obsolescent. Mind you, he might be making a similar mistake to UK Minister of Defence Duncan Sandys, who predicted in 1957 that piloted aircraft would soon be replaced by missiles alone, cancelling many military warplane projects as he did so. He was not exactly wrong, but he was premature by nearly three-quarters of a century.
In conclusion: some have claimed that Top Gun: Maverick is better than the original. This writer is not sure about that. However, its 633 Squadron/Star Wars déjà vu memories aside, it is just about on the same flight level, and both are hugely enjoyable. That is, if you can stop yourself wincing at the implicit gung-ho claims of US exceptionalism that appear in full flag-waving patriotic force at the end of both movies.
Seradata rating: 8 out of 10. After a hypersonic start, and after an emotional and humorous (in parts) middle, its aerial extravaganza finale effectively ends all other aspirant flying movies’ hopes. Just three more good kills and the Top Gun movie series will reach full “Ace” status. Recommended.
