Warning: Spoilers for Top Gun: Maverick!
As the latest film to be part of this new wave of legacy sequels, Top Gun was so steeped in ‘80s iconography and music that it seemed untouchable, and it’s safe to say that not many fans would’ve expected a sequel that not only improves on the original but reflects on its own legacy in a multitude of ways.
Set 36 years later, Top Gun: Maverick follows Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, who continues to push his own limits as a fighter pilot for the Navy. After taking things too far in an experimental speed test, he’s sent back to the flight program and instructed to prepare Top Gun 2's cast of new characters for what is essentially a suicide mission. Coming back to Top Gun, Maverick is determined to push these pilots to the limits but is shaken by the presence of Rooster (Miles Teller), the son of his former wingman who died in the original film.
Top Gun: Maverick understands what it means to be a successful legacy sequel. It perfects the formula that many of its contemporaries struggle with, leaning too hard into indulgence or a “bigger is better” approach. The film succeeds by grounding the story in the modern world without losing reverence for the tone of the original, effortlessly switching between the goofier feel of Tony Scott’s version and a slick, high-stakes modern blockbuster. It invites comparisons with some of Tom Cruise’s recent work, especially Mission Impossible: Fallout, which helped prep Cruise for the high-velocity aerial stunts in the film. Although the primary draw of the original Top Gun would’ve been the dogfights, it’s undeniable that these were constrained by the limitations of the time and come across as somewhat unclear in Tony Scott’s version.
Top Gun: Maverick more than affirms the need for its own existence simply by taking these to their fullest potential, with a larger budget, greater advancements in CGI, and Cruise in full “man” mode this time around. However, this sequel goes even further. By zeroing in on the one tragic moment in the original Top Gun–that is, Goose’s untimely death, caused in part by Maverick’s recklessness–the film lends a much-needed emotional weight to the narrative, one that was absent from the original film. It’s here that the film proves itself as a Top Gun sequel better than the iconic original. While there are many reboots and legacy sequels that attempt to build on top of the spectacle, characters, and themes of their redecessors–like with the Star Wars sequel trilogy and Jurassic World series–Top Gun: Maverick focuses on the most human element. It uses Goose's death to explore grief and guilt as well as the trappings of Maverick’s/Cruise’s own legacy which share many parallels in this film.
Top Gun: Maverick provides an introspective look at what it means to be a star at the top of the game. To borrow a line from another Tom Cruise mega-blockbuster: he’s “fighting for an ideal that doesn’t exist anymore.” Cruise is the kind of movie star that belongs to a different era – doing his own stunts, leading films with his name, and possessing the kind of crazed charisma that seeps into his films. It’s only fitting that the Top Gun sequel is actually less fun than the original, a risk that other legacy sequels don't often take. Throughout the film, Maverick acknowledges that he is the last of his kind, initially being unable to connect with his team nor face up to his own guilt on the part of Rooster. It’s a mature and nuanced role for Cruise, perhaps the first film where he seems to acknowledge he is getting old – but still pushes himself to the limits anyway.
