In 2022, Tom Cruise thrilled critics and audiences with his late sequel to “Top Gun”. Because one of the big Hollywood highlights of the recent past came out: “Top Gun: Maverick” – on TV today and also new on Netflix!
After Joseph Kosinski had already impressed with his first three films (“Tron: Legacy”, “No Way Out” and “Oblivion”), with “Top Gun: Maverick” he not only continued his career, but also that of leading actor Tom Cruise took the crown – after all, with the Aviator sequel, he gave the superstar the (by far!) most successful film of his professional career. But “Top Gun 2” was not only a real hit because of its worldwide box office receipts of over 1.496 billion dollars.
The film thrilled both the press and the audience. Why? You can see this for yourself today particularly conveniently on TV: Because ProSieben is showing “Top Gun: Maverick” today, December 22nd, from 8:15 p.m.
Alternatively, you can of course also get the film DVD, Blu-ray and 4K Blu-ray* – as well as ultimate Superfan Edition* including the iconic predecessor. You can also find the film on Netflix from today!
“Top Gun: Maverick”: Pure blockbuster spectacle
When the author of this article met producer legend Jerry Bruckheimer for an interview on the occasion of the theatrical release of “Bad Boys For Life” at the beginning of 2020, he already promised him big things for “Top Gun 2” – for example, he announced scenes from the cockpit filmed with up to six cameras of fighter jets the likes of which had never been seen before. A good two and a half years later we got to see “Maverick” and with it the confirmation: Bruckheimer hadn't promised too much, hadn't just made big noises to promote his film – but had hit the nail on the head.
While other latecomer sequels often struggle to capture the spirit of the original, director Joseph Kosinski only needs 180 seconds to let his audience know that he “Top Gun“Understood – and has nothing but love left for the Tony Scott classic. Because in the first three minutes you may not like a single line of dialogue, but in terms of staging alone, “Maverick” feels like a pure distillation of the 80s – and by the time Kenny Loggins' “Danger Zone” gets going, you can't really do anything else , than to plunge into the adventure again with Captain Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Tom Cruise).
This time the daredevil has to prepare a young squad for an extremely impossible mission in just a few weeks – including Rooster (Miles Teller), the son of Goose (Anthony Edwards), who once died at his side. Of course, this leaves plenty of room for kitsch and pathos, which there has to be to a certain extent in a “Top Gun” sequel, but which never takes over – and is always subordinated to the emotional, highly exciting story.
“Top Gun: Maverick” offers numerous goosebumps moments that have rarely been experienced in blockbusters – for example in strong character moments between the title hero and his new old flame Penny (Jennifer Connelly), between Rooster and his competitor Hangman (Glen Powell) and between Maverick and his old friend Ice (Val Kilmer). The film is sometimes amusing and light-hearted, sometimes emotional and sad – and Ultimately, it will be remembered as a thrilling, wild ride because its story and its breathtaking action sequences go hand in hand. And form a symbiosis that is rarely seen anymore.
And here we come to one of the greatest strengths of “Top Gun: Maverick”. Because The film is revolutionary, especially when it comes to action. While in Part 1 it was only Tom Cruise who actually took to the skies for recordings, now all recordings should be “real” – and not shot in the studio in front of a green screen. Instead, the entire cast of pilots went through intensive training to master the G-forces that prevail in a fighter jet. Otherwise, filming at dizzy heights would have been impossible for them.
And that's exactly what you feel. But Especially in the second half it becomes clear that no matter how spectacular images are, they are nothing without their relevance to the content: When it comes to proving that the mission that cannot actually be carried out is very possible – and ultimately the mission itself – Kosinski and Cruise leave it alone Some of the most thrilling, exciting and visually stunning action sequences of the last 20 years off the leash.
“Top Gun: Maverick” is a fun, emotional and gripping experience that inspires every time – and for the author of this article it is therefore the best classic blockbuster in many, many years. You can read about the current status of “Top Gun 3” here:
“We don’t know when it will continue”: “Top Gun 3” could be a long time coming – and Tom Cruise is the reason!
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