Top Gun: Maverick is a follow-up 36 years in the making, being one of the most-hyped sequels of all time, but is it better than the original film?
Top Gun was released in 1986, directed by Tony Scott and starring a young Tom Cruise, becoming a global phenomenon that stands as a modern classic.
The film's soundtrack, performances, characters, oft-quoted lines, and aerial action sequences inspired generations of filmgoers to keep going back to the Top Gun well
Director Joseph Kosinski took up the reins for the long-awaited sequel, which sat on the shelf for two years due to the pandemic
Reviews for Top Gun: Maverick thus far have been exceptionally positive with lifelong fans and newcomers alike finding the film to be worth the wait and an exciting cinematic experience.
While not as rock n' roll and stylistic as Scott's original, Top Gun: Maverick finds its footing in character and technical feats that mirror much of what the first film accomplished,
taking it a step further by having all the key actors suit and fly in the actual F-18 Hornet jet planes for the film, making for a more immersive and awe-inspiring spectacle.
The characters of the original film are also more memorable than the new cast of the sequel, who are likeable enough, but not quite the personalities of their predecessors.