Oscar Season: Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
Top Gun: Maverick is in many ways the perfect blockbuster. It is now nominated for six Oscars, including Best Picture.
Pete "Maverick" Mitchell is an iconic figure. The Top Gun pilot stole the show in the original 1986 film, which went on to become a worldwide blockbuster.
Tom Cruise is not one to make many sequels - the Mission Impossible series is the proverbial exception to the rule - but for Top Gun he made an exception.
On the condition that his Mission Impossible buddy Christopher McQuarrie participated, as a screenwriter and producer, and that he previously collaborated with director Joseph Kosinski on the sci-fi actioner Oblivion.
Three perfectionists put together, and in a sense Top Gun: Maverick is also about perfectionism. In a way the film is about three things: devising a plan, practicing it and finally implementing it. In that sense, Top Gun: Maverick is also a metaphor for filmmaking in general. It’s tightly written and flawlessly executed.
Still, just wanting to be the best of the best isn't enough in this case. The plan must serve a higher purpose - to protect the homeland by attacking an enemy base hidden in the mountains - and to do that you need to trust your team blindly. Loyalty and brotherhood matter.
The filmmakers have set the bar high, and to their credit, exceed expectations. The aerial scenes are nothing short of spectacular and really make you feel like you're in the cockpit with the actors.
The cast did not do all the stunts themselves, but they all learned to fly, which certainly adds to the realism of the film.
The more intimate moments between Tom Cruise and Jennifer Connelly also work well. And there is a moving scene between Maverick and his old pal (and now Admiral) Iceman (Val Kilmer).
Younger actors such as Miles Teller, Glen Powell and Monica Barbaro also shine as members of the elite pilot team, while the film will probably do well at the Oscars in technical categories such as sound design.
All praise is deserved. Top Gun: Maverick is a blockbuster with a big heart.
All images © Paramount