It’s hard to put into words the kind of movie Top Gun: Maverick is, and that’s partly down to the film’s true nature of being the definitive action movie, as well as Captain Pete Mitchell’s own philosophy of do first, ask questions later.

See, while Dominic Toretto’s rise from mechanic and part-time street racer to a James Bond levels of security clearance is an impressive feat, the Fast and Furious franchise could never hope to attain the same mastery of the genre as Joseph Kosinski, Ehren Kruger, Eric Warren Singer, Christopher McQuarrie and Tom Cruise did with Top Gun: Maverick. It does so by exalting the role of the hero, setting up several conflicts and working as one heck of a motivational montage, on top of having a romantic topping that combined with its nostalgia has made it 2022’s biggest movie.

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The Enemy

Top Gun: Maverick fighter above mountains

When it came out, one of the most puzzling aspects about Top Gun: Maverick was the lack of a concrete antagonist, and though that may be a consequence of the shaky political waters and increased cultural sensitivities nowadays, it’s amazing how the film doesn’t really need one. There are several takes on this, as one could argue soldiers rarely look their enemy in the eye to recognize their humanity, especially in modern warfare (not the Call of Duty kind), something the film captures perfectly by not ever showing the face of the enemy pilots.

Nevertheless, a more clever angle might be that the Top Gun sequel doesn’t require a set enemy like the Soviet Union because it’s free from the Cold War narrative that existed in so many action movies dating back to the original’s era. Let’s be clear, nuclear proliferation and any awareness of contemporary events single out Iran as “the enemy”, but none of that matters, because the real antagonist are the personal battles that the older Captain has to face.

Maverick is a “better to say sorry than ask for permission” kind of guy, and while he’s always been happy to deal with the repercussions, at this age they’re starting to become a bit too much. The Navy is about to clip his wings, only Iceman being alive kept him safe, he’s never been able to commit to the one woman he still has feelings for, and Rooster, the closest thing he has to a son, despises him because Maverick once thought he could make decisions that were up to him.

Maverick and Rooster from Top Gun Maverick

Admiral Cain is the first symbol of times catching up to Maverick, who is yet another victim of automation in this day and age, but the antagonistic forces pile on in the form of his commanding officer in the new mission, confronting Rooster, Penny acting as “the one who got away”, and -of course- the deadly mission itself. These forces also exist within the Top Gun program, where every pilot knows they’re facing the biggest challenge of their young careers, whether it’s Rooster handling his nerves or Hangman learning a thing or two about teamwork.

Is it the most compelling plot imaginable? Hardly so, but no one goes to see an action movie for that reason, instead, it’s believable enough to invite moviegoers to the cinema to see something that at times appears like it doesn’t belong in the present.

The Rest At Their Best

A scene featuring characters in Top Gun Maverick

In the vein of the films it embodies, Top Gun: Maverick is incredibly predictable as no matter how hard it wants the audience to believe that Cruise will die, it’s impossible for that idea to land. It’s easy to see Hangman flying in to save the day, because the entire movie sets up a hero’s welcome for Maverick and Rooster.

The almighty Maverick gets shot down not only to save Rooster, but to make the entire mission more epic, regardless, the film doesn’t go overboard like many in the action genre do. The same applies to its romantic subplot, it’s there because it’s fun, because 35 years later Maverick is putting all aspects of his life in order, and if this aspires to be the modern homage to classic 80s and 90s, it'd better have come romance, just not one as corny as back then.

Miles Teller In Top Gun: Maverick

Even if it’s sad to see Val Kilmer’s health is the very circumstance that makes his reunion with Cruise so emotional, that mirrors the feeling of the two characters reuniting at that time of their lives when death starts knocking, perhaps one of the most human experience for a man entering his sixties. That all of this is wrapped in a stunning package of some of the most beautiful and realistic action Hollywood has to offer, with no overworked VFX artists as collateral, is just the cherry on top.

Top Gun: Maverick is a sequel that shouldn’t exist, as that was its creators' own belief before it miraculously came to life, but it’s also one that has no business being as good as it is, it didn't have to be to become profitable, yet it is out of puro love for the art of filmmaking. There is no greater testament to this movie's greatness than the fact that no other film in recent memory has done so well without the aid of the force, dinosaurs, superheroes or China's approval because Maverick, much like Tom Cruise, is his own superhero, the kind that come Halloween many will want to dress up as.

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