Top Gun: Maverick (2022)

Top Gun Maverick takes place right where we left off with the original... except thirty-something years later and for someone reason Pete "maverick" Mitchel has not moved on from his time as a pilot at Top Gun. Like many modern sequels/reboots to 80's classics, Maverick shoves in as much nostalgia and references to the original film as possible. However, unlike most films of this ilk, the inclusion of classic characters, songs and iconography works extremely well. The call backs to Maverick's old wingman 'Goose' are employed through the creation of Goose's son: 'Rooster'. This dynamic allows the film to call back to its' predecessor in a logical and thematic way that honours the original whilst creating a springboard for drama in this film.

Along with Rooster are the rest of the cadets who work surprisingly well this time. No one remembers any of the other cadets from the original aside from Iceman, whereas in the 2022 slam dunk we're treated to 'Hangman', 'coyote' and 'phoenix'. While there isn't a huge amount of depth to any of these characters it's the actors who elevate the film with their vibrant charisma - hats off to Monica Barbaro and Glen Powell.

Now, this is an action blockbuster and all of the above would be in vein had the spectacle of the film not been such amazing action sequences. Flawlessly directed, exhilarating flight scenes are sewed throughout the film to help produce the phenomenal pacing up until the climax of the film that can only be described as a rollercoaster ride.

The kind of effort and skill involved in crafting such a well crafted piece of artistry elevate this movie above 90% of other modern day blockbusters and I have to note that it is a breath of fresh air not to see a superhero at the top of the yearly box office.