AV Brew: Top Gun: Maverick Spoiler-Free Review — Pop Culture Uncovered

In the run-up to watch “Top Gun: Maverick,” I prepared myself like anyone else would by watching the original “Top Gun.” And while, granted, this is not a review of the 1986 classic, there is something to be said about the impression I got from watching it now, firmly ensconced in my adulthood, and how it compares to Maverick. For context, I hadn’t seen Top Gun in a good 20 years (with the exception of a snippet here and there on network tv while channel surfing faster than Hamm in Toy Story). Also (for context-slash-disclaimer) I was never the biggest Top Gun fan – the formula for the movie relies on tropes, clichés, a Deus Ex Goose to violently thrust the plot forward, and a lot of sweating and glistening (I assume that Tony Scott wanted to at least hold on to the realism of how hot it is in California and inside a Naval Air Carrier). Top Gun also features as much chemistry as baking soda and vinegar after the bubbling subsides. Still, the movie was a launching pad/additional runway for a few young careers (Val Kilmer, Meg Ryan, and Anthony Edward’s mustache to name a few) and gives us some endearing performances by 80s screen staples such as Tom Skerritt and Michael Ironside. The one inarguably solid feature of the 1986 original is the aircraft footage that was choreographed and delivered by stunt pilots.

AV Brew: Top Gun: Maverick Spoiler-Free Review