‘Top Gun’ Credit – Paramount
I just saw ‘Top Gun: Maverick’, and all I have to say is wow! From the opening introduction by Tom Cruise, to the last scene, I haven’t scene such a well delivered story or sequel in a very long time. Honorable mention to ‘Ghostbusters: Afterlife’ of course, because I was wowed by that, but ‘Maverick’ was a different testosterone filled homage to those classic 80’s action movies we all loved growing up. There were no political messages, no condescension towards the fans, and was just 100% unadulterated movie magic glory from start to finish. ‘Maverick’ managed to respect fans of the original ‘Top Gun’, while creating new fans with its sequel. Tom Cruise and director Joseph Kosinski hit it out of the ball park with ‘Top Gun: Maverick’, and the proof is in the repeat business and box office to date, making ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ the top grossing movie of 2022.
A Testosterone Filled Roller Coaster Ride
‘Top Gun: Maverick’ picks up 30 years after the original, where Captain Pete Mitchell is a test pilot for the U.S. Navy. The action takes off almost immediately, with Mitchell having to test a new fighter jet, that needs to attain mach ten in order for its program and its employees to be saved from certain unemployment. The Admiral in charge of the program, played by Ed Harris, wants to shut down the program, because Maverick and his team have not met certain program expectations. In classic Maverick fashion, he decides to to do an end run around the Admiral, and test the fighter jet before the Admiral can officially shut down the program. As a result of his “reckless” behavior, Maverick is sent to Top Gun as a teaching instructor for a squad of top elite fighter pilots in the country. The catch is that Maverick will be teaching this elite squad, to bomb a foreign country’s unsanctioned uranium enrichment plant, under the most stressful of flying conditions. The ensuing conflicts ignite between the pilots, Rooster(Gooses son from the original movie) and Maverick, and between Maverick and himself. The movie ends with the good guys winning, the bad guys losing, and all relationships that came to their believable conclusions. ‘Maverick’ was a tightly written script with no fat whatsoever, giving fans a testosterone, jet fueled roller coaster ride, from start to finish.
Hollywood Needs to Stop With the Woke Identity Politics if it Wants to be Successful
It was nice to be able to go to the movies, indulge in a bucket of popcorn and large Cherry Coke, and watch a movie that didn’t preach identity politics at every turn. ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ was an homage to the the original Top Gun as much as it was a classic in the making in its own right. It was pro American, had a very diverse cast, and had the audience gripping their seats in excitement throughout. Tom Cruise thanking the fans before the movie started, was worth the price of admission, and showed a Hollywood celebrity that gets it. The opening sequence paid deference to the original with its updated original opening theme, and had me giddy with excitement and anticipation. There was no focus on the representation that most Hollywood movies are inundated with…cough, cough, Disney, Marvel, DC, Star Wars…and only a focus on the storytelling. This sequel was probably the best sequel to anything I’ve ever seen, with ‘The Dark Knight’ being the exception. Hollywood needs to pay attention because ‘Maverick’ was a shot across the bow, and a warning to Hollywood to keep the woke, virtue signaling identity politics, out of their content.
Related: Are We Surprised?
Credit – Pixar
Disney Needs to Watch Top Gun: Maverick to get a Clue
Tom Cruise is probably one of the last few actual movie stars, if not the last one, that actually cares about putting out a great product that everyone can enjoy. To put a finer point on how broadly successful this movie is, my son, who is extremely picky when it comes to watching “older” movies, absolutely loved this movie, and can’t stop humming the theme song. He liked the original, but ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ blew his mind away. Tom Cruise and Joseph Kosinski have created new fans of the Top Gun franchise, and all they did was not make a sequel filled with virtue signaling pandering like a ‘Terminator: Genisys’, or ‘Lightyear’, and instead made a film that was pure fun and entertaining. And that’s the point, everyone from kids to adults are enjoying this movie no matter what their political bent is, and the proof is in the numbers. To date, ‘Maverick’ has grossed $885,167,545 worldwide, making it the top grossing movie of 2022. ‘Maverick’ is proof that you can make a successful movie without all the identity politics that is turning off moviegoers. Disney…are you listening?
