Top Gun: Maverick is one of the biggest movies of the year. After a smashing debut on May 27, 2022, the movie has been a huge success. The movie has reaped positive reviews/ratings, and as of June 1st, it has grossed $176,315,726 in the US and $321,445,421 worldwide (Box Office). 

The movie revolves around Navy Captain Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Tom Cruise). He’s been working in the Navy for three decades, and he is tasked with training past Top Gun graduates for a dangerous mission, including Lieutenant Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw (Miles Teller), the son of his old friend. Maverick has to overcome his past fears and failures to help the mission succeed. 

Sequels often fall short of the first movies, leaving people apprehensive about watching, but this was not the case with Top Gun: Maverick. Even with a sizeable time gap between the two, it can still resonate with a younger and more mature audience. The movie was a great mix of nostalgia but didn’t just revolve around the first movie, which is something to be appreciated. Director, Joseph Kosinski, did an amazing job of keeping this balance throughout the movie. 

As for the actors, Tom Cruise delivered a good performance as usual, and the younger class of Top Gun graduates like Rooster, Hangman (Glen Powell), Phoenix (Monica Barbaro), and Bob (Lewis Pullman) were all charming additions. There was a nice parallel between the characters of Maverick and Tom “Iceman” Kazansky (Val Kilmer) from the first movie to Rooster and Hangman in this sequel. Along with Penny Benjamin (Jennifer Connelly), the brief appearance of Ed Harris also elevated the movie. 

The highly anticipated action sequences keep you on the edge of your seat. Not to mention, a few comedic parts and a couple of heartwarming scenes bring the whole film together. 

This movie lives up to all of the “hype”, and it is worthwhile to take some time to watch it. 

(Sidenote: It’s recommended to watch Top Gun before, but it isn’t necessary.)