Top Gun: Maverick

Burnished 1980s blockbuster nostalgia as Tom Cruise and producer Jerry Bruckheimer prove they can still make ’em like they used to. Strap in for the thrillingly real aerial dog fights.

... A summer blockbuster of the old school, with rust-bucket F-14s duking it out with young pups in F-18s, all shot on celluloid rather than sketched in by computers, at the behest of a star who refuses to quit.

Brings Maverick’s story full circle in a satisfying manner that adds depth and dimension to its predecessor, but still tells a story that’s all its own.

It helps that the filmmaking is pretty much impeccable, with director Joseph Kosinski providing the kind of clear, streamlined action sequences that make blockbuster spectacle feel fun instead of mandatory.

Joe Kosinski matches his well-established architectural precision with suitably nostalgic but never pandering emotionality, while Cruise commands the screen in a performance that leverages his multimillion-dollar star wattage to brighten the entire film.

Somehow Cruise's foray back into the danger zone will be remembered more than the original, setting a new standard in the era of reboots.

Ohh right this is what movies used to be like.

Top Gun: Maverick is the reason why I go to the movies and why Tom Cruise is the biggest movie star in the world. WHAT. A RIDE.

Maverick dished out generous amounts of bromance, action, and a truly-immersive narrative in swashbuckling style, and Cruise’s iconic grin was still the greatest thing to take away from it.

It is all of the flying sequences that are shot in such a way that it makes the moviegoer feel like they are a passenger that gives the movie its energy and makes it so much fun.