Top Gun Maverick is the sequel to the original movie Top Gun which came out in 1986. The producers and directors of this movie indeed took the audience into the danger zone with the stunts pulled while filming. There is absolutely no CGI in the film, all the aerial acrobatics were shot in real-time with the actors flying their own planes. The actors including, Tom Cruise, Miles Teller, Glen Powell, and Monica Barbaro went through three months of rigorous training at the Navy’s very own TOPGUN school to bring accurate navel aviation sequences to the screen. 

If that didn’t get you feeling the need for speed the cast sure did. Not only did they bring familiar faces back but they also introduced new ones. Mile Teller portrayed the son of Captian Pete Mitchell (Tom Cruise) AKA Maverick’s belated best friend Goose’s son Rooster. Rooster and Maverick had an unresolved conflict that was not shared with the audience until a fight breaks out between the two after an intense training day. The depth they gave this character kept the audience on the edge of their seats wondering what happened between the two. Luckily we see the two characters come together in as a team in the end. The cast brought back the familiar face of Val Kilmer who portrayed ‘Iceman’ in the original film. In the sequel, the character is said to have cancer which takes a depressing toll on Maverick. However, the actor himself was struggling with throat cancer and therefore, lost his voice. Surprisingly the voice of ‘Iceman’ in Top Gun Maverick was Val Kilmer’s son. Many fans were surprised to see Maverick’s new love interest Penny Benjamin played by Jennifer Connelly. However, Penny is not a new character, she was briefly mentioned in the original movie at the very beginning. 

The nostalgic aspect of the movie was placed throughout the movie and flowed very well with the plot line. Not only did the familiar faces bring this out but also the clips from the original movie. The classic ‘Great Balls of Fire’ scene was placed into the film after Maverick saw Rooster playing the song on the piano and made him think of when Goose sang the same song. The hardship of returning to the place he had lost his best friend was seen through Tom Cruise’s incredible acting. Great Balls of Fire was not the only song to return to the movie. The classic song Danger Zone by Kelly Loggins was also featured in the opening scene which resembled the original opening scene. Another classic scene that was recreated in the second film was the beach scene. A memorable scene indeed that was accompanied by One Republic’s new song I ain’t Worried which was written with the help of Tom Cruise himself. Of course, the producers also brought back the song Take My Breath Away by Berlin for the heartfelt scene between Maverick and Penny. The deep friendship between Maverick and Iceman was yet again shown in a nostalgic form. The first words Maverick said to Iceman in the film was, “How’s my wingman?” which is a reference to the end of the original film. Finally, the four sentimental and classic words spoken by Maverick,  “Talk to me, Goose” brought tears to the eyes of the audience once again. 

So many things made this movie one to remember. From the authentic, heart-pounding flight scenes to the depth and emotion developed for each character. The producers and directors definitely said, “No points for second place”.