Top gun Maverick: More than just an exciting experience, but the fighter jet scenes shine the most
May 26, 2022
“What the enemy doesn’t know is your limit.”
I did not expect this film to be this good. It was everything I wanted it to be… and more. It wasn’t just an exciting experience with thrilling fighter jet flights, it was also a film with a strong emotional connection and solid humor that was delivered by some great acting. But I do have to admit that the fighter jets were definitely the aspect where this film shines the most.
Cliché… but good
The story and character arcs in this film were pretty cliché, but luckily they were supported by great pacing, great acting and a solid plot. The plot had a great balance between the action and non-action sequences, which heavily contributed to the overall pacing.
Although the character arcs were pretty cliché, I really liked the character arc and chemistry between Maverick and Rooster. The other characters didn’t have much character development, which resulted in a muted emotional connection with them. This is, in my opinion, something the original film did better.
Another aspect I really liked was the fact that not only the pilots are being prepared for the mission, but the viewer is too. This builds a lot of tension and nerve-wrecking moments during the third act, which made it very captivating.
Immersive cinematography
The cinematography was really immersive and created a lot of tension during the action scenes. The cockpit shots with the center framed pilots really emphasized their reactions and facial expressions, which showed the stress they experienced during these action scenes. These shots also had the same aesthetics as the original film, which I liked. The fighter jet aerial shots were also really beautiful. With multiple impressive fighter jets on screen, you don’t want the cinematography to be distracting, you want the focus to go to the fighter jets, so the viewer can be immersed in the action. This is exactly what the cinematography of Top Gun: Maverick achieved.
Sound you can feel
The cinematography wasn’t the only thing that focussed on the fighter jets and the action, the audio did too. The audio in this film was, for me, the most impressive aspect of the film. The sound of the engines have a very strong impact on the viewer, which heavily contributed to the immersive experience. There is just something special about the roaring sound of a fighter jet.
Hans Zimmer being Hans Zimmer
The score was beautiful and had a lot of emotion to it in some parts. This worked really well to enhance the already exciting and nerve-wrecking scenes throughout this film, especially during the third act. The score wasn’t anything like we haven’t heard before, because for the most part it reminded me a lot of Hans Zimmer’s previous work, but it fitted the scenes very well. The throwback music gave the film that 80s feel and resemblance to the original Top Gun, which I appreciated.
All these aspects combined created this emotional and thrilling experience, that for me surpassed the original film. It kept the same core as the original one, but gave it a more modernized feeling. This resulted in a sequel that felt new and familiar at the same time. Top Gun: Maverick is one of the best, if not the best, theater experiences I’ve ever had.
