Top Gun: Maverick is the sequel that audiences have been waiting for - film review

Spearheaded by director Joseph Kosinski 36 years after the original, Tom Cruise returns to the skies stronger than ever.
By Jasmine Valentine
Published 23rd May 2022, 13:44 BST
Updated 23rd May 2022, 13:52 BST

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Known for its death-defying stunts, narrative heartbreak and banging 80s soundtrack, Top Gun stole the hearts of movie lovers back in 1986. Regarded as one of the most important movies of the decade, it’s no surprise that a lot of uncertainty surrounded its delayed return, especially after continental filming and release pushbacks.

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Top Gun: Maverick - trailer, age rating, release date, plot and cast of new Tom ...

In spite of ongoing issues, Tom Cruise is back to his action-packed brilliance as Captain Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell, returning to Top Gun to teach the best of the best before a deadly new mission. As many fans cite the film as superior to the original, Top Gun: Maverick lets Tom Cruise run wild with what he loves to do best — take control of the sea, road, and skies through nail-biting twists and turns.

Tom Cruise plays Capt. Pete "Maverick" Mitchell in Top Gun: Maverick from Paramount Pictures, Skydance and Jerry Bruckheimer Films. Tom Cruise plays Capt. Pete "Maverick" Mitchell in Top Gun: Maverick from Paramount Pictures, Skydance and Jerry Bruckheimer Films.
Tom Cruise plays Capt. Pete "Maverick" Mitchell in Top Gun: Maverick from Paramount Pictures, Skydance and Jerry Bruckheimer Films.
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Old and new faces come together as Tom’s supporting cast, with Miles Teller and Glen Powell taking over the airborne rivalry between the two class top dogs. Jennifer Connolly replaces Kelly McGillis as Cruise’s main love interest in the role of Penny, a new bar owner with a complicated history intertwined with Maverick.

MORE FILM: Top Gun Maverick: Win tickets to IMAX premiere at Cineworld

Viewers who loved the original duels between Maverick and Val Kilmer’s Iceman will be surprised to see their relationship has changed for the cornier, with Iceman’s return questionable in its execution. Nevertheless, Top Gun: Maverick is visually sublime in its journey back to the Danger Zone, with well thought out nods to the original blueprint peppered throughout the 137 minute runtime.

To experience Maverick’s full flight mode first hand, audiences will be able to grab their helmets and steer straight into IMAX or Cineworld’s 4DX. An epic addition to the film’s amazingly intense final act, the bumps, scrapes, and shootouts Top Gun is loved for are brought to life in an entirely new way. Watch out for a pesky snooker cue, a perilous boat ride, and more dogfighting that Maverick has ever experienced before.

Top Gun: Maverick will be released in cinemas from May 25 – with a 4DX viewing experience available at Cineworld Sheffield.

Related topics:Tom CruiseIMAXCineworld