Fairly Short and Hopefully Spoiler-Free Review -- Top Gun: Maverick

I'm beginning to notice a recurring theme in my Fairly Short and Hopefully Spoiler-Free Reviews: You'll like Film X if you're into Thing Y. This one is no different.

When I looked around the theater during Top Gun: Maverick, I guesstimated the average age of the audience as around my own age. A few younger folks, a handful definitely older, but most probably in the 50-55 bracket. In other words, the generation that most likely saw the original Top Gun during its big-screen run 36 years ago. That could be anecdotal, though. The film has already grossed more than $600 million, so I doubt it's just old folks going to see it.

If you're nostalgic for Top Gun in particular or dig aerial combat war porn with a retro plot feel but outstanding flight footage of a type unavailable in the '80s, you'll enjoy Top Gun: Maverick.

If you haven't seen the original film, you will presumably be able to figure out a couple of its major plot anchors (the Maverick/Goose/Rooster relationship and the Maverick/Iceman relationship) from context/flashback, but it won't be as cool. I re-watched the original on DVD ($1 garage sale score a few weeks ago) before going to see the sequel.

About that flight footage: The US Navy provided F-18s and pilots. The actors took the back seats, which were covered by multiple camera angles. So when you see a character's face flattening out from high-gee maneuvers, etc., it's not acting or special effects. These crazy actors actually got in those planes and underwent those maneuvers (after going to the military school for non-pilot flight crew to learn water evac, etc.). As we all know, the US military loves to "assist" films that glorify the US military.

I can't even begin to tell you whether the scenarios were realistic. I was a grunt, not a pilot. Some of it seemed kind of hokey and over-the-top to me, but what do I know? The closest I've come to aerial combat is sitting in an F-4 Phantom on the ground as a kid (courtesy of my brother, who was in aviation ordnance in the Marine Corps) and watching an Iraqi F-4 get shot down by a US F-14 over Saudi Arabia.

I thought Top Gun: Maverick was both fun and sappy in a good way. I'll be trying to get Tamara to re-watch the original tonight and go see the sequel tomorrow.

Your mileage could definitely vary, though.

NOTE: IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO SEE SPOILERS, THEN YOU SHOULD NOT READ THE COMMENTS BELOW THIS POST.