Holiday Flix- Top Gun- Maverick (2022)

 A Film that has the need- the need for speed.  That's why it took 4 years to finally come out in Theaters after they shot it.

This is Top Gun- Maverick, the Film that 'saved' Theaters.  That was the hype, wasn't it?

Thanks to my Illinois Family for getting me a free Digital Copy of this one- and the Original too.

Tom Cruise is back in the role of Maverick after (roughly) 30 years and he's here to teach the next Generation how to do it.  That's what Flight School is for, but.... shut up.

In all seriousness, the Plot involves a super-dangerous mission and they want him to prepare them for it.  Can he stop being a, well, maverick and learn to teach?

To find out how this Legacy Sequel turned out, read on...

In 2018 (when this one was actually shot), Maverick is testing a new plane, but the Military wants to put the money into drones.

Thanks, Obama!

He is told that they will only extend the program if they can get it to go Mach-10.

He does it- as the General arrives to shut things down- and then goes to 10.1 and the plane explodes.

Of course he's fine- why would you ask?

See you never again, Ed Harris.

The mostly-offscreen Iceman (Val Kilmer) keeps Maverick in the Navy, as he apparently is the Commander of the Atlantic Fleet.

He gets him a new job- as a Trainer for Top Gun (which is still NOT a real thing).

He's got to teach a whole group of Navy Pilots, including a bunch of future MCU Stars.  The first meeting of Sentry, Mr. Fantastic and new Falcon- neat!

The key person is Rooster, aka the son of his Wingman Goose.

Assuming that the timeline is 1-to-1 here, he's pushing 40 (as we see him as a 4–7-year-old kid in the Flashback) here.
Also, his Mom died between Films, since we couldn't bring back Leading Ladies from Top Gun.

The Mission is next to Impossible (see what I did there?) and he trains them for it. 

 
He also makes them simulate dog fights against him, in spite of the fact that the whole point of the mission is to get out BEFORE the enemy planes arrive.

Oh, well- an excuse for 'the old dog' to teach the young ones some new tricks.

Maverick does have a support system, including his old buddy Sundown (recast from Clarence Gilyard, since he mostly-retired from Acting in 2002).

However, hee keeps butting heads with another authority figure in the form of John Hamm.

He's never happy, until he's proven wrong by Maverick (naturally).

Back in his old stomping grounds, Maverick reunites with Charlotte to.... oh right, she aged differently than Cruise, so she's out.

Instead, he reunites with Penny, who he totally has a long-term relationship with.  Honest!

The whole thing builds up to the mission, which is to keep some Country from getting nukes.  What country, you ask?

Anyhow, it all comes down to Cruise leading the Pilots to save the day.

Can they do it?

To find out, stream it now.

A pretty enjoyable Film that really excels when you see them fly.

Did I care all that much about whether Maverick would get to keep flying?
What about Rooster and his drama?
Whether Maverick will end up with Penny?

Not that much.

They spent lots of time and money really making the interior shots of them in the jets look great.  No question- it is amazing work.

My issue is that this Legacy Sequel never quite wants to admit that the new, younger Characters can be his equals.  We get a line about them 'all being great, but this mission is difficult' to explain why he needs to lead the mission.

Wouldn't it be better if they could do it on their own and he helped them out somehow?  For all its many faults, that last Jurassic World did that right.
See also that last Indiana Jones Film.

For pure spectacle, this is great.  I saw it on 36 inch TV, so I can imagine what a Theater one was like.  I just wish that it led its newer Stars shine more.

A Film that looks amazing on so many levels and is genuinely thrilling.  As far as Legacy Sequels go, however, it is a bit noncommital.