Top Gun: Maverick

We saw the movie not too long ago and loved it, its a touch above the first one. I think the movie has done well due to the absense of qualitative content from Hollywood in recent times. If things weren't so bad, the movie would have done moderate business. Most of what we see these days is Neo-liberal and female-dominated bullshit; the recent Lord of Rings being case in point. True that Tom Cruise is an idiot but on-screen, he seems to pull these masculine roles really well and his acting seems to have improved overtime. I find his MI movies quite watchable too.
 
I saw the movie and although it continues with some dangerous programming for young people, such as driving a motorcycle without a protective helmet, I liked the camaraderie that it fosters and, above all, being rebellious before bosses who do not understand.

I very much share the vision of his perspective on work, since his colleagues "prospered" in the pyramid of military power, but he chose to continue doing what fills his life and knows how to do it like no one else.

I also liked the romantic "action", although he does not show a great passion for the woman, she does not do it badly and I felt the longing for that feeling. Lovers who meet, recognize each other and in mutual respect come together.

And as a man of action that I am, I really enjoyed the entire plot of the movie, especially with the rebellion against power to do the right thing.:-D
 
Niall said:
How is there not yet a thread on this great movie?! :-O

Russell Brand reviewed it here:


His main take is that the movie succeeds because it "transcends America's current political divide," but I think he's off there. The (post)modern myth is that the USA is as divided as the media makes out - buttressed by the 'deep state' rigging the 2016 and 2020 elections (only the latter successfully). In reality, I think the vast majority of Americans are 'on the same page'. This was a movie made by them, for them. (I've since learned that Tom Cruise appears in a taped message at the beginning of each US theater screening to tell audiences, "We made this for you.")

If you can stand the foul language of Scottish movie critic 'The Critical Drinker', here's his review:


Of course, left untouched is the deeper, modern myth of American military 'greatness' - specifically, the moral righteousness of its military interventions, especially post-WW2. So, in confidently assuming American moral rectitude, both this and the previous Top Gun are 'mythical', as opposed to 'realistic', which is what Western audiences want to believe American 'world policemanship' can be, even if it isn't.

Anyway, that awareness didn't prevent this ardent anti-imperialist from enjoying Top Gun: Maverick. :cool2:
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You are right on on that, but still I just am stubborn on on some things.
 
I very much enjoyed the movie and actively promoted it to friends, I agree with all of you, this is an oasis in the desert of barren Hollywood. A reminder of better times when the hero's journey was portrayed in a way that reminded us that despite the many difficulties, the path can also be optimistic, fun, moral and purposeful in its resulting growth.

I guess this has turned into a Tom Cruise appreciation thread :lol: "Are you watching Edge of Tomorrow again?!," had said my wife several times. Oh yes I am.
 
I watched Top Gun Maverick and it was OK. The best part for me was the relationships. the boring part was the flying, I suppose because basically I didn't care about their mission, and thought the whole idea of it was ridiculous. If I can't buy in to the premise...
Also, Tom Cruise is a good actor, but I always see him as Tom Cruise, not who he is pretending to be. I think it is because he is so well known. Comparing to the Lord of the Rings, I didn't recognize any of the actors, so I was free to imagine that they were who they were portraying, plus I loved the books!
 
I was expecting this movie to be terrible. The original had all the 80s corniness with the loud drumbeat soundtrack, slowmo volleyball scenes, and the awkward dialog ("You can be my wingman any time!"). My parents even bought me Maverick's leather jacket as a joke.

I went to see Maverick with my family, first time in the theater in 2 years. I used to like getting there early and watching the previews. To my surprise, they showed us commercials instead (like actual television commercials) that were mixed with woke propaganda and only a few trailers. It was actually depressing to see how much the theater has changed, but it was nice to see the message from Tom Cruise saying that they made this film for the American people since he was (supposedly) the main reason the film was released in theaters and not streaming services.

After the movie, I had to agree with him. I truly enjoyed it, not just because there was little, if any, woke propaganda, but for the nostalgic feeling it gave me. I grew up in a military family, so the theme of not knowing if your loved one is coming back was definitely relatable to me and caused me to shed some tears. But it was also more than that; the scenes of them playing football on the beach, or the officers' bar they'd frequent, and even military housing gave me a sense of nostalgia.

Beyond the personal note, I also felt like the movie touched on what being an American used to mean, and I don't mean the obvious military industrial complex propaganda saying we should all be soldiers. I mean the image of being that independent, "loose cannon" American hero that never plays by the book, never gives up, and always put brotherhood above authority. The scene where he does the test run on his own, just to show that it can be done, in defiance of the command but for the encouragement of his students exemplified that to me. That stereotypical John Wayne type American is all but gone with my generation.
 
I like to write reviews of things but it seems, compared to all the comments, might be what I wrote is pretty self- indulgent and therefore it might not be well received-- but I thought I'd just share it anyway in my own style I guess. It's a little awkward/cringey, and I do cover some of the goings on in it if you haven't seen it.
I saw the film Top Gun Maverick thank you for recommending it.
I identified with the Tom Cruise character, leaving aside the beautiful handling and also the redemption of American spirit-the honoring of a time that was gone by gone by bringing it into something new in service to humanity and grace.
Really I found myself identifying with the Tom Cruise
By portraying these macho American man characters, he sort of become a laughing stock if anything.
I mean Tom Cruise is pretty famous for that outside of his movies which most people kind of enjoy.
A limited mind disconnected from God is stupid and also prone to egoistic spasms of emotionality, undisciplined moments of death.
Mavericks like that too and narcissistic facade of unreality half masculine, bromasculine bravado really, half selling himself for pleasure but locked from love.
He takes a leap of faith to lead jet pilots on an uncertain and dangerous mission but also coming in part responsible for their life and well being.
And that's the beauty, and that's the mystery of life, the beauty of it not knowing because nothing is certain. There's a lot of fun details involved--loving details too-hes broke and all that s***.
Maverick sacrifices his ego to be a part of life despite the fear, between the ingress and the egress, he trusts in life, and love, and responsibility in service to others. Maverick experiences that lows, the loss of his friend Goose--and the bitter misunderstanding with Goose's son Rooster's anger and rejection.
Speeding through the low winding Valley's, maybe his mind was worked by the thrill of skating death--
Speeding his jet through there is a pretty crazy and stupid thing to do-- maybe that's why I say and do stupid things too sometimes.
There's an egoistic satisfaction in in describing the terrain of Sorrow.

Now he can't do that because hes got to teach others how to do their mission and for them to live.
He can't serve 2 masters because hes got to pull the jet up real fast to climb the mountain.
It's not overly complicated because grace is not overly complicated. He just has to participate in life doing everything he can to protect the lives of pilots, yearning for his loved ones, trusting in fate in life because it's already happened-so it's a good example for a American men
 
I watched Coherence today, it was pretty good. Packed most of the things that get me excited about movies, and unfortunately suffered the same snubbing from 'the industry' as similar projects over the years. Richard Kelly is still in director's jail. The director of 'Triangle' never got bigger work (warning, great movie but it's quite rough and bleak) - apparently the director of 'Primer' is an abusive prick and out, and even Brit Marling has difficulty getting work. The cancellation of The OA felt like Firefly all over again.
 
I'm really glad this thread was made because I'd never have watched it. I read the thread last year and was left with the feeling of, "How good can it actually be??"

Well, I just watched it, and I loved it. I've always been one who can't help but cry at good films and this had me crying multiple times throughout. No wokeness, no politics. It's about life, regrets, relationships, heroism, the past and the future.

The pacing was pretty much perfect too. Enough calm and sentimental moments to allow one to relax, mixed with light-hearted and funny moments to cheer one up and make one laugh, and enough action to keep it exciting. I liked the homages to the first film, and also the homage to Star Wars lol.

I'd watch a lot more new films if they made them like this.
 
luc said:
Really liked it too. As for the politics, at least the movie didn't even pretend to be realistic - the enemy was entirely irrelevant, as indeed was the mission or politics in general. It is a movie about humans working things out and get over themselves, with some refreshingly good dialogues and depth, at least compared to 99,9% of the crap coming out of the West these days.
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Had watched this film perhaps 4 or 5 months ago, and like others, was not so disappointed. Only the other day was it noted that this 'irrelevant' enemy has taken on some relevance modeling, linking it to Operation Opera (1981): The Real Version of Top Gun Maverick: The Incredible Operation Opera (YouTube, staring the Israeli Mossad operational run into Bagdad in 1981 to smash up Sandam's reactor (the the west was helping him build), long before the WMD scam). As recalled at the time, that was headline getting and propaganda theater (also later weaving it into themes of fiction by some authors), and they have kept that war whore show alive for 40 plus years since.

Was it loosely based off of Opera, or are they just trying to co-opt it? Whatever the case, the latter is what they have done in essence with this YT.

SOTT only has a couple of mentions of Op Opera, and a very small brief of it can be read here:

US military specialist on Suter ELINT systems: 'We can fool enemy radar and missiles by manipulating space and time'
 
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