Legacy sequels are a different breed altogether. With your typical follow-up, usually only a short time has passed between films. But when that duration spans decades, pressure begins to mount. You are no longer looking to please one demographic but multiple. Is the subject/theme even relevant anymore? How does one remain faithful to countless fans of original source material while ushering in future devotees? In recent years, only a select few have managed to thread that needle.
Two of my personal favorites, Mad Max: Fury Road and Blade Runner 2049, gained much critical acclaim but did little to shift that to box office success. The 2016 Ghostbusters and 2018 Halloween were bold enough to pretend they weren’t long-overdue sequels, the titles were identical. Much to their detriment, a trend that should be vanquished at once. Better to break down the doors, a bold statement of purpose leading the charge.
This summer saw many such endeavors but nothing like this one. And no, it is not the one where dinosaurs exist as a foil for Jeff Goldblum’s humor and Chris Pratt’s ego. No, no greater talent is there than Tom Cruise. The man has become a myth; tethered to helicopters and jumping from buildings for our amusement countless times. And, at one point, he was a very fine actor. Early roles in Born on the Fourth of July and Rain Man present him as not a one-trick pony. In the late 90s he seemed to be heading into more character-driven fare with Magnolia and Collateral. But as soon as snoots from industry circles turned their noses up, he ran back to what he knew best: high-octane action. The danger zone became his comfort zone; his place for the last 15 years with the occasional stint in smaller roles.
Top Gun Maverick is the first to truly marry these two sides of him. Gone are the campy 80s cheese that slathered the original; only a brief tackle football match on the beach. With scant callbacks, this plays more dramatically than its predecessor. Captain Pete Mitchell has been taken off a project and forced to go back to the title flight school to train a dangerous mission. Like most legacy sequels the story doesn’t completely revolve around pervious characters. A new class of Air Force pilots are brought in to round out the cast.
Miles Teller plays Lt Brad Bradshaw, Goose’s son from the last film. In a brilliant use of juxtaposed editing, stop frame footage of Anthony Edwards is cut with Miles on the piano establishing instant connection and sorrow for Cruise’s character. Even though there are lighter moments in the film, the tone displayed is reverent and somber at times. The flight scenes are rendered more intense from director Joseph Kosinski’s eye for visual detail and DP Claudio Miranda’s gold lighting tones and captured blue skies.
One of the major criticisms of Tom Cruise’s films is the casting. Most have complained that he can never be overshadowed by a bigger star. And given those cast lists, it is not surprising that reaction. However, while sitting through the previews, we were also treated to the look at the next Mission: Impossible movie, always the showmen he is. But as it rolled, I came to the conclusion that he doesn’t pick stars because he wants capable actors. Ones that will challenge him to up his game. Jennifer Connelly plays his love interest in one of her best roles in years. Teller, along with the rest of the flight crew, make a great team with him. Jon Hamm is perfect in his position. And it made me shed a tear when Val Kilmer showed up, a scene that will hopefully earn Tom his award. Better late than never, just like this review. Worth the wait, it makes for some thrilling viewing.
