A legacy sequel that honors its roots and flourishes beyond expectations.
Going in, I was a little bit nervous despite hearing all of the hype. Legacy sequels can be great or they can be disasters, and sometimes even somewhere in between. I mean, it’s been 36 years. Will they recapture the same magic? Will Tom Cruise do something crazy cool? Will they respectfully handle Val Kilmer? Will the story justify its own existence? Can they replicate what Tony Scott achieved without him present, yet also honor him? The answer to all of these is an unequivocal yes.
Joseph Kosinski has outdone himself. I’ve only seen one of his other films, Oblivion, which I really liked. His direction mirrors Scott’s in the best of ways, honoring – you’ll hear that word a lot – what came before while not being afraid to be inventive and new. I am particularly floored at the scope of the aerial cinematography. I cannot begin to fathom the colossal effort of directing the production teams. There’s a sense of realism, of grit that comes with the actors actually getting to be in the planes. It’s unreal, yet hyper real. The Navy Pilots who did some of these outrageous stunts should be lauded. Amazing stuff. 90% practical and just the right amount of CGI sprinkled in for some explosions and other movie magic moments make it breathtaking, quite literally, to watch.
I really appreciated the story. Maverick’s arc is a logical, emotional ride that touches on relevant themes such as pilots vs drone, aging, legacy, forgiveness, protection, friendship and honor. It’s actually pretty refreshing to have a movie so blatantly wholesome in its approach (even in the live scene that’s tastefully and respectfully done even if I found some of it not really needed) when so much of cinema nowadays is about the deconstruction of heroes or pushing agendas in said content. Not saying that’s always bad or always good, but I just like the straightforward nuance on display here.
Tom Cruise gives one of his best performances ever, both in and out of the plane. You can tell how personal this project was to him. Reading up on the actors having to learn to operate their own cameras inside the cockpits elevates every performance. Back to Cruise, there’s a particularly touching scene between he and Val Kilmer that moved me to tears. To see that kind of male friendship between to Hollywood giants onscreen in 2022 in a legacy sequel is beautiful. They do something really cool, too. Smiles and tears.
Another thing I loved is how the “mission” takes more of a forefront and follows the entire movie like a cloud. When it comes, it’s not a random urgent thing. The build up and payoff is emotionally exhausting in the best of ways. You’ll gasp, you’ll shout, you might cry (again) and you may even find yourself clapping like my theater did. It goes on longer than anticipated, and there’s a few logic jumps, but for the sake of the magic that I’m feeling during all of it, I truly don’t mind.
I am just astounded by the quality of this all around. The respect it demands, but also gives. I dare say that it surpassed the original for me. I loved it so much, I actually kind of hope there’s another one. And yet? I don’t need it. And I’m perfectly fine if they end it here as a perfect duology.
I think probably my only other criticism is that for a film so focused on legacy and honor, the complete lack of reference to Kelly McGinnis’ character seems like a gaping hole. Just felt a little weird, even if the story and time justified it working without her. A line of dialogue would’ve been nice. Or even a cameo. But she wasn’t even contacted.
Seeing this with one of my best friends who’s a pilot in the Air Force and my brother who is an aerospace engineer, in the Air Force town I grew up in with other service members around was a special experience I wouldn’t trade for anything. Our theater even stepped up the projecting image for once. Thanks for the effort Cruise and team, your message at the beginning of the film was warm, welcomed, and earnestly paid off.
5 out of 5 stars
Read on Letterboxd: https://boxd.it/2SQFnr