Confessions of a Streamaholic

This movie holds a special place in my heart and let me tell you why, the original Top Gun movie was one of my mum’s favourites. In 2018 with a short battle to secondary breast cancer she passed away we had watched many films together but never Top Gun. I knew the music cause how couldn’t you it is iconic, I steered away from watching it since it still felt too raw but when I found out they were making a sequel it was time to give the original a watch, shortly before the sequel came out. The first movie I did enjoy it’s a classic but knew it wasn’t going to be my favourite like it was my mum’s but I can see why she loved it, one of those movies that has a bit of everything.

So when Top Gun: Maverick came out I knew I had to go see it, cause if my mum was here that’s exactly what we’d do, so many memories of trips to the cinema together. Because the movie is based around the Navy and a sequel I thought it would be a good film to watch but not one of my favourites, oh, how wrong I was.

This movie had me locked in from start to finish and has become a favourite of mine, which I think is such a coincidence that the original was one of my mum’s favourites and now the sequel is one of mine. I shouldn’t be surprised it is a movie I love as mentioned earlier the Top Gun movies has a mix of everything and I think that’s how I’m hooked.

So where do I start when talking about this film, maybe the star studded cast, Tom Cruise known for always performing his own stunts in countless action movies, Val Kilmer, Jon Hamm, Jennifer Connelly, Miles Teller, Glen Powell, Lewis Pullman, Danny Ramirez & Monica Barbaro to name a few. Now many years later to see especially the young actors in this film what they have achieved is incredible they have starred in some blockbusters.

The behind the scenes stuff you can find out online about the training they had to do to prepare for filming this movie is insane, essentially a condensed version of pilot training and the filming while they were in the planes is another level of cinematography and acting skill. As I am someone who loves to consume film I like to think about how stuff is shot and there is not one scene or moment in this film that feels out of place or could have been done better. The action sequences especially at the end when they get targeted by the missiles and have to use the flares and guns on the plane is out of this world but it’s balanced throughout the film with some lovely scenery of beaches, deserts and the ocean.

One of the things I love most about this movie is the soundtrack, a good soundtrack goes a long way and this one hit it out the park. A mix from the original movie and new music involving Lady Gaga with Harold Faltermeyer, Hans Zimmer, more & One Republic. Glen Powell was certainly right when he said ‘montages last forever’ as this one sure will with the catchy chorus of I Ain’t Worried playing behind it, a very memorable moment of this movie.

As I said earlier this movie has a mix of everything and you really see that as it can make you laugh as well as cry. Some of my favourites are when Maverick (Tom Cruise) ejects from his plane on the Mach 10 mission and ends up in the middle of nowhere walks into a cafe drinks some water and asks where he is and this little boy says ‘Earth’, a similar moment to this is when the young pilots talk about call signs and Bob has to repeat that his call sign is in fact ‘Bob’ both of these moments made me chuckle.

But along with the funny there was some really touching moments between Maverick and some of the other characters. Maverick (Tom Cruise) & Iceman (Val Kilmer) chatting in Ice’s home about Rooster (Miles Teller) and the mission, I thought was a really sweet moment. The most heartwarming part though that had me tearing up was the dynamic of Maverick & Rooster, due to their history (you’ll need to watch the first one to understand what I mean, but if you know, you know) they don’t have the most positive interactions to start of with but that makes what happens in the end more heartfelt. Rooster coming back for Maverick, them working together and in the end just having a moment putting the past behind them had me in bits.

One of the parallels I loved from the first movie to this one was Rooster (Miles Teller) singing ‘Great Balls of Fire’ on the piano and it shows you a clip from the first film where Maverick and Goose (Anthony Edwards) are doing the same thing and you see a boy on the piano with them who is Rooster, really pulled at the heartstrings that bit.

Overall, although people in Top Gun and the Navy may not see this film as accurate I think it is an incredible movie from start to finish, it’s just so cool. Also, with it being a sequel usually people think they aren’t as good, could be controversial but I think this tops the original just due to the advancements with film making. It has every element you could want action, comedy, romance and drama. It’s a film I watch over and over again, never getting bored. If it’s not one you’ve watched then I highly recommend you watch as I think it’s in my Top 5 of all time.