A recent conversation between two teenagers (a male and a female) outside the box office of a local cinema complex:
M: So, what do you want to see?
F: I don’t really care. How about you?
M: Well, we could watch “Elvis.”
F: Who’s that?
M: He’s that singer our parents listened to in the 1960s and ’70s.
F: Oh no! My mom listens to him all the time. Why would I want to see a movie about a guy who sings songs about a hound dog and blue suede shoes?
M.: Good point. How about “Minions”? It’s supposed to be pretty good.
At this juncture, an octogenarian in a wheelchair rolls into the picture and begins perusing the nearby poster for “Top Gun: Maverick.”
F: I saw the trailer for that, and I think it looks generic with those little things moving around.
M: (He’s becoming a bit frustrated now. And also the Octo has tilted his head to listen in on the conversation.) Well, there’s not a whole lot left, but I have heard good things about “Top Gun: Maverick.”
F: Yeah, I read about that one. It’s a sequel to a movie that was made many years before I was born. Why would I want to watch that?
Before he can answer, the Octo chimes in.
O: Begging your pardon, Miss, but I think you would find a lot to like in that film even if you haven’t seen the original. All you really need to know is that Tom Cruise plays Pete Mitchell, aptly nicknamed Maverick, a hotshot Navy aviator who has little respect for rules. In the 36 years that have elapsed since Maverick’s good friend and co-pilot Lt. Nick Bradshaw, aka “Goose,” died in a freak accident during a training session, Maverick naturally blames himself despite the protestations of others who insist that the incident wasn’t his fault.
During the past 36 years, Maverick has continued to instruct young aviators, but he just can’t rid himself of his guilty conscience. And his commanding officers don’t help him much because they assign him to train a group of Top Gun graduates for an extremely dangerous mission. This will be particularly difficult for Maverick because one of his trainees is Lt. Bradley Bradshaw (Miles Tiller), aka “Rooster,” son of the late Goose.
F: Well, thank you very much for that information, sir. (These are polite teenagers.) We really appreciate it, but I don’t know that a movie about pilots would be that interesting to me.
O: I understand your concern, Miss. I really do, but this is much more than just a film about pilots. This picture is about the rigorous training regimen the pilots go through and the effect it has on them. Of course, there’s a bit of a love story thrown in as almost an afterthought, but it’s enough to satisfy the romantic viewers, and it gives Jennifer Connelly screen time. She’s the member of a strong cast that includes Val Kilmer, Glen Powell, Jon Hamm, and Ed Harris to name just a few. In the production notes, we learn why Cruise wanted the actors to endure five months of Navy flight training.
“I can’t just stick an actor in an F/A-18,” Cruise said. “Not only are they going to pass out; there are so many things happening in that airplane. You have cameras. You have lighting. You have performance. They’ve got to be pulling Gs. They’ve got to be low. They have to have had that experience in that aircraft. You see it. You feel it. You can’t fake it.”
Indeed the real stars of this film are the planes that execute some incredibly complex maneuvers in the attempt to carry out a practically impossible mission. You have never seen any more spectacular aerial photography than you get in this film. AND THE TENSION THE FILM CREATES IS PALPABLE. The first time I saw this film, my legs were shaking so badly I thought I wasn’t going to make it.
M: Wait a minute, Mister. You mean you’ve seen this movie more than once?
O: Absolutely. This will be my fourth time, and I find something new each time. Also, I’m a big Tom Cruise fan, and I’ve seen just about all his movies. I think he’s a terrific actor. A good friend of mine insists, however, that the only role Cruise can play is that of “a tortured soul.” Actually, that description accurately fits him in this film because Maverick still is tortured by the death of Goose 36 years ago. Maybe my friend is onto something.
F: I do like Cruise’s movies, but I’m not big on sequels. Since I never saw “Top Gun,” maybe I won’t have lost out by not seeing the original.
O: Oh, don’t let the sequel curse keep you from seeing this film, Miss. This is one of those rare occasions when the sequel may be better than the original because of the sensational cinematography and sound. But don’t make the mistake of waiting until this film comes to television because it will lose a great deal in moving to the small screen. You absolutely have to watch it on the big screen because it will draw you in so much that you will be exhausted when it ends. You will leave the theater with weak knees and white knuckles. Look for this film to grab some Oscar nominations this year. It’s a solid 10.
M: OK! I’m in.
F: Me too! Thank you so much, Sir. Do you see a lot of films?
O: Not anymore, but I once did.
F: Well, you should think about writing film reviews.
O: Thank you. You’re very kind. And maybe I will think about that.
Footnote: Here’s something else to think about: Three tickets (daytime prices), one medium bag of popcorn, and two medium Coke Zeroes.
$43.00!!!!
