Directed by Joseph Kosinski
5 Stars
Top Gun: Maverick accomplishes a very rare feat of being a long-gestating sequel that is not only worthy of the original but actually better than it. Managing to retain the spirit of the original whilst also adding stronger stakes, a more emotionally involved narrative and better-written characters. Tom Cruise is perfect as Maverick, bringing all the charm and star power but also adding much-needed dramatic weight and sorrow to the character. He also has great chemistry with Jennifer Connelly, who is a strong love interest with lots of warmth and humanity. 
All of the new cast fit in perfectly and are all really memorable, but Miles Teller is definitely the standout with a satisfying character arc and has equally great chemistry with Cruise. Val Kilmer's inclusion was a superb decision and is handled with immense love and respect. Joseph Kosinski's direction is absolutely amazing. The film looks amazing overall, with some nice homages to Tony Scott's iconic style, but the standout is definitely the flight sequences, which are truly astonishing and satisfyingly practical. Sifting through hours upon hours of footage, the flight sequences are edited together in spectacular fashion, extremely comprehensible and never boring. The film itself has excellent pacing, naturally building to a thrilling climax that just keeps escalating. The soundtrack and music by Harold Faltermeyer, Lady Gaga and Hans Zimmer are also perfect. All the classics you expect are present and used in satisfying ways, and the new music is appropriately epic. The new songs by Lady Gaga and One Republic are so good, utilized at the right moments and equally catchy and memorable. Final verdict: One of the best sequels ever.
Reviewed by Aayu
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