Top Gun: Maverick

disclaimer: spoilers ahead...

I’m genuinly being honest when I say Top Gun was one of my favourite movies. I watched Top Gun with my family on Sunday, August 12. We watched it in 4D, where the chairs moved and there were background effects. I definitely didn’t anticipate I was going to enjoy it as much as I did. It may just be the moving of the chairs that completely engrossed me into the movie, but I liked how the movie clearly showed the development of the protagonist, Maverick. 

Captain Pete Mitchell (Maverick) was a US naval aviator and was known to be an excellent fighter pilot. After more than 30 years of service as one of the Naval’s top aviators, Top Gun (an incredibly prestigious military school) had called to recruit him to train 12 graduates for a special assignment. Maverick had an unfortunate past with his wingman, referred to as “Goose”. Goose passed away after hitting the F-14’s canopy before both Maverick and Goose fell into the ocean. Maverick survived. Unfortunately the stunt pilot, Art Scholl, who was filming the scene on a camera plane also entered the same flat spin and passed away. Goose’s son, Bradley Bradshaw (Rooster), held a firm grudge on Maverick not only because he believed his father’s death was Maverick’s fault, but Maverick also blocked his former application to the naval academy. This was because he knew Rooster wasn’t ready yet. During the training, Maverick and Rooster slightly quarelled every now and then but overall got closer. Maverick was frowned at due to his teaching techniques and was replaced, but after he perfectly demonstrated how the special assignment must be tackled, he was recruited  back as one of the fighter pilots.

 

Although this story didn’t have a proper plot, it made up with it by developing the main characters and their many relationships. One of them being the manner in which the Rooster’s anger for Maverick faded away as Rooster managed to forgive and forget. Another relationship development was Penny and Maverick’s after they got back together and began to date. The distrusting superior, Vice Admiral Beau ‘Cyclone’ Simpson, also saw Maverick’s true potential after he successfully completed the special assignment and asked him to assist the mission. Another of the attributes this movie outdid itself with was creating an emotional connection with the viewer and the protagonist. I could sympathize with Maverick as everyone constantly insisted he couldn’t be a fighter pilot anymore. Additionally, the thrilling dogfights throughout the movie never failed to keep me on the edge of my seat.

I knew Maverick had the potential to complete the special assignment as he was a very talented fighter pilot. Even with the many dangers he had to face during it, he still came out with shining colors. After the movie, I began researching the planes used throughout the movie and studied their appearance. You know a movie is good, when you begin to research about it after seeing it. I definitely recommend watching this movie and rate it a solid 9/10.