MovieChat Forums > Top Gun: Maverick (2022) Discussion > I enjoyed this, but I also thought it wa...

I enjoyed this, but I also thought it was overrated (spoilers)

posted 2 years ago by JakeSWITCH (504)
6 replies | jump to latest

The plot of 'Top Gun: Maverick' was solid, but I thought the film should have spent more time establishing the younger characters at the beginning (Rooster and Hangman are the only ones to receive a handful of personality traits) and left the introduction of Maverick until the first teaching session.

I also thought Maverick (or Pete) was far too mellow, so much so that he wasn't that interesting.

This sequel was also lot less testosterone-fueled than Tony Scott's film - it felt remarkably inoffensive and sexless compared to the original. I thought that it made the personalities on screen seem less real.

I still enjoyed 'Top Gun: Maverick' - the flight scenes were superb and it was worth watching the film in a cinema for those alone - but it was obvious that this was a film designed to please as broad an audience as possible and felt watered down as a result.

[–] ebhaynz (3689) 2 years ago

100% agree. Tom Cruise was too boring, the other actors didn't step up. It wasn't as fun as it should have been. C-

[–] JBran (1660) 2 years ago

Agreed.

Was a good film but when the reviewers were saying best action movie in years. No way.

And the pointless love angle with Jennifer Connelly.

[–] blue1981 (7826) 2 years ago

I try not to think too hard about the mixed sexes among the pilots. I think it was that way as that’s what the Navy is today.

[–] darkpast (8756) 2 years ago

its a 6.5 movie, raised by aerial scenes and thrilling third act , final score 7.5 , its more an experience than a movie

[–] aavfreak (3334) 2 years ago

"its more an experience than a movie"

This is a really good way of putting it.

[–] Ripkens25 (2034) 2 years ago

This film was the perfect storm of everything we needed, and at just the right time. And that....is why it clicked so well for everyone.

Coming out of COVID, and MeToo, and cancel culture, and political unrest/burnout, and cabin fever, and an overload of viewing options that started to feel cookie-cutter (and tied to our couches)....I think we all needed (or longed for) a good old-fashioned night out at the movies, and a great movie "experience".

All but gone are the days of the big, anticipated movie "event". All but gone are the buddy cop action movies (Die Hard, Lethal Weapon, etc...) sexy thrillers (Basic Instinct) and emotional dramas (Shawshank)....and instead we get a lot of pandering, woke bs that feels forced and assembly-line.

And then along comes the last of a dying breed. The last of the true Hollywood movie stars. A guy who cares intensely about delivering the kinds of movies we used to LOVE going to....(and still do!) Tom Cruise gets it. And....he has the clout to fight for only the best. And he ALWAYS delivers.

Also, Maverick is simply a great movie in all respects. But I think the secret sauce is that the movie and characters grew up WITH us. We were young and cocky and carefree when we first saw Tom Gun...(and so was Cruise/Mav). In this movie, he's still got glimpses of that (the smile...the beach football...the motorcycle....the willingness to buck authority and take chances, etc.), but he has also slowed down a bit, and his maturity shows on his face, and in the way he approaches things. And his relationship with Penny feels much less cocksure, and more adult; more "grown-up".

Ultimately, the movie has all the ingredients we love. And, it's a throwback to a time and "experience" we loved...(and still do). People were all but resigned to the idea of: "Why would I go to a crowded, noisy movie theater...when I can watch stuff on the comfort of my own couch?" But as everyone has said, this is a film you MUST see in the theaters. It's a shared experience that adds a magic that you don't get whilst sitting on your couch eating Cheetos. (Besides, haven't we been staying at home long enough?)

Sometimes, it's best not to question a perfect storm if it makes you feel good. Just enjoy it.