June 2022
There is a quality that almost no modern action blockbuster manages to recapture from the golden era of the genre — something electrifying and earnest, born from genuine craft and the kind of passion that can’t be manufactured by a boardroom. It’s the feeling that real human beings put everything on the line to entertain you. Whatever that elusive quality is, Top Gun: Maverick has it in spades.
Going In With Low Expectations
I’ll be upfront: I wasn’t particularly hyped for this film. We live in an era of relentless IP recycling, where Hollywood mines decades-old nostalgia for quick profit while putting in as little creative effort as possible. And frankly, I don’t carry any deep sentimental attachment to the original Top Gun. I’ve revisited it a few times, and while it has a handful of genuinely iconic moments, it’s a pretty decent movie at best. Nothing more.
So arriving at this sequel without nostalgia and with minimal investment in the franchise, I was completely caught off guard. This is one of the finest action films to come out in years — and not only does it honor the spirit of the original, it outclasses it on nearly every front.
Tom Cruise: The Last of His Kind
It would be dishonest to discuss this film without talking about Tom Cruise. Yes, the tabloid fodder and the couch-jumping moment are burned into pop culture memory, but strip all that away and you’re left with something rare: a genuine movie star who still cares deeply about the craft. Through Mission: Impossible and Edge of Tomorrow, Cruise has almost single-handedly kept the practical action film alive, constantly raising the bar rather than taking the path of least resistance.
Before cameras rolled on Maverick, Cruise put the entire cast through an intense aviation training program so that the G-forces they experienced on screen were completely real. As executive producer, he pushed to eliminate green-screen artifice wherever possible. The result is visceral and immersive in a way that CGI-heavy blockbusters simply cannot replicate. Every sharp bank, every thunderous takeoff, every near-miss in a canyon run lands with genuine physical weight because it actually happened.
Cruise’s Maverick is as stubborn and fearless as ever, but his new role as a Top Gun instructor forces him to confront challenges that no amount of raw flying ability can solve. The military is accelerating its push toward autonomous drones, making Maverick — and everything he represents — feel like a relic. The film is quietly meta in the best way: Maverick is the last of his kind, and so, in many respects, is the actor playing him.
New Blood and Old Wounds
The new ensemble of pilots brings welcome energy to the film. The cocky Hangman and the unflappable Phoenix make strong impressions, but it’s Miles Teller’s Rooster — son of Maverick’s long-dead wingman Goose — who gives the film its emotional backbone. The tension between these two men can’t be resolved with aerial maneuvers or split-second reflexes; it demands vulnerability and accountability. That dynamic elevates Maverick well beyond a standard action sequel.
The film isn’t without its weaknesses. Several supporting characters remain underdeveloped, and the antagonist is more of a vague geopolitical threat than a fully realized villain. But these shortcomings never drag the experience down, because the emotional core between Maverick and Rooster is strong enough to carry the weight.
Final Verdict
Top Gun: Maverick is a love letter to old-school filmmaking — a blockbuster that knows exactly what the audience wants and delivers it without apology or ironic detachment. It’s the rare sequel that doesn’t just justify its existence, but makes you appreciate the original more for having inspired it. If this were the last thing Tom Cruise ever made, it would stand as the perfect bookend to his journey from a cocky young hotshot to the man who taught Hollywood how to do it right. Some people say Top Gun made Tom Cruise. After Maverick, there’s no question: Tom Cruise makes Top Gun.
Rating: 4 / 5 Dog Tags
Pairing Cocktail: Smoke in the Air
“Smoke in the air” is pilot shorthand for an incoming missile lock — a phrase you’ll hear constantly by the film’s climax. It inspired this cocktail: a smoky, herbal whiskey drink that channels the heat of aerial combat and the quiet longing for peace shared by every ace who’s ever sat in a cockpit. Roasted rosemary, rye, green chartreuse, and sweet vermouth come together in something surprisingly approachable. Goose would be proud.
Ingredients
- 2 oz rye whiskey
- ½ oz green chartreuse
- ½ oz sweet vermouth
- 2 dashes Peychaud’s bitters
- Splash of water
- Garnish: 1–2 fresh rosemary sprigs
Instructions
- Torch the rosemary sprigs inside a rocks glass using a lighter or blowtorch, then immediately cover the glass to trap the smoke. Set aside.
- Combine all remaining ingredients in a mixing glass and stir with ice until well chilled.
- Strain into the prepared smoke-filled glass. Add a large ice cube if desired.
- Garnish with a fresh rosemary sprig and serve.