The success of Top Gun: Maverick is like something we have not seen in the cinematic landscape in many years. It is universally beloved. Critics and fans, cinephiles and casual moviegoers, young and old, rural and urban — practically everyone in the world adores Tom Cruise’s latest go-for-broke spectacle.
Now more than two months since its first weekend in cinemas, the film is still drawing in audiences for repeat viewings. I have seen it three times in theaters myself, and intend to catch it one more time before it eventually cycles out.
I maintain that Tony Scott’s 1986 original Top Gun is a very good movie — and, of course, Joseph Kosinski’s sequel would not exist without those foundations. However, it blows my mind how much Maverick improves on its predecessor in literally every single aspect of filmmaking and storytelling. This legacy sequel is my favorite film of 2022 so far — and, it’s quickly climbing my list of all-time faves, period.
Anyway, with Maverick at the forefront of my mind once again today, I am reposting this clip from Meet Me at the Movies, which originally aired in May. Check out this conversation between Noel Manning and yours truly as we discuss what makes the long-delayed-but-worth-the-wait, unbelievable filmmaking achievement that is Top Gun: Maverick so astounding.
The Run-Down on Movies 