‘Top Gun: Maverick’ – No Woke, Just Thrills and Nostalgia on Steroids

Hollywood in Toto ^ | 12 May 2022 | Christian Toto

[Rummyfan]

Satisfying sequel hits nearly all the marks while outdoing the original

The 1986 smash “Top Gun” was both a movie and a pop cultural moment.

The latter mattered more, given the tenor of the times. President Ronald Reagan lived at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW D.C., and his confidence buoyed the nation. Pop hits like “Danger Zone” and “Take My Breath Away” crushed the Billboard charts, and rightly so.

The film’s star, Tom Cruise, couldn’t be more movie-star handsome or powerful within the industry — even if 1985’s “Legend” showed his commercial vulnerability.

“Top Gun” was the right movie at the right time, even if the film itself was far from great.

So where does that leave “Top Gun: Maverick?”

The oft-delayed sequel can’t replicate that Reagan-era optimism or the original’s rah-rah patriotism. This is 2022, and cheering on a straight white male military hero is problematic to the small but vocal minority that runs the culture.

Don’t tell that to Cruise.

The ageless star is in full control of his film destiny, and he clearly helped “Maverick” avoid most, if not all, of the culture war booby traps.

[PhiloBedo]

I don’t like the chi-com in France on the finances of the film, But definitely worth watching just for the aerial scenes.

[Bull Snipe]

Getting old is not for the faint of heart.

[Zuriel]

My class’s 50th reunion is this summer. 54 of us back in 72. Several lost to cigarettes. Some others to different cancers. Processed foods and little exercise are definitely playing a part in obesity and poor health.

The push decades ago to get a ‘healthy looking’ tan has taken a toll health as well.

[Rebelbase]

She lives a few miles from me and is 1/2 hour drive south of Asheville. Plenty of validation for her lifestyle here.

[LS]

Absolutely. Should have won. BTW, I know I’ll be slammed for this but I thought CRUISE, not HOFFMAN, had the better acting work in “Rain Man.”

[LS]

So my hat’s off to you to.

But certainly to Cruise. Cuz he not only does it, but he has to look “believable” as someone else doing it.

[Rebelbase]

“The “80s” lasted from January 1981 to November 1992. Music started to suck around 1989/1990 though.”

Quite funny how people have different musical tastes. For me music started to suck around 1985 and didn’t get better until 1994.

[Ezekiel]

Satisfying sequel hits nearly all the marks while outdoing the original

But of course, the long-awaited sequel:

Maverick [מאווריק] = ha-Mashiach [המשיח]

"Maverick: Love in the Sky" (Hebrew title)

And, suffice to say, “Top Gun: Maverick” isn’t woke in the slightest. It is, though, a testament to American excellence and the ability to achieve a goal no matter the odds.

How retro. How … refreshing.

Release date: May 27, 2022, Iyar 26:

On Iyar 26 (June 5, 1967), Israel launched preemptive strikes on its southern and northern frontiers. In just six days, the Jewish army defeated five Arab armies on three fronts and liberated territories of its promised homeland amounting to an area greater than its own size, including the Old City of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount.

“Top Gun: Maverick” is the very best kind of sequel. It embraces the source material and improves on it whenever possible. Long may Maverick fly.

A Hebrew equivalent to dream on is אתה חי בסרט to a male, and את חיה בסרט to a female – literally, you’re living in a movie. It can be used not only as a refusal of an offer, but also as a way of giving the person you’re speaking with a reality check – get real.

How to say "dream on" in Hebrew

Wikipedia:

Top Gun: Maverick is a 2022 American action drama film directed by Joseph Kosinski.

Kosinski was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin[3] and raised in Marshalltown, Iowa...

The Marshalltown Company, based in Marshalltown, Iowa, is a privately held American manufacturer of construction tools and equipment used for archaeology, asphalt, concrete, drywall, EIFS, flooring, masonry, painting, plastering, stucco, tile and wallpaper. Marshalltown, founded in 1890,[1] is one of the top producers of construction tools and equipment in the world,[2][3] including the Marshalltown pointed trowel, a tool often used by American archaeologists.

[Glad2bnuts]

I don’t care about his religion. I have never heard of him drunk or drugged, or picking up hookers. All I have ever seen of him was some of the best movies of the last 30....or is in 40 years? I would avoid his pictures, then watch them for free on HBO or something. They just keep getting more interesting and better. Now, I watch ever new one Tom Cruise makes, because they have quality in all facets. From Risky Business to Mission Impossible movies. ALL and I mean all of them were good to great. I can’t remember a clinker.

[Glad2bnuts]

I don’t care about his religion. I have never heard of him drunk or drugged, or picking up hookers. All I have ever seen of him was some of the best movies of the last 30....or is in 40 years? I would avoid his pictures, then watch them for free on HBO or something. They just keep getting more interesting and better. Now, I watch ever new one Tom Cruise makes, because they have quality in all facets. From Risky Business to Mission Impossible movies. ALL and I mean all of them were good to great. I can’t remember a clinker.

[Natty Bumppo@frontier.net]

I read somewhere else that he provided a slot for Val Kilmer in this sequel. Anyone got the specifics?

Val Kilmer's character, Tom "Iceman" Kazansky, is a Vice Admiral and Commander, Naval Air Forces in Maverick.

Because of Kilmer's health issues involving throat cancer, including using a feeding tube, and a stoma plugged into his trachea to speak, they filmed all of his scenes early in the production, and used AI to recreate his voice.

I know a few of the Naval Aviators from Top Gun who did the actual flying scenes in this movie. They reported that it was intense and emotional when Kilmer was on the set, as Kilmer and Cruise are good friends and knew it was probably their last chance to work together.

There was a sneak preview of Maverick at Naval Station Coronado, CA and NAS Fallon, NV last weekend. Tom Cruise showed up for the preview at Coronado and thanked the Navy and the Sailors for their support in making the movie.

Early reports from those who saw the preview is that the movie is pretty good.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Is that the one where Charlie Sheen shoots a chicken from a bow?

I think I have seen part of that.

[Vermont Lt]

When the flight instructor f$$ked the pilot.

[MinorityRepublican]

Tom Cruise keeps himself in shape by working out. He has a trainer and a chef, most likely.

Also, he probably used some botox to keep his skin from aging. Good chance that he used hair transplant. I am sure that he dyes his hair.

[ZinGirl]

Ahh. Yeah….agreed That angle was a bit silly.

[Rummyfan]

Say what you want, but Cruise puts everything into a movie, does his own stunts and does whatever it takes to try and make the best films he can.

Exactly.

[Rummyfan]

... I know I’ll be slammed for this but I thought CRUISE, not HOFFMAN, had the better acting work in “Rain Man.”

I agree. And for some reason, I can't watch any old flicks with Hoffman in them. I just find him irritating.

[Vision]

Every man’s worst nightmare.

[Paal Gulli]

The original Top Gun was an An Officer and a Gentleman knock-off.

Boy gets girl.
Boy loses girl.
Boy’s best friend dies.
Boy gets girl back.

The only difference is TG was after flight school; AOAAG was before.

And Kelly McGillis’ face is crooked. Her right eye is higher than her left.

[LS]

You know who stood up well in the old films is Richard Dreyfus.
Really liked “Krippendorf’s Tribe.”