It’s taken a very long time to get a Top Gun sequel to the screen. The original movie was the blockbuster of the year back in 1986. Maybe it was just a different era back then, or maybe Tom Cruise was just too busy doing other stuff, but a Top Gun 2 never happened. Eventually, Paramount did start work on a sequel and then, after years and years of development, the film finally goes into production only for a freaking pandemic to derail its release for a full two years.
Finally, more than 30 years later, Top Gun: Maverick is ready to premiere. The movie was directed by Joseph Kosinski and features Tom Cruise back in the role of Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, a hotshot fighter pilot who is summed back to his alma mater to teach a new generation of jet flyers, including Glen Powell and Miles Teller. He plays the son of Goose, Maverick’s former wingman and best friend who died during the events of the first Top Gun.
Maverick just had its first screening in front of exhibitors and some journalists at the CinemaCon trade show in Las Vegas this week and their reviews are beyond positive; they’re downright effusive. Every single one, at least from this limited sample of writers, called it a worthy successor to the original film, with “incredible” flying sequences, and another solid Tom Cruise performance. They also liked literally every single other thing about the movie; seriously, it’s hard to find even one minor complaint amongst the bunch.
Here’s a sampling of the first reviews:
Top Gun: Maverick is scheduled to open exclusively in theaters on May 27.
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