By Ryan Woods – Staff Reporter

“Top Gun: Maverick,” which was released on May 27, 2022, is Tom Cruise’s highest-grossing film, earning $1.4 billion at the global box office. It also earned an Academy Award for Best Sound, a Critics’ Choice Movie Award for Best Cinematography, and a People’s Choice Award. 

The director of “Top Gun: Maverick” is Joseph Kosinski, and some of the main actors are Cruise as Pete Mitchell, Miles Teller as Bradley Bradshaw, Val Kilmer as Tom Kazansky, Glen Powell as Jake “Hangman” Seresin, and Jennifer Connelly as Penny Benjamin. 

The movie follows Capt. Pete Mitchell, who was one of the Navy’s best aviators, becomes a test pilot and tries his hardest not to be promoted in rank. After testing a jet and flying at Mach 9, he is brought back to the Navy to teach the best of the best to complete a near-impossible mission. But something is stopping Pete from giving his best to these students; Pete’s former wingman, “Goose,” died in a fatal crash, and Pete is now Goose’s son’s teacher. The journey is a grueling and mental and physical challenge.

There are few weak spots in this movie but the biggest is the highly predictable ending. There are also many new characters and the directors didn’t bring back any of the characters from the old movie. There are many more strong points than weak points, though, including the amazing cinematography and the nostalgia that the movie brings.

Overall, “Top Gun: Maverick” is a must-watch, inspirational movie.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars