After 36 years and a career which has come to define the words ‘movie star’, Tom Cruise returns as Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell in this year’s most anticipated 4k release.
Following a billion-dollar box office, queues around the block and enough feelgood to sink an aircraft carrier, Top Gun: Maverick hits the home entertainment market in full force. This time to lead a squad of cocksure hotshots in a suicide mission, which is one third redemption and two thirds resurrection saga. Giving this solid gold film star every opportunity to throw in a little nuance, alongside some fist pumping moments of sheer cinematic celebration.
With Christopher McQuarrie throwing his hat into the script writing ring alongside director Joseph Kosinski, one of the first things to notice is that emotional heft. Which comes from left field in the opening twenty minutes and brings with it bucket loads of depth. This may look like a Tony Scott homage shot through with IMAX imagery and high-octane aerial photography, but beneath the showmanship is something grounded.
Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell circa 2022 is a different animal, scarred by regret and the loss of his wingman Goose (Anthony Edwards) which still haunts him. Nowhere is that guilt more prevalent than in the eyes of Rooster (Miles Teller), who harbours resentment and hostility towards his father’s old friend. Giving this blatant tentpole money spinner a moral centre and redemption opportunity, which undercuts all that male posturing and wistful navel gazing.
Aside from the surrogate father son reconciliation which gives this film heart, there is the small matter of Jon Hamm. Who offers up solid support as Admiral Beau ‘Cyclone’ Simpson, who turns from Maverick’s harshest critic to a reluctant ally over the course of two hours and change. Although Tom Cruise will gain all the plaudits as producer, star and major Hollywood player in this equation, it would be a fool who underestimates Hamm’s contribution on screen.
There are few people who can keep Cruise in check in character without over egging the pudding. Thankfully, Hamm falls into the latter category where no eggs are needed, while Ed Harris dominates the room without moving a muscle. His ten-minute cameo as Chester ‘Hammer’ Cain is one for the ages, as Harris employs those craggy leading man looks to balefully dress down an ever optimistic Maverick.
However, aside from the considered character creation and precise storytelling, Top Gun: Maverick still glories in being an old-fashioned blockbuster. Seemingly insurmountable obstacles are overcome, while a killer soundtrack and classic score manipulate emotions and bolster audiences with endless crescendos. Peerless visuals and a top-drawer Tom Cruise performance are also thrown into the mix, while that billion-dollar grin fulfils every expectation cinema has to offer.
If any balls are dropped in this movie they hit the ground hardest around Jennifer Connelly, who plays Penny Benjamin in a savagely underwritten role. One which amounts to little more than an ambiguous love interest for Maverick, while giving him the chance to step away from that suicide mission and give audiences some breathing room.
Everything else about this movie is pretty much perfect, which is something that can be said all too rarely around multi-million-dollar blockbusters. There is such a perfect balance between character, action and emotional closure that Top Gun: Maverick deserves an Oscar nomination. That will never happen of course, because action movies or popcorn fests are never considered serious contenders.
The traditionalists who bulk are inclusivity and diversity in film have never given Tom Cruise an Oscar, even though his work for Magnolia should have earned him one. With Top Gun: Maverick he has not only proved that cinema is alive and kicking post-COVID, but has been pivotal in bringing audiences back into theatres through sheer force of will.
With Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One he is destined to repeat that trick, as this one-man Hollywood army pours his heart and soul into cinema. That more than anything is what the resurrection of Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell represents in 4k Ultra HD. A conquering hero who overcomes insurmountable odds, while naysayers and detractors reluctantly acknowledge their lack of faith after the fact.
Whether audiences decide to watch Top Gun: Maverick through a streaming platform or on shiny 4k, there is no denying cinema is going nowhere. Not with heavy hitters like Tom Cruise still coming into bat.
Top Gun: Maverick is available to Download & Keep now and on 4K Ultra HD™, Blu-ray™, and DVD.
