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Top Gun: Maverick poster
8.7
Paramount Pictures Acclaimed

Top Gun: Maverick

Top Gun · Top Gun Collection

2022 130 min PG-13
Critic8.7
Action Drama
Paramount+ Apple TV
Trailer Where to Watch

Overview

More than thirty years into his career, Navy test pilot Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell is called back to Top Gun to train a group of elite graduates — including the son of his late best friend — for a near-impossible mission, forcing him to confront his past.
Story 8.2
Acting 8.5
Direction 8.8
Cinematography 9.5
Music 8.5
Pacing 8.7
Originality 7.8
Emotional Impact 8.8
Overall 8.7

Editorial Review

By FindEdition Cinema Desk

8.7 /10

Practical spectacle

The real, in-cockpit flight photography delivers some of the most thrilling action ever filmed.

Emotional core

The Maverick–Rooster relationship and Iceman's return give the film real heart.

Pros

  • Breathtaking real aerial photography
  • Emotional legacy-sequel story
  • Charismatic ensemble
  • Rousing score and soundtrack
  • A theatrical event

Cons

  • Familiar underdog structure
  • Thin antagonist
  • Predictable beats
Verdict A rare legacy sequel that surpasses the original. The practical aerial sequences are breathtaking, and beneath the adrenaline is a genuinely moving story about legacy, loss and mentorship. A big-screen triumph.

AI Review

Tom Cruise's record-breaking, critically adored Top Gun sequel — a practical-effects aerial spectacle with real emotional heft.

A rare legacy sequel that surpasses the original. The practical aerial sequences are breathtaking, and beneath the adrenaline is a genuinely moving story about legacy, loss and mentorship. A big-screen triumph.

See it on the biggest screen you can; stream on Paramount+.

Awards

Academy Awards

Best Sound · Won

Academy Awards

Best Picture · Nominated

Academy Awards

Best Adapted Screenplay · Nominated

Academy Awards

Best Film Editing · Nominated

Academy Awards

Best Visual Effects · Nominated

Academy Awards

Best Original Song ("Hold My Hand") · Nominated

Timeline

Release Date
Theatrical Date
Digital Date
Physical Date
Premiere
Status
Development

A sequel was announced in 2010; the project stalled after director Tony Scott's death in 2012 before being revived with Joseph Kosinski.

Principal photography

Filmed in 2018–2019 using real fighter jets and specially mounted cameras for authentic aerial footage.

Release

After multiple COVID-19 delays, it premiered at CinemaCon on April 28, 2022 and released in the US on May 27, 2022.

Academy Awards

Best Sound Won

Academy Awards

Best Picture Nominated

Academy Awards

Best Adapted Screenplay Nominated

Academy Awards

Best Film Editing Nominated

Academy Awards

Best Visual Effects Nominated

Academy Awards

Best Original Song ("Hold My Hand") Nominated

Production

Development

A sequel was announced in 2010; the project stalled after director Tony Scott's death in 2012 before being revived with Joseph Kosinski.

Principal photography

Filmed in 2018–2019 using real fighter jets and specially mounted cameras for authentic aerial footage.

Release

After multiple COVID-19 delays, it premiered at CinemaCon on April 28, 2022 and released in the US on May 27, 2022.

Streaming

Paramount+ Apple TV

Cast

Tom Cruise Capt. Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell
Miles Teller Lt. Bradley 'Rooster' Bradshaw
Jennifer Connelly Penny Benjamin
Jon Hamm Adm. Beau 'Cyclone' Simpson
Glen Powell Lt. Jake 'Hangman' Seresin
Monica Barbaro Lt. Natasha 'Phoenix' Trace
Lewis Pullman Lt. Robert 'Bob' Floyd
Ed Harris Rear Adm. Chester 'Hammer' Cain
Val Kilmer Adm. Tom 'Iceman' Kazansky
Danny Ramirez Lt. Mickey 'Fanboy' Garcia
Jay Ellis Lt. Reuben 'Payback' Fitch
Charles Parnell Adm. Solomon 'Warlock' Bates

Characters

Capt. Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell Tom Cruise
Lt. Bradley 'Rooster' Bradshaw Miles Teller
Penny Benjamin Jennifer Connelly
Adm. Beau 'Cyclone' Simpson Jon Hamm
Lt. Jake 'Hangman' Seresin Glen Powell
Lt. Natasha 'Phoenix' Trace Monica Barbaro
Lt. Robert 'Bob' Floyd Lewis Pullman
Rear Adm. Chester 'Hammer' Cain Ed Harris
Adm. Tom 'Iceman' Kazansky Val Kilmer
Lt. Mickey 'Fanboy' Garcia Danny Ramirez
Lt. Reuben 'Payback' Fitch Jay Ellis
Adm. Solomon 'Warlock' Bates Charles Parnell

Crew

Joseph Kosinski Director
Ehren Kruger Writer
Eric Warren Singer Writer
Christopher McQuarrie Writer
Harold Faltermeyer Composer
Hans Zimmer Composer
Lorne Balfe Composer
Claudio Miranda Cinematographer
Eddie Hamilton Editor
Jerry Bruckheimer Producer
Tom Cruise Producer
David Ellison Producer

Videos

Official Trailer

Soundtrack

  1. Hold My Hand — Lady Gaga
  2. Top Gun Anthem — Harold Faltermeyer & Hans Zimmer
  3. I Ain't Worried — OneRepublic

Trivia

  • Released 36 years after the original Top Gun (1986).
  • The cast underwent an intensive flight-training program so real G-forces could be captured in-cockpit.
  • Val Kilmer's return as Iceman was his final film role.
  • Tom Cruise refused all streaming-only offers during the pandemic, insisting on a theatrical release.
  • Won Best Sound and was nominated for Best Picture at the 95th Academy Awards.

Quotes

"It's not the plane, it's the pilot."

"Don't think, just do."

Goofs

  • The number and configuration of aircraft on the carrier deck varies slightly between some establishing shots.

Community

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Collections

Part of Top Gun Collection

Browse collection →

Universe

Top Gun

Explore universe →

Franchise

Top Gun

Legacy sequel to the 1986 original, with a third film in development.

Browse franchise →

Recommendations & Alternatives

For higher ratings, consider The Godfather (9.2/10). A similarly themed alternative is Ratatouille.

Higher Rated

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AI Recommendation Insight

Tom Cruise's record-breaking, critically adored Top Gun sequel — a practical-effects aerial spectacle with real emotional heft. Similar picks: Similar Director, Shared Cast

Top Gun: Maverick