Top Gun: Maverick

Top Gun: Maverick’s vibes and aesthetics more than compensate for its lack of plot.

Few films have so effortlessly captured the zeitgeist of an entire era.

The sequel feels just as revolutionary as the original did back in the day, thanks to the latest IMAX cameras.

Tom Cruise is back in the cockpit of real fighter jets, feeling the high levels of g-force that come with it.

‘Top Gun: Maverick’ is more than a glorified tech demonstration.

The current story has enough worth to justify its own existence more than 35 years after the original.

Maverick’s student turns out to be the son of his former partner and best friend Goose, who died tragically in the first film.

Maverick must learn how to inspire and elevate this new generation of pilots, even if it means risking his own life.

Top Gun: Maverick may not change the game for legacy sequels, but it also doesn’t have to.

This is perhaps the most well-rounded example of how to create a genuine crowd-pleaser using the tried-and-true legacy sequel formula.