‘Top Gun: Maverick’ gets soaring reviews calling it 'better than the original' & 'best film of year'
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Based on the first reactions to Top Gun: Maverick, it sounds like the Tom Cruise-starring sequel that was decades in the making is more than worth a watch.
Paramount held a debut screening of the movie during CinemaCon today, and critics in attendance were enthusiastically effusive about the film, describing it as “a triumph” and “the perfect blockbuster.”
The film is so good, according to some, that it successfully gives you all the nostalgia you want for the first movie while also being highly enjoyable to watch for those who know nothing about the 1986 film. Some reviewers loved it so much that they even said it was "better than the original" and "the best film of the year."
The apparent success of Maverick may be the textbook example of being patient for the right story to come along. Cruise, who stars in both films as pilot Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, has recently said that the sequel took so long because he was waiting for a compelling script.
“Just through time, the story was never right. I don’t do things just to ‘do’ it,” Cruise explained. “When I was doing Oblivion, talking to [Maverick and Oblivion director Joseph Kosinski] … I just had to wait for that right moment. And I realized it was either going to be now or never. And basically, I liked the concept of the idea. And I was like, ‘Alright.’”
Check out some other first reactions below. Top Gun: Maverick premieres in theaters on May 27, 2022.
Top Gun Maverick at CinemaCon first screening a triumph. Stirring, exciting, emotional, proud. Tom Cruise in a movie star performance for the ages, yes, this soars and so worth the long wait.
— Pete Hammond (@DeadlinePete) April 28, 2022
After hearing for a week about movies that need to be seen in theaters, Paramount delivered a big-screen spectacle in Top Gun: Maverick at #CinemaCon, a solid standalone actioner that gets its heart from the backstory of the original film.
— Chris Lindahl (@cmlindahl) April 28, 2022
TOP GUN: MAVERICK is the perfect blockbuster. Not only did it feature dazzling aerial combat sequences, but I actually cried, it’s that emotional. And call me crazy, but I humbly predict that it WILL land a Best Picture nod next year. It’s not just THAT good, it’s VERY good. 😉
— Jeff Sneider (@TheInSneider) April 28, 2022
Top Gun: Maverick: Just because something is predictable doesn’t make it any less satisfying. It has a near-identical structure to the original, but with some added drama between Maverick and Goose’s son. Absolutely killer air action. It’s exactly what fans will want.
— Ben Pearson (@benpears) April 28, 2022