Two Truths and a Lie: A Review of Top Gun: Maverick

It has been almost nine months since the release of the sequel to Top Gun. The original was a classic for me, as my mother was a fan of Tom Cruise. I was, of course, into the jets and the dog fighting. As with every reboot they seem to try to do these days, my bar was very low for this. Thankfully, they made it a no-nonsense action movie, without the political pork they usually try to cram in. After watching it for the fifth or so time, I thought this would be a perfect time to make this movie the next in my series. Let’s dive in.

Truth 1: Top gun: Maverick and Devotion Used the Same Aerial Coordinator

Applying IMAX cameras and other technologies to shoot these aircraft stemmed from lessons and experiences learned from Top Gun: Maverick. Both of these movies used the same Aerial Coordinator, Kevin LaRosa. However, what Top Gun benefited from was having access to real Navy pilots and well-maintained aircraft at naval bases. For Devotion, all the aircraft had to be pulled from different collections across the world and were in varying states of upkeep. Not to mention, it’s very different flying an F-18 than flying a Corsair or a Bearcat.

Truth 2: The Actors Pulled Real Gs

What the latest Top Gun did very well was put the audience in the cockpit. When the characters bank and pull Gs, the grimacing and stretching of their faces due to the force of gravity are all real. Director Joseph Kosinski revealed that the actors performed stunts that required them to take 8Gs, the equivalent of 1600 pounds of force.

Bonus Truth

The experimental aircraft featured in the film, the SR-72 Darkstar, was developed by real aircraft designers at Lockheed Martin’s famous Skunk Works. Founded by Clarence “Kelly” Johnson, they helped design some of the most essential top-secret aircraft in history, from the SR-71 Blackbird to the F-22 Raptor. I had the pleasure of attending a Hangar Talk at Planes of Fame in Chino, CA, where they showed off the P-38 Lightning, also designed by Lockheed, where Johnson’s relatives and a former member of Skunk Works attended.

The Lie: 5th Generation Fighters Reign Supreme

Not to spoil anything too much with the movie, but there’s a scene where 4th-generation and 5th-generation fighters go head-to-head. Now, it would not have been a very entertaining movie if this were a depiction of real life. In most cases, missiles would be fired from a great distance rather than in an action-packed dogfight. But regardless, the movie has raised questions about whether a 4th-generation fighter could take on a modern, 5th-generation fighter. Unless something went wrong, such as pilot error or just sheer unluckiness, there’s no doubt that a 4th-generation fighter would not stand a chance.

If you haven't seen the latest Top Gun, I highly recommend it. It ties back to the original in a way that isn’t corny and, at times, even makes fun of the seriousness the movie sometimes portrays. But, at the end of the day, it’s just a fun movie that features awesome aircraft and action sequences that one could only experience behind the stick of one of these aircraft.

Photo Credit: Brian David Snuffer