Entertainment
Paramount+’s 2-Part Action Series Is So Good, You Can Rewatch It Multiple Times
Paramount+ faces stiff competition in the streaming game. While other streamers like Prime Video and Disney+ offer a wealth of pop culture hits for their subscribers, the major draws of Paramount+ tend to fall into one of two categories: the ever-expanding Yellowstone universe or a dwindling collection of Star Trek spin-offs. When it comes to movies, Paramount+ is packing two of the biggest action films ever in Top Gun and Top Gun: Maverick. Both films, particularly Maverick, have been major hits for the platform and a reminder of why Tom Cruise is one of the biggest action stars in the world.
The Top Gun films focus on Cruise’s Captain Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, as he attends the U.S. Navy’s Fighter Weapons School, better known as “Top Gun”. There, he hones his skills as a fighter pilot while also forming personal bonds with fellow pilots and instructors. Both films also became major box-office hits during their theatrical runs, as the mix of high-flying heroics and character dynamics proved a major draw for audiences. With the franchise receiving a major update during CinemaCon, there’s never been a better time to revisit both Top Gun films, especially if you’re an action fan.
The ‘Top Gun’ Films Cemented Tom Cruise as an A-List Action Star
Top Gun and Top Gun: Maverick do not disappoint when it comes to aerial combat, as both films are packed full of heart-racing flight sequences. This was accomplished by the men behind the camera, who worked tirelessly to ensure that the flight sequences felt as real as possible.Tony Scott mounted cameras inside the cockpit of an F-14 fighter jet, while Joseph Kosinski developed camera technology to withstand the punishing G-forces of actual flight. The end result feels like the audience is in the cockpit with Maverick, experiencing every barrel roll and takeoff. The Top Gun films don’t hold back on the emotional stakes, either. In the original Top Gun, Maverick struggles with the loss of his fellow pilot Goose (Anthony Edwards). Top Gun: Maverick takes it one step further when Maverick ends up training a new class of pilots that includes Goose’s son, Rooster (Miles Teller), forcing him to revisit his past.
The Top Gun films transformed Tom Cruise into a bona fide action star, as his commitment to the high-flying action sequences is equal to his rapport with the rest of the cast, particularly Val Kilmer‘s Iceman. It also led him to take on more action roles, particularly in the Mission: Impossible films, where he developed a reputation for performing death-defying stunts. While Top Gun would earn Cruise an actual award from the U.S. Navy, Top Gun: Maverick earned blessings from none other than Steven Spielberg, who told Cruise that he felt the film was a godsend for Hollywood:
“You saved Hollywood’s ass and you might have saved theatrical distribution. Seriously, Top Gun: Maverick might have saved the entire theatrical industry.”
‘Top Gun’ Meets ‘Transformers’ in This Colossal Sci-Fi Sequel Exploding Onto a New Streamer
A Star Wars icon leads the sequel.
A Third ‘Top Gun’ Movie is in The Works
The success of Top Gun: Maverick more or less guaranteed another sequel, and at long last, said sequel was finally confirmed during Paramount Pictures’ presentation at CinemaCon. Co-head of film Josh Greenstein revealed the news, saying that Tom Cruise would return to the role of Maverick alongside producer Jerry Bruckheimer. Last year, Joseph Kosinski also revealed to Collider’s Steve Weintraub that screenwriter Ehren Kruger was also working on a script for a third Top Gun, saying that it would “make Maverick feel small in comparison.”
This means that Cruise will continue a working relationship with Paramount, as he also filmed a video touting the studio’s history for CinemaCon. Since the Top Gun franchise helped make him into a household name, it only makes sense that he’d continue to be involved with future films. It also means that action fans can expect more high-flying, death-defying action to hit movie screens in the future, and cements the first two Top Gun films as a perfect weekend watch.
- Release Date
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May 16, 1986
- Runtime
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110 minutes
- Writers
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Jack Epps Jr., Jim Cash
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