Top Gun: Maverick was released in theatres on May 2022 and I recently had the opportunity to see it at SCAD Film Fest. It’s still one of the most popular films among the audience, being the sixth-highest-grossing film of all time at the box office.
Thirty years after losing Goose and being Iceman’s wingman, Maverick gets called back to Top Gun for one last mission, where he has everything and everyone against him except for his old friend and Commander of the U.S. Pacific fleet, Tom “Iceman” Kazansky. Besides the mission Maverick must accomplish, he has to deal with ghosts from his past, having the son of his late best friend, Rooster, as a part of his team.
The film captures the nostalgic sense of an 80’s movie, mixed with modern special effects and a youthful sense of humor and reality, that attracts both, the younger and the older audience, bringing new faces to the screen (Miles Teller, Glenn Powel) and new people as spectators as well as keeping some of the familiar faces (Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer). This is one of the aspects that made this movie more than a hit, a phenomenon. That can be reflected in the reaction of the public during the SCAD Savannah Film Festival on the night of the screening. A great amount of the public was wearing Top Gun costumes, and more than a hundred people were waiting for Miles Teller to walk down the red carpet to just see him.
The moment Teller showed up everyone was screaming and delighted to see him live. Being there was a shocking experience and just watching how the audience reacted was very fantastic to see. For those who were able to get tickets, the screening was an overwhelming environment to be in. Every time Miles would appear on the screen, the audience cheered and applauded him. Every time something exciting would happen on screen they also cheered and applauded. This film lit a spark in spectators that no one would’ve expected from the sequel of one of the most iconic movies from the 80s.
After the movie ended, Miles offered a Q&A and gained everyone’s attention for every word he said and every gesture he made. Something magical happened that night, and personally, it’s still blurry for me, and I’m sure it is for most of the audience that was in Trustees Theatre during the screening. It’s a must-see movie and if it can be watched on the big screen rather than at home on streaming platforms, the whole experience will be complete for the sound, special effects, and emotions. Going to the theatre and watching this movie is like going back to 1986 and walking out of it wanting to be a fighter pilot in the U.S. Navy.
