

While there have been, um, a few advances in special effects since 1986, every stunt in Maverick feels real on the same level of the original film - a rare treat these days, to be honest, one which makes the aerial acrobatics on display even more gripping and exciting.

Teller recently told Men’s Journal that all of the stuntwork was real: “There is no green screen in a Top Gun movie… Every shot, every stunt, was the result of the work, the real sweat, that we all put into it.” Watching the film, you believe this.

Structurally, it’s a clean and straightforward story, with an especially strong third act that delivers nicely on all the set-up that comes before… all alongside some truly thrilling action set pieces. A Need for Speed: In a lot of ways, Top Gun: Maverick is the platonic ideal of a film sequel, constantly in dialogue with the original project, and committed to growing and expanding upon that source material.
