[Limelight] Uncle Tom Returns at Mach 10 Speed After 36 Years

Movie 'Top Gun: Maverick' Tom Cruise Delivers Real Acting Without Relying on Computer Graphics
Focuses on Youth Growth and Friendship in the Original, Middle-Age Sorrows in the Sequel
Returned 'Old School' Proves Skills Without Relying on Past Fame

Movie 'Top Gun: Maverick' still cut

Top Gun is a training school that cultivates the U.S. Navy's top fighter pilots. Captain Pete Mitchell (Tom Cruise) shows off his courage and wit every time. He frequently breaks formation in the air as if mocking the training that follows World War II operations. Hence, his callsign is "Maverick," meaning a person with strong independence. His distinct personality fades after losing his comrade Goose (Anthony Edwards) during training. With the help of those around him, he barely pulls himself together. Then, in a special situation where a U.S. merchant ship crosses territorial waters due to engine failure, he repels three enemy aircraft and becomes a hero.

"How does it feel to be on the cover of the world's English newspapers? I denied the accident on the back page, but congratulations." "Thank you."

"You have a choice now. Anywhere you want. Where do you want to go?" "I want to become an instructor."

"At Top Gun?" "Yes!" "God bless you!"

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The movie ‘Top Gun (1986)’ returns after 36 years as ‘Top Gun: Maverick.’ This time, the circumstances are still tough. Although he flew the fighter jet as if risking his life, he kept failing promotions. He had to watch his peers earn stars on their epaulets. His testosterone-driven need for speed hasn’t evaporated. He shows it strongly from his first appearance. He boards a plane presumed to be the hypersonic reconnaissance aircraft SR-72 (Darkstar) and challenges Mach 10 (12,240 km/h).

This scene perfectly reflects the character of ‘Top Gun: Maverick.’ Tom Cruise and the cast did not rely on computer graphics (CG). They actually boarded fighter jets and endured the pain of 9G gravitational acceleration. When the fighter jet rapidly ascends or turns left and right, blood rushes sharply to the lower body. Even a slight interruption in breathing can cause fainting. Cruise overcomes simultaneous difficulties such as spatial disorientation and hypoxia and performs dazzling flying maneuvers. He even captured the extreme dizziness and pain directly on camera, maximizing realism.

The bold filming also gives vivid on-screen presence. A representative example is the scene where the fighter jet takes off from an aircraft carrier. In the previous film, a camera was attached under the tail wing of the fighter jet to show a long take of the jet moving away from the aircraft carrier. This time, a similar scene is used as a backdrop to show detailed changes in Cruise’s facial expressions. Cruise said, "I hoped the amazing experience of flying a fighter jet would be fully conveyed."

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The story development and structure are not much different from the previous film. It is about pilots with outstanding flying skills coming together to build teamwork. The sport promoting harmony changed from beach volleyball to rugby. However, it would be wrong to hastily judge it as just a rehash of youth growth and friendship. Considerable effort is put into the psychological portrayal of Maverick, who has transformed into an instructor, showing both his strong professional spirit and the sorrows of middle age.

The tone is closer to a family drama. Although he has no wife or children, he effectively uses the friendship he built with Goose in the previous film. The core is the uncomfortable relationship with Goose’s son Rooster (Miles Teller). He repeats what he heard from Lieutenant Colonel Viper (Tom Skerritt) in the previous film: "A great pilot is always evaluated and learns from it. We must overcome limits. That is our mission."

Director Joseph Kosinski depicts the process of growing closer and borrows some scenes from the previous film. The nostalgic pub is also extensively used. It is the place where Maverick approached the aerodynamics instructor Charlie (Kelly McGillis) and sang ‘You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling.’ He also scoffed at the challenges from his fellow rookies like Iceman (Val Kilmer) when they first met.

Maverick reminisces in the pub he revisits. When young people about the age of his children gather in groups, he leaves the place. But hearing the piano melody flowing through the door crack, his whole body stiffens. It is Jerry Lee Lewis’s ‘Great Balls of Fire,’ which Goose once played with young Rooster placed on the piano. The performer is Rooster. Wearing sunglasses like Goose and swinging his shirt, he dances joyfully. At that moment, a father-son-like atmosphere flows between them. It leaves room for forgiveness regarding past mistakes and interference, reversing the tone of the story.

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The returning ‘Old School’ shows everything through skill. It seems to be the F-14 fighter jet that Maverick boards at the end. Widely known through ‘Top Gun,’ it became obsolete with the appearance of the F-18 Super Hornet. When it first appeared, it was regarded as a plane that embodied America’s cutting-edge technology. It was an all-weather fighter jet with supersonic speed, twin engines, and variable-sweep wings, capable of simultaneously tracking more than twenty targets within a 300 km range. It detected and tracked enemies much earlier and from farther distances than fighters of the same generation. However, with the development of stealth technology in the 1990s (technology that makes early detection of aircraft and missiles by radar difficult), its effectiveness greatly declined.

Maverick pilots the F-14, which has disappeared into the annals of history, to rescue Rooster in danger. With skills comparable to his prime, he breaks free from the image of a powerless and defeatist father. It is an encouragement to the 475 and 386 generations who have let their skills lie dormant. Underneath lies a farewell to mistakes and faults he could not forgive himself for. Maverick does not boast of his legendary fame. He just confronts and proves himself. Just like 36 years ago when he was lively and spirited.

"The era of pilots is coming to an end, Maverick."

"Maybe so, but not today."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.