Top Gun: Maverick Has Critics All Saying The Same Thing

"Top Gun: Maverick" is a long time coming, but we're finally just two weeks away from the big premiere. The first discussions for a sequel to 1986's "Top Gun" began way back in 2010 (per New York Magazine). From its conception to when the sequel finally started filming, there were massive changes behind-the-scenes from Tom Cruise upping his once supporting role to a main one to director Joseph Kosinski taking over after the death of Tony Scott. According to Deadline, "Top Gun: Maverick" was initially slated for a July 12, 2019, release date. Production delays and the COVID-19 pandemic pushed the sequel almost two years back, but it's finally upon us.

Press screenings for the film have started, and the first reactions to "Top Gun: Maverick" are hitting the internet. Those lucky enough to get out ahead of the crowds seem to be chanting the same thing across their outlets and social media. If you need any help deciding whether to get out to the theater to see the sequel, these reactions should push you in the right direction.

At the time of this publication, "Top Gun: Maverick" is sitting at a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes with over 40 reviews, but that certainly doesn't mean it will stay that way. Critics' reviews will continue to trickle in over the next few weeks, which could dramatically affect that stellar score. However, from what we can tell from those reviews and reactions on Twitter, it doesn't look like it will drop very much, if at all. Those lucky enough to attend press screenings haven't been shy about sharing their excitement over the Tom Cruise film, with a negative response impossible to find.

"#TopGunMaverick is pure movie magic. It brings us back to another era of blockbusters. Absolutely stunning flight sequences and an emotional core that resonates. See it in IMAX," @SirJeffNelson of Cheat Sheet tweeted. Echoing that sentiment was respected film critic @Lulamaybelle, who wrote, "#TopGunMaverick has stronger internal & external conflicts than the original, but honors, blending past & present into a poignant, powerful thrill ride. Kosinski doesn't emulate Scott, but he innovates & evolves. INCREDIBLE flight & dogfight sequences. Tom Cruise, terrific."

Those who attended press screenings seem unanimous in the fact that this is one heck of a well-rounded movie from start to finish. "Omg #TopGunMaverick tugs at all the emotional heartstrings. It is an absolute blockbuster with heart stopping edge-of-glory tension. Freaking spectacular. The sound. The cinematography and bring tissues for #HoldMyHand. AMAZiNG," @jazzt of Variety tweeted.

If there was one common denominator in the responses from critics to "Top Gun: Maverick," it's that the practical effects are absolutely unreal. Matt Singer of Screen Crush wrote, "It's been a long time since I've seen a movie that made me think 'How did they do that?'" Kaitlyn Booth of Bleeding Cool fanned the flame, writing, "Top Gun: Maverick is what you want out of big-budget summer blockbusters with insane cinematography and directing that you're going to feel like you're in the cockpit of a fighter plane."

Tom Cruise told Extra back in 2015 that he was insistent on all the effects in the "Top Gun" sequel being practical and wanted no CGI on the flight scenes at all. Paramount Pictures also promised the film had the most intense training ever in an incredible YouTube featurette, and it looks like all of this carried over to the big screen. Cementing this was critic Scott Davis of HeyUGuys, who wrote, "Sumptuous in its visual splendour and awe-inspiring in execution, it is unlike anything we have seen before, Top Gun: Maverick is the most exhilarating and spectacular blockbusters of its kind."

It seems clear there will be some distinct differences between "Top Gun" and "Top Gun: Maverick." There's a lot more than can be achieved these days via practical effects versus 1986. But what about the story? How does that stack up? The critics seem to agree on the sequel versus the original "Top Gun." "The film is the rare sequel that outdoes the original in every way, delivering the ultimate theatrical experience that will have audiences convinced they've just hit crossed Mach 5 themselves," Spencer Perry of ComicBook.com writes.

Perfectly mirroring that reaction is Ross Bonamie of Collider, who wrote, "Top Gun: Maverick improves upon the original in every conceivable way, and does so in a way that might make this one of the greatest sequels ever made." Based on the response from critics, it's apparent "Top Gun: Maverick" is one of the best movies of the year so far and likely still will be when 2022 is up. It seems IMAX is the way to go if you have the chance, but this blockbuster is proving to be what going to the theater is all about.