“Top Gun: Maverick”

When I heard all of the buzz surrounding “Top Gun: Maverick,” I thought it would be another fairly solid but very nostalgia-based franchise blockbuster (e.g. “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”). I was wrong. There is a weird yet profound feeling throughout “Maverick” that the end is nigh—Captain Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Tom Cruise) is older now, and the Navy persistently tries to render him useless and remove him from his post in spite of his immense skill. He’s constantly told that he is a relic of the past, a statement he grapples with throughout the film. Another great aspect of this movie is just how, as a friend put it, “Hollywood” it feels: the biggest tropes are employed, but “Maverick” is so much fun that the use of these clichés feels like seeing an old friend again (as opposed to the use of tropes as a crutch). This movie is exactly what every big summer blockbuster should be: widely appealing, substantive and made with obvious care.

Final score: 8/10