2022 action, dir. Joseph Kosinski, Tom Cruise, Tom Cruise's Ego;
IMDb /
allmovie. He's back and he
has learned nothing.
36 years is nothing like the record gap between a film and its
sequel. (I think, outside pure animation, that may be the 54 years
from Mary Poppins to Mary Poppins Returns.) But, assuming the
character is meant to be about as old as the actor, yer man Maverick
is 23 in Top Gun and 59 here. And I don't care how great your
personal exercise routine is or how much you've stretched your skin
over your bones, when you're 59 some things don't work as well as they
used to. Many of those things are exactly what high-performance flying
demands, whether that's test piloting or combat.
But Charles Parnell is here! And Jon Hamm! And the nostalgia played
REALLY LOUD can you hear it now grandpa?
There is very little point to a combat aircraft flying at mach 10,
given how much else you have to compromise to make that happen. But
that's this film in miniature: the main plot does the same thing,
setting up a desperately contrived threat scenario in order to make
Our Hero look good even in a world that has terrain-following
missiles. (Which, in the real world, don't rely on external navigation
aids.)
The presence of F-14s among the enemy aircraft says explicitly that
this power is, or is on really good terms with, Iran. Not mentioned
of course.
At 8 gravities your aorta is at grave risk of tearing loose from your
heart. Especially if it's a sudden 8-g pull-up, which will also
knock you out. Especially if you're 59 years old. But that's OK,
American Grit will overcome it all.
But this film's real problem is that it throws away all its tension
when it makes it clear that the other air crews are safe. Rooster's
not going to die because he's part of Tom's redemption arc. Maverick's
not going to die because he's played by Tom.
If you have nothing to say, say it REALLY LOUDLY.
I talk about this film further on Ribbon of
Memes.