"Top Gun: Maverick" Has Soared to New Box Office Heights, But Is It Worth the Hype?

One word: Yes.

Top Gun: Maverick has been dominating the big screen since its release on 26 May.

I mean... big action scenes, cheesy one-liners, an iconic soundtrack, Miles Teller... what more could you want from a film, really?

It’s made more than $65 million in Australia alone in just over a month with 3.5 million Aussies heading to local cinemas to catch the flick.

It’s overtaken blockbusters like Titanic ($57.7 million), Star Wars: The Last Jedi ($58 million) and even Avengers: Infinity War ($62 million).

Across the world it’s grossed more than a billion US dollars, it’s got a Certified Fresh score of 96% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes and a 99% audience score from fans.

People are obsessed. I am people. I am obsessed.

But why is it so popular and is it really worth the hype?

In my opinion, absolutely. But I could be biased.

The OG 80s classic, Top Gun, was a staple in my household growing up as a kid. My dad was a self-described 'aviator'.

He would blast the iconic soundtrack on CD from the loungeroom at least once a week.

He would often tell me (made-up) stories of how he used to jump in his old Sigma (it's a car if you, like me, didn't know what that is) and race planes taking off on the runway when he was part of the Army.

We watched the movie together as a family on VCR. And then DVD when that came out. And then Blu-Ray because it was “such good quality”. And of course, dozens of times since it was released on streaming services.

Literally every time he hears the song "Danger Zone" by Kenny Loggins, he sends me a Snapchat of himself rocking out to it (yep, he has Snapchat, he's a cool dad). 

While I've always joined my mum in laughing at him for this obsession, I've also always low-key loved the cheesy one-liners and what were super-impressive-for-their-time fighter pilot scenes.

I think that's why I loved Top Gun: Maverick so much. 

Brian Pritchett, Paramount Pictures Australasia Vice President and Managing Director, said the film was a "multigenerational must-see event, drawing both fans of the original, who have seen it several times, as well as younger audiences who have embraced the film and are sharing their love with everyone around them.”

And I couldn't agree more. Not only did I enjoy the film because I felt like I was right there in the plane pulling Gs with Tom Cruise (actually I think I'd rather be in the plane with Miles), it hits with all the right amounts of nostalgia.

It sets the bar high for reboots, picking up right where it left off with all the thrilling blockbuster scenes we'd come to love from the 80s but better, with decades of new technology to play with. 

All the while without compromising the roots of the Top Gun story.

I've already seen it twice and I can't promise I won't go back for thirds. 

Header Image: Scott Garfield via Paramount Pictures.