“The end is inevitable, Maverick. Your kind is headed for the extinction.”
“Maybe so, sir. But not today.”
The conversation between Tom Cruise’s Maverick and his senior officer in the first trailer of Top Gun: Maverick has more than just what appears to be; it’s the legacy of a movie that impacted not just the entertainment industry but the overall culture of a nation, and to some extent, several other countries too, for more than 33 years.
If you are reading this, there is a significant possibility you have already watched the trailer multiple times, or at least once. You know what is in there – the ferocious air combats, the all-glory lifestyle of Lt. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, speeding bike, the iconic bomber jacket…
So why is it important? What really makes this trailer more than just any other movie trailer? Why Top Gun: Maverick might be another important brick in the US cultural establishment?
To answer these questions, first we have to go a bit back in the past and analyze what made its legendary predecessor, Top Gun, one of the richest classical movies in the history of Hollywood.
Directed by Tony Scott, who was known for directing action-thrillers such as Beverly Hills Cops II, True Romance, and Enemy of The State among others and who also happened to be the late brother of another prominent director Sir Ridley Scott, Top Gun was a milestone in many ways. Not only it established the stardom of Tom Cruise and made him a Hollywood icon, but it also served as a major influence behind several youths of the US who decided to join the navy and the recruitment catapulted to a whopping 500 percent!
Coming back to this sequel. It is about to hit the theatres next year; exactly 34 years after the first movie. Joseph Kosinski, who has helmed the director’s role for ‘Maverick’, has shown some great potential in past with movies like Tron: Legacy to his credit. Hence, expectations are definitely high.
From the look of the trailer, it is quite clear that the filmmakers have tried their best to retain the original theme of the movie in the contemporary setup. Everything about it; the navy base with all the new candidates, the shadow of aircrafts in the background, the sun rays reflecting from the gleaming metal bodies of the planes and of course, the ever-memorable iconic theme music, it all is strongly nostalgic to not just those who were at their prime age and went to watch the original in cinema halls, but the later generations also who heard of its legacy from their elder brothers and parents and watched it in laptops and computers. Needless to say, ‘Maverick’ has really big shoes to fill.
The trailer is strongly reminiscent of its predecessor in every way
Things have changed quite drastically since the first movie hit the theatres. The world, as we know it, has been rapidly changing beyond our imagination. At a time like this, it would be really interesting to see if Top Gun: Maverick can make any impact like its predecessor on Hollywood and its culture.
Nevertheless, the trailer is definitely an adrenaline-pumping ‘need for speed’ watch.
