Watch movies via Labia Home Screen*.

Top Gun was released in 1986, pitting Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer against each other as fierce rivals at the United States Navy Strike Fighter Tactics programme, better known as Top Gun. The long-awaited sequel to his iconic ’80s movie takes place 30 years later, as Maverick is called on to lead a talented squad of fresh-faced recruits on a critical bombing raid in Iran. Confronting ghosts from his past through a series of unexpected reunions, the plucky naval aviator and part-time daredevil struggles to overcome guilt and break free of gut-wrenching strongholds.

This high impact sequel is credited with reigniting the big screen experience and perpetual hunt for summer blockbusters. This high praise is well-deserved, cleverly tying in with the original film without that tired rinse-and-repeat feeling. The beloved action drama is in memory of Tony Scott, who spearheaded the return to Top Gun, which has been valiantly taken up by director Joseph Kosinski.

Top Gun: Maverick integrates many of Top Gun’s trademark elements, from the quintessential ‘Danger Zone’ theme made famous by Kenny Loggins and reuniting Maverick and Iceman to picking up on the Goose tragedy. The world is fully realised once again, finding Maverick at the cutting edge of aircraft testing as a pilot and demonstrating he’s still got it, in spite of his unconventional approach.

Tom Cruise has come a long way, emboldened by the Mission: Impossible series and performing many of his own death-defying stunts. The visual effects in Top Gun: Maverick leave little doubt in our collective imagination, capturing the sleek fighter jets and aircraft carriers with precision, further realised by exceptional sound design.

The sequel sees the return of Val Kilmer in an emotionally-charged yet familiar reconnect, introducing the talented Miles Teller as Maverick’s special project with the ever-dependable Jennifer Connelly stepping in for Kelly McGillis. Added to this already solid cast is Ed Harris, Jon Hamm and Glen Powell, who add the necessary gravitas as two high-ranking naval officials and a cocksure fighter pilot to echo Iceman and Maverick’s old feud.

“Oh, hi Houston. What’s the problem?

Top Gun: Maverick is a perfectly-balanced sequel, powering up on the advances of modern filmmaking without losing the thread or echoes from the past. Much like Cruise, pop culture has ensured Top Gun’s lasting legacy, a piece of ’80s Hollywood memorabilia that has remained relevant through memes, retrailers, aviator sunglasses and Tom Cruise’s self-regenerating star power.

While there’s a distinct sense of the familiar in returning to the old haunts, the filmmakers keep things fresh without Cruise’s front-and-centre journey and latent character portrait getting in the way of a rollicking dog fight, gung-ho heroics and spirited entertainment. While the rendition of the Jerry Lewis classic, ‘Great Balls of Fire’ is a bit of a stretch, the nostalgic pang it induces makes it easily forgivable. This return to Top Gun is just so enthralling, it’s hard not to be entertained and impressed.

The bottom line: Exhilarating

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Stephen ‘Spling’ Aspeling is 2Oceansvibe’s Resident Film Critic, a “thought leader” (AFDA) and “our generation’s Barry Ronge” (Brothers Streep), who continues to review, write, present, promote and adjudicate film for a host of websites, radio stations, magazines, newspapers, TV shows, festivals and events.

*Watch great cinema online with Labia Home Screen! The Labia Theatre is an iconic independent theatre at 68 Orange Street, Gardens, Cape Town. They recently celebrated their 70th year and have successfully transitioned to digital projectors. In addition to their 4 cinemas, they’ve now added a “5th” screen by launching their Home Screen pay-per-view video-on-demand streaming service.

Labia Home Screen enables viewers to watch the theatre’s carefully curated content from the comfort of their home from anywhere in South Africa. As they open their box office in what will be a new normal, this convenient streaming service is helping the much-loved cinema continue to provide high quality, award-winning films to their loyal patrons.