Bring home ‘Top Gun: Maverick’
Category: Blu-ray's and DVD's
Odds are fans of Top Gun will probably have seen the sequel Top Gun: Maverickin the theater on the big screen. If, however, that is not the case, now is the time to pick up a DVD, Blu-ray, or 4K version of the film because not only does the movie itself wow viewers, but the bonus features are also amazing. It’s been a long time since the original film was produced in 1986. Since that time Tom Cruise has been asked over and over again when he will make a sequel, and his response was always the same. He would not make a sequel unless the story was worth it. And Top Gun: Maverick is worth what it took to create this E-ticket experience.
The story itself is engaging. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Cruise) is still a cocky, daring pilot. He is a test pilot for experimental aircraft, but when he is called back to TOP GUN for a special mission, his career takes a different path. He is tasked with training a group of the best pilots for a special and dangerous mission. His job not only involves training this group but he must also select the pilots that will actually undertake the mission.
One of the pilots is Lt. Bradshaw (Miles Teller) who is the son of his former wingman “Goose” who was killed back in the original film. But there is some bad blood between Bradshaw and Mitchell. So, while he is training these elite pilots and teaching them how to survive the mission, there are some personal elements going on in the background.
Val Kilmer reprises his role as Tom Kazansky only now he is an Admiral. Kazansky and Mitchell had a tenuous relationship in the first film but now they are fans of each other.
The bonus features on the Blu-ray, 4K, and digital versions are remarkable. First, viewers learn how they actually filmed this movie. Unlike the original movie, this was not done with CGI or camera tricks. Oh no. On the contrary. The actors had to undertake rigorous training and filmed in actual F18 jets. Training for their roles was not easy yet that was what Cruise insisted on in order to make this film. He wanted to show the true experience of a fighter pilot.
To get the required six cameras inside the jets, the production crew and the air force worked hand in hand for over a year to make sure the cameras would not interfere with the jets. Imagine flying an expensive F18 and having a piece of equipment break off.
Besides their robust training in the F18s, the actors experienced several levels of training to the insistence of Cruise. He knew how to get them to the level he wanted to create this amazing film.
Cruise, a pilot himself, flew his P51 Mustang single engine airplane in the film as well.
Music videos round out the bonus features. The bonus content adds to the experience of watching this movie.
Top Gun: Maverick is rated PG-13 for sequences of intense action and some strong language.
About the Author
Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 25 years. She also writes about products and travel. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County. Follow her on Twitter.