The trailer for Top Gun 2: Maverick is out, and it looks like it ticks all the boxes that modern cinema appears to be looking for when it comes to new movie releases: we’re just gonna phone it in and re-make all the old, iconic movies that everyone loves because it guarantees people will see it, and we’re gonna totally take away all the coolest parts of the original film that made people love it in the first place.
The biggest redeeming factor is that it looks like we’ll get to see Tom Cruise flying what looks to be a hypersonic spy jet—near the end you can spot Maverick in a suit that looks very much like that of an SR-71 pilot.
You can watch the new trailer below:
Would anyone care to explain the plot of the movie to me? The conflict that will drive the narrative? The characters we’re supposed to care about? No? No one? Okay. I’m glad I’m not the only one.
The very brief summary of the film reads as follows:
Set in the world of drone technology and fifth generation fighters, this sequel will explore the end of the era of dogfighting.
I can’t say I got much more from that—nor did I see anything in the trailer that gave me that impression at all.
The trailer is mostly a lot of dramatic action sequences occasionally interrupted by a snarky quip or a second attempt at the beach volleyball scene reprised with football. I’m not sure if Tom Cruise’s Maverick is actually the main character here, or if one of the members of the new generation will take the role of protagonist. It seems like it’s going to be an old generation vs. new generation type deal—but who knows? I don’t think we’re really supposed to ponder that one any deeper. It’s friggin Top Gun after all! Just pay attention to that! Ignore the rest of the otherwise unspectacular trailer!
Let’s face it: if you don’t have a soft spot for the cheesy greatness of the original Top Gun, you probably aren’t even human. But there really isn’t any reason why we needed a follow-up to the movie. Despite that, I’m sure it’ll do just fine in the box office because everyone loves a good dose of nostalgia.
You can see the full film when it hits theaters on June 26, 2020.