The exhilarating and heartbreaking journey “the fastest man alive”, Pete Mitchell (referred to as ‘Maverick’), endures as he looks back on his past while shaping his future makes “Topgun: Maverick” so captivating. Is the movie so attractive to viewers because of handsome Tom Cruise starring as Maverick? Or is it because of the action packed scenes that hold more emotion and compassion than one can handle?

   Maverick is sent to train an elite team of F/A-18E/F Super Hornet pilots assembled by Vice Admiral Beau “Cyclone” Simpson and Rear Admiral Solomon “Warlock” Bates for a mission that is life threatening, and incredibly urgent. 

   It’s to no one’s surprise that lounging on an unhygienic cinema seat while watching a movie about pilots is chosen over beach chairs on the warm summer sand. While usually sequels to a movie would be disappointing, Topgun Maverick was released 38 years after the original and many claim for it to be better. The film captured fragments of the original movie, answering many of the viewers questions they had been dying to know for the past 38 years overcome with nostalgia. The pilot loving watchers can finally relax.

   The combination of empathy with hatred lets the audience feel connected and invested in every scene. In the original movie, Maverick mourns his past flight partner Goose, who was tragically killed in flight. TopGun: Maverick attracts viewers just at the start of the movie by showing photographs of Goose and Rooster, as Rooster later becomes a prominent character in the movie. 

   The movie tone is set at the very start: despairing. 

   Rooster’s heartfelt scene saving Mavericks life is ironic because it has been, and later will be, the other way around. The incredible plot twist to this is that Rooster knows that Mav pulled his files, resulting in Rooster’s career being pushed back by 4 years. Roosters’ mothers requested Mav refrain from his dangerous flying out of fear and depression. Maverick used these circumstances to guide his decisions throughout the film which resulted in a bitter grudge from Rooster. The tension this causes in the movie outweighs many of the successes, making viewers excited yet nervous and on their toes. To succeed in flight and ensure the team’s survival as well as the mission’s success, something must be altered.

   The exhilarating journey that Maverick endures while bonds are being reformed and shattered are why viewers are on the edge of their seat. Missing one detail is like missing a whole scene. Although some cliffhangers may remain unresolved like most movies, the relationship we most care about shines through.