All military dads and war movie enthusiasts unite in their excitement over the newest dog fight movie, “Top Gun: Maverick.” Starring Tom Cruise and Miles Teller, the movie released on May 27, 2022, breaking box office records with over $90 million in its first weekend of showings. 

But that begs the question of whether or not it is worth it. In my opinion, it was. 

As odd as it sounds, I watched my share of war movies growing up. I watched war documentaries on the History Channel with my dad, having grown up in a military household. I grew up hearing war stories from my grandparents, parents, and uncles, so it’s safe to say that I was used to watching dog fights on the screen. 

“Top Gun: Maverick” was a culmination of so many things that make a good war movie– fantastic action scenes, heart wrenching pep-talks, and compelling characters. 

The movie follows Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (portrayed by Tom Cruise), a highly decorated navy pilot who, in taking risks that his superiors didn’t particularly approve of, gets assigned to train a team of six graduates to complete a risky mission beyond anything he had seen before. Not only does he have to train these graduates, he must make amends with the son of one of his fallen comrades, Lt. Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw. 

This movie shows Pete’s journey with coming to terms with his own past and his trauma through the stressful scenes underscored with gunfire and a Hans Zimmer soundtrack. It follows his character development as he realizes that sometimes being grounded isn’t that bad, that stability is almost as important as the adrenaline rush from taking risks. 

The cinematography in this movie was stunning. The wide shots of orange horizons and snowy forests will remain in my dreams until I can see something of that beauty with my own eyes. 

So, the bottom line is if you ask me, this movie is worth watching, perhaps better than the original. But do be advised that there is a copious amount of flashing lights and sounds of gunfire.