10 Reasons Why Top Gun: Maverick Is Better Than The Original

Legacy sequels to already beloved film franchises can be hit or miss, to say the least. This style of rebooting older intellectual properties has become more popular than ever in Hollywood with box office hits like "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," "Ghostbusters: Afterlife," and the newest "Halloween" trilogy all proving that this formula works. Out of all these legacy sequels to grace the silver screen, there's one that has soared above many others in both critical acclaim and financial gain: "Top Gun: Maverick."

The first "Top Gun" is widely considered a classic of 1980s action cinema, cementing the stardom of leading man Tom Cruise and becoming a commercial success upon release. It made over $350 million worldwide and was the year's highest-grossing film. "Top Gun" has earned its place as a fun, over-the-top, and easily parodied blockbuster. That's why it was surprising it took so long for a sequel to get made; "Top Gun: Maverick" released in 2022, 36 years after its predecessor.

"Top Gun: Maverick" takes everything that worked about the original film and dials it up to Mach 10 by pushing the limits of action, adventure, and high-stakes aerial combat. Directed by Joseph Kosinski, this film has proven itself to be an improvement upon the first movie by bringing Cruise's penchant for action back into the skies. Read on to find out all the reasons why "Top Gun: Maverick" is better than the original.

Tom Cruise is considered by many to be one of the last true movie stars around and has gained a reputation for being an adrenaline junkie. He has starred in some of the biggest action movies of the past few decades by always diving headfirst into doing his own stunts whenever possible for maximum immersion. With incredible films under his belt like "Jack Reacher," "Edge of Tomorrow," and "Mission: Impossible – Fallout," it is clear that Cruise knows how to make an exciting action movie.

In order to return to the character of Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, Cruise went all-in on bringing this sequel to life. He was instrumental in the production in several ways. Cruise fought for Val Kilmer to return as Iceman in "Top Gun: Maverick"; Kilmer was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2015. Additionally, he not only designed a 3-month training program for his fellow actors but also helped coordinate the film's breathtaking aerial stunts. During an interview with the Independent, Cruise touched on exactly what he and his fellow actors would be doing for the shoot. He said, "We worked with the Navy and the 'Top Gun' school to formulate how to shoot it practically ... because if we're gonna do it, we're gonna fly in the F-18s."

It's no secret some of the original "Top Gun" actors didn't get along with each other during filming. Because of the competitive dynamic of the characters, actors like Val Kilmer and Tom Cruise allowed their on-screen rivalry to bleed into real life. According to Kilmer in the documentary "Val" (via CinemaBlend), he went full method in order to breathe more depth into the character of Iceman. He said, "I would purposely play up the rivalry between Tom's character and mine off-screen as well. And what ended up happening is the actors, in true method fashion, split into two distinct camps. You'd have Maverick and Goose on one side, and Slider, Hollywood, Wolfman, and me, Iceman, on the other."

Additionally, Kilmer revealed in his book "I'm Your Huckleberry: A Memoir" that Cruise was distant from the rest of the cast. He said, "Tom refrained from our revelry, with good reason. From day one, he was laser-focused on a singular goal: to become the greatest action hero in the history of film." While all this was mostly in good fun, it seems like a totally different experience from what the cast of "Top Gun: Maverick" went through as they all trained together as a cohesive unit. Plus, Val Kilmer and Tom Cruise's reunion on the set of the sequel was apparently a very cathartic affair, with both men happy to see each other.

While Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer may not have had the best experience together on the original "Top Gun" set, they've grown to respect each other as professionals. Not only did Cruise insist Kilmer be in "Top Gun: Maverick," but an entire emotionally-charged plotline was included in the story to mirror the real-life events surrounding Kilmer's throat cancer diagnosis. After all, Kilmer put it best himself in an Instagram post to Cruise where he simply said, "36 years later ... I'm still your wingman."

In "Top Gun: Maverick," Kilmer's character Iceman has endured similar hardships since he, too, has throat cancer. The dynamic between Maverick and Iceman has changed in recent years since the latter has been promoted to Admiral (a position that he uses to keep the heat off his old rival-slash-friend). Much like Kilmer in real life, Iceman is no longer able to easily speak and must instead use text for communication. An emotional climax in the film comes from Iceman's heartbreaking death along with his final message for Maverick: "It's time to let go." For a series that was previously known for over-the-top action and Kenny Loggins songs, the emotional growth of these characters and the maturity of the script in handling Kilmer's illness is a touching element of this film.

1986's "Top Gun" may have been a box office success, but it wasn't exactly loved by critics at the time. One infamous review by legendary film critic Roger Ebert lambasted the movie as a mostly dull affair with the occasional dogfight to spice things up. In his 2-and-a-half-star review, he said, "Movies like 'Top Gun' are hard to review because the good parts are so good and the bad parts are so relentless." This was unfortunately a common sentiment of critics since the film still has only a 58% score on Rotten Tomatoes, but luckily the filmmakers took these critiques to heart for the sequel.

"Top Gun: Maverick" is a departure from the previous film in that it puts just as much investment into the dialogue and characters as it does the high-speed action. Much more of the film's runtime is devoted to the complex interactions between an aging Maverick and his younger (and hotheaded) students. The dynamic between him and Rooster, Goose's bitter son, is particularly compelling for audiences to watch. In her 4-star review for RogerEbert.com, Tomris Laffly noted how the emotional core actually works. She said, "Equally worthy of that big screen is the emotional strokes of 'Maverick' that pack an unexpected punch." There's a reason this movie boasts an excellent 96% on Rotten Tomatoes in addition to making over $1.4 billion at the box office.

Thanks to the progression of camera technology in the decades since 1986's "Top Gun," it's clear just from watching its sequel how far filmmaking has come as an art form. Fans and critics alike have noted how the dogfighting spectacle of "Top Gun: Maverick" is a jaw-dropping experience unlike anything that's been seen in movies for quite some time. Due in no small part to Tom Cruise's personal obsession with doing real stunts whenever possible, this legacy sequel broke new ground in filming aerial combat action that arguably puts even the original movie to shame.

In order to perfectly film all the necessary fighter jet footage, the production team for "Top Gun: Maverick" went so far as sticking high-tech cameras right inside the cockpits with real Navy pilots. According to behind-the-scenes footage (via Y.M. Cinema Magazine), they used extremely powerful IMAX-certified Sony Venice 6K Full Frame cameras that were set up to have two cameras pointed outside the cockpit, and four facing the actor to record their reactions. In an interview with Den of Geek, director Joseph Kosinski explained all the hoops they had to jump through to shoot it properly and why that was necessary. He said, "You can feel the strain, the g-forces, the speed, something you could never capture on a soundstage, no matter how much money or visual effects you threw at it." Kosinski made sure to highlight all the hard work that went into shooting "Top Gun: Maverick" realistically, which paid off in the end.