Top Gun: Maverick reignited the Top Gun craze and performed outstandingly upon its release, but a year on, Ridley Scott reveals the harsh truth about the sequel. Top Gun: Maverick saw Tom Cruise reprise his role as Maverick, with some other familiar faces and plenty of new cast members. Continuing Maverick’s story 30 years after Tony Scott’s original, Top Gun: Maverick balances the thrill of flying with the demanding personal life of Maverick, who is haunted by ghosts and has a heavy mission to lead. Maverick’s return was widely praised by critics and audiences alike, with many claiming it was better than the original Top Gun.
Top Gun: Maverick received 96% critics score and 99% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes and grossed just under $1.5 billion worldwide. Just like its predecessor, Top Gun: Maverick became the highest-grossing movie of its year of release. Top Gun: Maverick’s box office was much higher than Top Gun’s, but Top Gun: Maverick did have a budget over 10 times bigger than the first movie. Despite the overall acclaim and success Tom Cruise’s movie achieved, not everyone was as enthralled with the end result, including Tony Scott’s older brother and revered director Ridley Scott.
Ridley Scott Is Right About Top Gun: Maverick’s Originality Problem
Over a year since Top Gun’s release, Ridley Scott’s true feelings about Top Gun: Maverick have been revealed. Scott was first reported to have liked Top Gun: Maverick, but his true feelings about the Top Gun sequel reveal he does not believe it compares to his brothers’ original saying at the DGA Latino Summit, “My brother’s was original and this is like eh.” Ridley and Tony Scott have both been at the helm of iconic, original movies, so it is understandable Ridley Scott would be the first to scrutinize the sequel to his brother’s work. The harsh truth is he is right; there is an originality problem.
Top Gun may have fit with the cheesy action film of the time, but its true brilliance was revealed as time went on and showed it to be one of a kind. Arguments for Top Gun: Maverick being better than Top Gun, ignore that the original provided a blueprint for the sequel’s success. It is a direct sequel, so there has to be some crossover in the same characters and style, but Top Gun: Maverick follows a very similar story to the original. Even Maverick’s development follows the same route just at different levels in his career.
Initial Reaction To Top Gun: Maverick Was About More Than The Movie
It is undeniable that Top Gun: Maverick is a great movie thanks to its development of side characters, storytelling, action, stunts, and ability to bring back a beloved story. However, the initial reaction to the Top Gun sequel was about way more than just the movie. Top Gun: Maverick was one of the first blockbusters to be released after theaters were shut during the COVID pandemic. Even Steven Spielberg claimed Top Gun: Maverick saved Hollywood and audiences were excited to see a classic action movie on the big screen once again.
Being able to see these huge stunts Tom Cruise performed himself and action sequences on the big screens were not the only exciting part of Top Gun’s return. The characters and links to the 1986 classic were also a major part of the success. Sequels and reboots are expected to bring in audiences, and with the sequel finally being made for such a beloved classic, there was little doubt Top Gun: Maverick would have some hold over the box office. Finally seeing the industry do well with such a beloved story arguably inflated the reception of the Top Gun sequel.
Top Gun: Maverick Risks Flipping The Original Movie’s Public Opinion Trend
Surprisingly, Top Gun received mixed reviews on its initial release in 1986. But, it has become remembered as a 1980s classic and more so as an all-time action movie. Top Gun: Maverick had a lot of pressure to compete with this on its release, and it is safe to say it exceeded expectations upon its debut. However, it now risks flipping the original’s public opinion trend. It took time for Top Gun to be appreciated, but Top Gun: Maverick got hugely positive reviews right away. Now that the excitement of its release and return to cinema has worn off, there is a chance its reputation will go the opposite way.
Audiences are now able to look past the theatrical element and wider context of struggling cinemas at the time of release, and Top Gun: Maverick will be judged purely on a critical level. It will also be compared more closely to Top Gun as people will watch them side by side. Ridley Scott’s opinion may make others realize that, while Top Gun: Maverick had a fantastic theatrical run, it may not be able to stand the test of time like the original has. The critical reviews of Top Gun: Maverick are still positive, but whether public opinion of the Top Gun sequel will remain popular is a variable worth considering.
Sources: DGA Latino Summit, Rotten Tomatoes
