The praise for Top Gun: Maverick has not let up. The sequel to Tony Scott's 1986 classic, out Friday, drew rave reviews at CinemaCon and now has a 96% rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. Audiences are even happier, at 99%. Still harboring a streak of rebellion, Navy pilot Capt. Pete "Maverick" Mitchell (Tom Cruise) is put in charge of training aviator recruits—including Rooster, the son of his best friend from the first film, Goose—for a mission unlike any to come before. Here's what critics are saying:
- "An electric tribute … to '80s cinema in general, and to Cruise," it's "a reaffirmation of its headliner's peerless stardom and, with it, the full-throttle pleasures of yesteryear blockbusters that prized marquee personality and practical effects over weightless CGI spectacle," writes Nick Schager at the Daily Beast. Plus, there are plenty of shout-outs to the original, including "a shirtless beach football game played by a collection of glistening-torso Adonises." Overall, it's "a summer spectacular" and "an absolute blast."