Top Five Films of 2022, So Far

Mark Rylance in "The Outfit"
Photo Credit: Imdb.com

5) “The Outfit” - Eight years after Graham Moore wrote the historical thriller, “The Imitation Game,” he made an accomplished directorial debut with this intriguing and complex crime drama.  The story takes place in 1956 Chicago and follows an English tailor named Leonard Burling (Mark Rylance), whose top customers are Irish gangsters.  When he becomes mixed up in a dangerous web of deceit involving the mob, he will have to use his cunning in order to survive the night.  Rylance gives a terrific calm-under-pressure performance as his character tries to outsmart the gangsters that threaten his life and livelihood, and he’s backed up by a great supporting cast, which includes Dylan O’Brien as a suave, yet coldblooded mobster; Zoey Deutch as Leonard’s loyal and clever assistant; and Simon Russell Beale and Nikki Amuka-Bird as tough mafia leaders.  The screenplay by Moore and Johnathan McClain makes the most out of its limited time frame, single setting, and small cast to deliver a story that has many twists and turns that take this above your standard crime drama.  All of this mixes with Moore’s tense direction as he makes you wonder who’ll still be standing by the film’s end.  If you’re looking for a movie with fascinating characters getting mixed up in criminal-underworld thrills, this movie is a wonderful fit.  

Mia Goth in "X"
Photo Credit: Imdb.com

4) “X” - Between this film, “Scream,” and “The Black Phone,” 2022 has been a pretty good year for the horror genre, but writer-director Ti West’s ‘70s-set slasher is the best of them. The story follows a group of friends in Texas who rent a house on a farm to film an adult movie.  However, the owners of the farm soon make it clear that the group isn’t as welcome as they thought.  While the friends at the center of the story have tremendous chemistry, the lead performance by Mia Goth stands out, with her portraying someone who wishes to be famous, but has more poignancy to her arc than we’re led to believe.  West’s screenplay takes tropes of the slasher sub-genre and uses them in unique and subtle ways, all against a backdrop of a story that has some unexpected emotional themes, as well as a nice dose of humor.  With clever nods to classics like “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” “Halloween,” and “Friday the 13th,” they’re excellent garnishes to West’s contribution to slasher films.  Boasting scares, fun, and artistry, “X” checks every box.

Tom Cruise in "Top Gun: Maverick"
Photo Credit: Imdb.com

3) “Top Gun: Maverick” - In one of the biggest surprises of the year, director Joseph Kosinski’s action drama is a sequel that bests the 1986 original in every way.  Tom Cruise returns as his star-making character, Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, who must train a new group of pilots for a dangerous mission.  Cruise reenters this role with a tremendous sense of growth, showing a version of Pete who isn’t any longer a person who thrives on showing off his talent, but is instead someone who’s been shaped by the grief and experiences from his past and must make sure his pilots are ready for what they have to face.  Although there are some fun callbacks to the first movie, this is a film that’s not trying to ride on the nostalgia of the original, but is instead trying to make a film that’s thrilling and emotionally gripping.  Besides the great interactions of the characters, Kosinski and his team give us stunning flight sequences that use very little CGI.  The amount of in-camera effects are breathtaking and are an example of the raw craftsmanship that’s still possible in big-budget filmmaking.  This movie doesn’t just earn its wings; it earns the sky.

Alexander Skarsgård in "The Northman"
Photo Credit: RottenTomatoes.com

2) “The Northman” - After wowing audiences with two stellar horror movies, cowriter-director Robert Eggers went on a different path for his third movie, in which he brings us an unflinching revenge epic.  His film tells the story of Viking warrior Amleth (Alexander Skarsgård), who seeks out his uncle (Claes Bang) to kill him and avenge the death of his father (Ethan Hawke) from years ago.  Skarsgård delivers a brutal performance as someone whose unstoppable force can be felt throughout the film, but also manages to show the tragic side of his character as an individual who has faced immense hardship.  Eggers and cowriter Sigurjón Birgir Sigurðsson take the common traits of revenge stories and give us a film that offers more than you’d expect, providing us with memorable characters and some intriguing revelations.  As a director, Eggers not only offers gorgeous imagery, but also ferocious battle scenes, many of which are filmed in stunningly choreographed long takes.  This movie shows Eggers’ unwavering self-assuredness of being able to expand his abilities as a filmmaker, embracing the scope with which he’s working and presenting a vision that imposes a thunderous force.  You’ll be left overwhelmed and awed.

Stephanie Hsu, Michelle Yeoh, and 
Ke Huy Quan in "Everything Everywhere 
All at Once"
Photo Credit: RottenTomatoes.com

1) “Everything Everywhere All at Once” - Written and directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, this sci-fi comedy-drama is something that has to be seen to be believed.  The movie follows laundromat owner Evelyn Quan Wang (Michelle Yeoh), who’s pulled into a journey to save the multiverse from a powerful enemy.  Yeoh gives a performance that’s equal parts poignant and is-this-really-happening humor as her character tries to understand the rules of the multiverse and fix her broken family.  Kwan and Scheinert tackle several genres and themes for this film, and they deliver on everything that they present.  As directors, they craft fight sequences that do so much with a small budget, with each of these sequences being more unique than the next.  This is a movie that boasts an endless sense of invention that doesn’t hold back its unabashed vision, creating an energetic ride that’s original and joyfully chaotic.  You’re carried through a sci-fi adventure that’s loaded with ideas and possibilities, ensuring that you have a great deal about which to rave and discuss as you come down from the exhilaration that you experience.  There isn’t anything like this movie that you’ll see in 2022. 

Step By Step, the Awkward Dances of Life and Love

Cooper Raiff and Dakota Johnson in
"Cha Cha Real Smooth"
Photo Credit: RottenTomatoes.com

In 2020, writer-director Cooper Raiff came onto the scene with his coming-of-age film, “Sh*thouse.”  Without using any over-the-top academic hi-jinx, he formatted a story that wasn’t just about a college freshman starting a relationship, but was also about how alone this character felt in a new environment and the connections that he tried to make.  With this film, Raiff presented himself as an exciting and emotional voice who knows how to examine modern relationships.

He focuses on a coming-of-age story again for his second film, “Cha Cha Real Smooth,” a movie that looks at love from a fresh angle, complete with heartfelt performances and a well-rounded story to bring it all together.

Andrew (Raiff) is a recent college graduate who moves back home with his younger brother, David (Evan Assante), their mom, Lisa (Leslie Mann), and their stepdad, Greg (Brad Garrett).  When Andrew accompanies David to a Bar Mitzvah, he meets a young woman, Domino (Dakota Johnston), and her autistic daughter, Lola (Vanessa Burghardt).  Although David and Domino form a bond, the complications that they each bring to the relationship will make them wonder if their connection will work.

Raiff provides his character with a charisma and confidence, punctuated by a bit of awkwardness, showing that his character’s thinking of things on the fly and going with his gut instinct at times.  He’s a man who seems to have the answers, but at times does’t quite know how to proceed in life himself.  It’s a performance that’s so endearing to watch because of how much Andrew comes to care for Domino and help her get through tough times, despite having his own issues with which to contend.  Raiff goes back and forth from contagious youthful optimism of thinking things will work out for the best, and the quieter moments of contemplation as Andrew faces the difficulties of maintaining the connection that he and Domino have.  This is a wonderful performance of what it’s like to grow up, and Raiff captures the essence of having many possibilities to explore in life.

Johnson gives what may be her finest performance yet as a mother who’s trying to work out her issues and seeing what’s best for her and Lola.  Johnson’s able to place Domino’s feelings deep into her voice, never needing to have big emotional moments, but letting us hear the ache in her voice as she feels unsure of which direction she should steer her life.  You’re able to sense the hardships and complex feelings that are going through her as she tries to balance her time with Andrew and her commitment to her family.  It’s a performance where the moments of joy are all the more potent because of how much we sense the strain that Domino carries as she tries to figure out the path that she wishes to take.

In the supporting cast, Assante is terrific as Andrew’s brother, always going to him for advice and sharing heartfelt sibling chemistry with Raiff; Burghardt has some great moments of wit and warmth as she begins to accept Andrew into her and her mom’s life; and Mann sheds her usual Judd Apatow-film persona to deliver a loving performance as Andrew’s mother, showing her character’s strong sense of positivity as Andrew strives for his true potential.

As a wonderful contribution to the coming-of-age sub-genre, Raiff’s screenplay exhibits the messy nuances of the relationship that’s presented and doesn’t have it come off as your usual movie romance.  It feels very genuine as Andrew and Domino have tough discussions of where their relationship is headed and whether or not they can sustain it.  We see their interactions as they enjoy each other’s company, but also as they address the complications that the relationship imposes.  But, as terrific as the scenes are that focus on the central relationship, the movie also spends a good amount of time with Andrew as he tries to move his life forward with getting a job, taking on various responsibilities, and helping his brother with some of his issues.  Between those aspects of Andrew’s life and the in-depth view that Domino provides as she opens up to Andrew, we’re given plenty of details for both of their characters, allowing us to be immersed in what’s on their minds, both inside and outside of the relationship. 

With Raiff’s first film being about a college freshman, it’s appropriate that he now tells a story of a man who’s fresh out of college and must figure out what comes next.  Just like how we see the parallel of these two films being at the beginning and end of college, “Cha Cha Real Smooth” has its own sense of a parallel with the thematic nature of the opening and closing scenes, showing a culmination of Andrew’s emotional journey.  As for the details of those scenes, I don’t want to give anything away, but I’ll say that you’ll feel as though you’ve seen someone grow throughout this film, showing both vulnerability and strength as he tries to cement what he’s going to do with his life.

Raiff’s film does have several laughs, but he also manages to work in some realistic drama that makes a lot of the events in this movie feel grounded.  Just as he accomplished in “Sh*thouse,” Raiff maintains a natural flow to the interactions of his characters, keeping a rhythm that has them play out in such a way that that makes you feel everything in every moment.  Whether you feel joy for these characters as they get along with each other or poignancy as they express deeper feelings, Raiff does what he can to invest you in the relationships that grow out of the story.

“Cha Cha Real Smooth” is further indication of Raiff’s growing talent as a filmmaker, and it’s clear that his move into the consciousness of movie audiences’ couldn’t be smoother.

Grade: A 

In the Future, a Man Makes Art Out of His Pain

Léa Seydoux, Viggo Mortensen, and Kristen 
Stewart in "Crimes of the Future" 
Photo Credit: RottenTomatoes.com

Writer-director David Cronenberg has built a reputation on exploring sci-fi and body horror in his films, such as “The Fly,” “Videodrome,” and “Scanners.” However, his filmography includes more than that, as he’s also taken on other genres, like gangster films, historical films, and dramas.  Up until 1999, he moved around quite a bit between his mainstay and other genres.  That year marked the release of his most previous sci-fi/horror film, “Existenz.”  Since then, he hasn’t done a film within those genres, having released six films in varying genres, such as “A History of Violence,” “Eastern Promises,” and “A Dangerous Method.”

Now, after 23 years, he makes his return to the body-horror genre with “Crimes of the Future,” which despite sharing a name with Cronenberg’s 1970 film, isn’t a remake of that film.  With an intriguing setup and a hypnotic strangeness, this is another great addition to the genre that has become synonymous with Cronenberg’s name.

Some time in the future, most of humanity has experienced biological changes, including the disappearance of physical pain and infectious diseases, while other humans go through alterations that are more drastic.  One of those people is Saul Tenser (Viggo Mortensen), who’s afflicted with “accelerated evolution syndrome,” which has him growing new organs of unknown function.  As he and his partner, Caprice (Léa Seydoux), remove these organs as a method of performance art, they’ll also have to contend with Saul’s worsening condition.

Mortensen gives a pained performance as someone who’s always suffering under his illness.  Despite Saul’s affliction, Mortensen brings to life a character who has a passion for his art and love for his partner, trying to understand his condition and use his suffering to create something that Saul and Caprice find meaningful.  Even with the physical weakness that we see in Mortensen’s character, he shows Saul’s determination to keep himself going, working his way through a serious problem that continues to put his life at risk, all while finding a way to live through it all.

Seydoux shows restrained power as an individual who’s committed to her artistic ideals and keeping Saul as healthy as possible.  There’s a resoluteness that Seydoux elicits from her character as she works with Saul, always showing a confidence in handling his medical needs and knowing what’s best for him.  

Kristen Stewart provides entertainingly oddball work as an investigator for the National Organ Registry, an individual who begins to follow Saul and Caprice deeper and deeper into their work.  The social awkwardness that Stewart exhibits is a success in both fitting in with the overall strangeness of this future, while also working as a humorous reprieve from the body-horror sequences.

The screenplay by Cronenberg drags a little bit in the second act, but you can’t help but be won over by how imaginative he still manages to be when focusing on body horror.  The details that he’s able to conjure for whatever world he depicts shows him to be one of the most distinctive minds in modern film.  With the story’s mysterious and chilling opening scene, the introduction of the futuristic performance-art world, the fleshing-out of the enigmatic characters, and the doling out of details as to what’s going on in several aspects of the story, this is another screenplay that exhibits how Cronenberg is every bit as inventive in his scripts as he is in his visuals.  As usual, he doesn’t just try to impress us with his inventive grotesquely, but also shows that he has something meaningful to say.

After all of the films Cronenberg has done with body horror, you have to admire that he never felt the need to go overboard in order to keep us interested.  Sure, he’s had some grisliness in his films, but it’s not gratuitous and doesn’t take up the whole movie.  Because of this, Cronenberg shows that he can still keep his body-horror explorations going all of these years later without feeling the need to one-up himself.  He also handles the shift in focus well as he examines the film’s romantic edge between Saul and Caprice, offering a dark love story during the proceedings, similar to what he pulled off so well for “The Fly.”

For this film, Cronenberg utilizes a mix of practical and special effects.  The latter are fine, but it’s the practical effects that are always a big draw for Cronenberg’s sci-fi and horror films.  His latest film is another example of how his practical effects make the movie look more visceral, and the world within it looks more tangible.  With this being the first Cronenberg movie that I’ve seen in a theater, that tangibility is one of many aspects that made the experience memorable.

After being away from the sci-fi and horror genres for more than two decades, Cronenberg returns to what he does best, and “Crimes of the Future” shows that he’s still the best at what he does.  

Grade: A-

A Robot and His Inventor Try to Make Their Living Arrangement Work

David Earl and Chris Hayward in 
"Brian and Charles"
Photo Credit: RottenTomatoes.com

In 2017, director Jim Archer developed a 12-minute short film for YouTube called “Brian and Charles,” which told the story of a man named Brian (David Earl), who lives a solitary life in the English countryside as an inventor.  During one tough winter, the loneliness becomes too much for Brian, and he decides to build a robot, who he names Charles (Chris Hayward).  What followed was a funny account of the two of them being at odds with one another and needing to find a way to live in peace.

Archer now makes his feature debut for a full-length adaptation of the same name, a film that delivers the charm and wit of what came before.

Earl, who reprises his role from the short film, presents an individual who’s endearing, funny, awkward, and achingly lonely.  We see him as someone who’s timid about being more outspoken, but we view significant changes in him as he begins to interact with Charles and take care of him, eventually emerging as more forthcoming because of how strict he has to be to protect Charles from people who might want to hurt him.    

Hayward provides a terrific voice performance as Charles.  He has a great mix of robotic inflections and an English-gentleman accent, which develop a humorous edge as he becomes more defiant and develops an adolescent-like need for rebellion against his guardian.  However, Charles’ voice also builds some emotion as his need to rebel gets stronger and his frustration grows as he continues to be held back by Brian, wanting to have chance to go out on his own.

The screenplay by Earl and Hayward, both of whom wrote the short film, may seem a tad strained at times when trying to stretch the runtime to just about 90 minutes, but you’re nonetheless drawn into the small-scale misadventures that befall the titular characters.  We see the relationship between Brian and Charles unfold with a friendship, tension, and then understanding.  And, as Brian tries to come into is own to be a more assertive person, Charles wishes to go out in the world and explore everything that it has to offer, with both arcs showing these two characters evolving into the kind of individuals they want to be.

As a director, Archer shows the connection between a human and a robot develop without it becoming too cloying.  Rather, he has the two main characters show their emotions in a grounded way that keeps you invested in the tests that their bond faces as both internal and external forces threaten the camaraderie that they’ve built.  Also, despite the nature of the film’s premise, Archer prevents the movie from being overtaken by the indie quirkiness that could have appeared.

With cinema’s latest human-robot bond, “Brian and Charles” is the story of a friendship that goes beyond the divide between heartbeats and circuitry.

Grade: A-

The Belcher Family Grills Up a Summer to Remember

The Belcher family from left: Linda (John Roberts), 
Louise (Kristen Schaal), Gene (Eugene Mirman), 
Tina (Dan Mintz), and Bob (H. Jon Benjamin) in 
"The Bob's Burgers Movie" 
Photo Credit: RottenTomatoes.com

Eleven years ago, Loren Bouchard gave us the hilarious animated comedy, “Bob’s Burgers,” which focuses on Bob and Linda Belcher and their three children as they manage their family’s restaurant.  Loaded with eccentric characters, crazy storylines, wit, and heart, it has delivered 12 seasons of outlandish and enjoyable adventures. 

Now, Bouchard and Bernard Derriman (a supervising director-turned-producer of the show) bring the Belcher family and their antics to the big screen with “The Bob’s Burgers Movie,” an energetic romp that displays the show’s creators are still cooking with the right ingredients.

On the cusp of summer, Bob (H. Jon Benjamin) and Linda (John Roberts) prepare for a busy season, but are struggling with the restaurant’s loan payments.  When a sinkhole opens in front of their restaurant and impacts their business, they to find a way to fix it.  Meanwhile, oldest child Tina (Dan Mintz), middle child Gene (Eugene Mirman), and youngest child Louise (Kristen Schaal) try to solve a mystery that could save their family’s business.

The entire voice cast provides work that’s every bit as funny as what they accomplish on television, especially the cast members who voice the Belcher family.  All five of them maintain the witty rhythm of their banter that we’ve loved throughout the shows continued run, proving that they’re still every bit as fun to listen to and watch.

There are some quick, yet funny appearances from some of your favorite side characters, like David Herman as school counselor Mr. Frond and H. Jon Benjamin as schoolteacher Ms. LaBonz.  However, the three who are given the most screen time are Kevin Kline as Calvin Fischoeder, the Belchers’ demanding and eccentric landlord; Zach Galifianakis as Calvin’s trying-so-hard-to-please brother, Felix; and Larry Murphy as Teddy, an eager-to-help handyman and frequent customer of the Belchers.  

The screenplay by Bouchard and Nora Smith may sometimes feel like an extended episode of the show, but they combat this by maintaining the out-of-the-box wit and including many of the show’s characters that’ve helped build the setting in which the Belcher family has lived and worked.  The narrative also offers a fun journey for Tina, Gene, and Louise as they each try to overcome their different insecurities and support one another as they do so 

Aside from the abundance of jokes, the script also utilizes some fun musical numbers, which is a staple of the show.  The opening number, “Sunny Side Up Summer,” takes advantage of the cinematic treatment to make a song-and-dance number that’s a little longer than what’s seen in the show, getting you excited to be able to enjoy this family and their antics on the big screen.

As with other animated television shows that are given a movie, Bouchard and Derriman use this opportunity to offer more polished animation, especially in some of the bigger scenes, particularly in an exciting go-kart chase under a pier.  Other than this, they provide the good balance of humor and sweetness that we’ve come to love in the television series.  Bouchard and Derriman show that, even after 12 seasons, they have the same commitment to bringing us a fun time with these memorable characters, making “The Bob’s Burgers Movie” a breezy, lighthearted way to get your summer cooking.

Grade: B+

Still Flying After Decades, an Ace Pilot Teaches New Recruits

Tom Cruise in "Top Gun: Maverick"
Photo Credit: RottenTomatoes.com

In 1986, the late director Tony Scott gave audiences “Top Gun,” an entertaining film about elite Navy pilots who are given the chance to display their talents as the best of the best.  Between a charismatic and star-making performance from Tom Cruise, thrilling flight sequences, and one of the most famous movie themes of all time, Scott’s film became an iconic piece of ‘80s pop culture.

Now, we have director Joseph Kosinski’s exhilarating sequel, “Top Gun: Maverick.”  With this film, he not only delivers one of the best movies of the year so far, but also a sequel that surpasses the original in pretty much every way.

Thirty-six years after the events of the first film, Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Cruise) is asked to return to the United States Navy Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor program (also known as “Top Gun”) to train a new group of young pilots, among whom is Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw (Miles Teller), the son of Pete’s deceased best friend, Nick “Goose” Bradshaw.  With a dangerous mission laid out, Maverick and his pilots have to put together a plan for success and determine which of them will be chosen to carry it out.

Cruise, who starred in Kosinski’s 2013 sci-fi film “Oblivion,” continues to prove that there isn’t anyone working like him in film today.  As you watch his performance, you feel the gravity of the movie stardom that Cruise has built over the last four decades and see that he never lost the magic.  Although we all marvel at the commitment that Cruise brings to his big-budget movies by doing his own stunts, you also have to commend the dedication that he brings to those movies in terms of genuine emotion.  The poignancy that he brings is on the same level with what he delivered in his dramatic fare like “Born on the Fourth of July,” “A Few Good Men,” and “Magnolia.”  Cruise brings his famous character back as someone who still has the confidence of a knowledgeable fighter pilot, but is also hindered by the loss that still haunts him.  He shows a memorable growth to his character, someone who’s more in-tune with the dangers of his profession, and the way in which he exhibits how much he cares for his students adds another layer to the emotional evolution of his character.

Teller, who stared in Kosinski’s 2017 biographical drama, “Only the Brave,” displays the anger and grief of having lost his father, while also trying to prove that he deserves to be considered for the mission.  He has an attitude of someone who’s unstoppable in working to be one of the best, exhibiting the confidence that Maverick did when we were introduced to him in the original film.  Besides his character’s emotional angles, Teller also brings out an energy and determination of a young pilot who’s excited to get in the air and show everyone what he can do, and we feel the same as we zip through the skies with him.

Connelly, another star of Kosinski’s “Only the Brave,” has wonderful romantic chemistry with Cruise as his former girlfriend, Penny Benjamin.  When it comes to watching Cruise and Connelly together on screen, you’re more invested in this relationship than the one between Cruise and Kelly McGillis in the first movie.  Given how Penny was only mentioned a couple of times in passing in the original film, Cruise and Connelly do a remarkable job in building on those fleeting mentions and making you believe that they actually had a past.  Also, their relationship is strong enough to the point where it doesn’t feel like and empty, Hollywood blockbuster romance, but a relationship where you see that the two characters truly understand each other, even after being separated for so long.

Meanwhile, Glen Powell, Lewis Pullman, and Monica Barbaro all provide distinct and fun personalities as fellow pilots in the “Top Gun” program.  They each have their own bits of memorable dialogue and are a lot of fun to watch as they traverse through the rigorous training that comes their way.

The screenplay by Ehren Kruger, Eric Warren Singer (a cowriter for “Only the Brave”), and Christopher McQuarrie (who directed Cruise for the last two “Mission: Impossible” movies) has just the right amount of callbacks to the original, but doesn’t let itself go overboard.  Instead, it focuses on the characters, their connections, and their mission.  There are some great emotional moments that are allowed to play out so you feel the weight of the bonds between the characters, and the screenwriters do a superb job in building those characters, particularly when it comes to the connections between Maverick and Penny, and Maverick and Rooster.  This is a mainstream action film that focuses as much on its central plot as it does its characters, making this a legacy sequel that doesn’t feel like it was made for nostalgic purposes, but for the purpose of delivering a faced-paced story that still feels fleshed out.

Kosinski reunites with cinematographer Claudio Miranda, who provided the camerawork for all of Kosinski’s films (“Tron: Legacy, “Oblivion,” and “Only the Brave”), giving us breathtaking shots from inside and outside of the cockpits.  We soar above the sky and feel its openness around us, as well as the exhilaration go being in the pilot’s seat.  One of the best shots from the film is when we’re inside the cockpit with Maverick as he takes off from the aircraft carrier towards the climatic mission.  However, this movie tells you that you’re in for something special right from the opening sequence, in which Maverick flies a prototype of a new plane to thrilling speeds.  Between the beauty of the skies, a powerful score, and Maverick marveling at what unfolds before his cockpit window, this is one of many sequences that implores you to experience this movie on a big screen.  

It’s admirable how Kosinski doesn’t just do the bare minimum and cash in on people’s nostalgia with a sequel that’s merely serviceable, but instead does so much more; he delivers a sequel that provides a deeper story and a complex main character.  It’s clear from the start that Kosinski and his team had set out to make a great movie.  Given how Kosinski’s two other big-budget films, “Tron: Legacy” and “Oblivion,” were much more effects-heavy than “Maverick,", it’s impressive to see how much of the action was accomplished in-camera for this movie.  This is a level of commitment that’s hard to come by in massive productions such as this, and you can see from scene to scene that Kosinski and Cruise put every ounce of their filmmaking abilities into making you feel that you’re right there in the middle of the action.

While an announcement of a “Top Gun” sequel might have caused you to roll your eyes at first (I know I did), it’s an immense joy to say that this sequel soars higher than anyone could have expected.

Grade: A