What can a screenwriter learn?
Tom Cruise flies into a box office masterpiece here for this 2022 sequel to the 1986 Top Gun. Critical response has been excellent and I strongly believe part of the reason is a much stronger screenplay.
The Top Gun Maverick screenplay has a much better balance than the prior movie and manages to keep the fast moving jet planes at the forefront, along with the expanded cast of characters.
Whilst nostalgia for the 1986 film is strong, whether it is echoing many of the shots, like Tom Cruise speeding on his motorcycle alongside a jet plane, or the placement of images, like Goose and Maverick at the piano, these throwbacks do not lose or require a new audience to see Top Gun before seeing this sequel. This is great screenwriting in welcoming a brand new young crowd of moviegoers.
An excellent storyline is the reason for the success of this film too. Reportedly, Tom Cruise wanted to wait until there was a story worth telling. The theme of Goose's son, Rooster, joining The United States Navy Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor program is a cunning idea to bolster a story about a new mission for which advanced training is required.
This allows for the subtext of Maverick's stagnation as Captain for a few decades and his persistent guilt over Goose's death. This film is about a mission to destroy a uranium enrichment facility, essentially, but there are a number of subtexts to add layers to the characters and story.
"Ego" has to be the chief player in the Top Gun series of films. Beginning in the first with the jostling between Maverick and Iceman, we now see the rivalry for the top position between Rooster and Hangman. All the while, Maverick is actually leading these top pilots and still has his own ego to flout.
Top Gun Maverick is an excellent example of a film to study in terms of theme and content, as well as character interactions and superb dialogue. Have a look at the video blog below for more insight with specific examples.
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