We use cookies to give you the best possible experience on our site, provide personalised content and advertising, analyse our traffic, and ensure you see more of what you love. The in-plane footage is equally amazing for very different reasons, with less of a stylised approach it's impressive really in that it manages to effortlessly balance what - at first glance - appears to be almost razor-sharp documentary footage, with an acute cinematic eye, to yield something utterly immersive. As perhaps you might only expect from the director of Tron: Legacy and Oblivion, Maverick is a visual wonder, shot, framed to perfection, and toned, and that's even before it gets off the ground.

In addition to breaking box office totals, audiences have felt the need for speed and made the legacy sequel Paramount’s highest-grossing film ever and Cruise's highest-grossing film in his entire illustrious career. She has used these life-long passions to provide fan-focused interviews with Star Trek: Picard's showrunner and in-depth reviews of series like Andor. I never really could figure out why Kelly McGillis was cast and after seeing this film, I don’t know why Jennifer Connelly wasn’t cast in the first one (despite the whole “we don’t know who you are” stigma). There’s a bit of tension between Rooster and Maverick as the former blames the latter for his father’s death. Maverick puts you in a cockpit - for real - and uses CG respectfully to round out the edges and deliver sheer perfection in terms of in-the-seat entertainment.The result is nothing short of breathtaking, an immersive visual experience that cast member Lewis Pullman (“Bob”) describes as “like being strapped onto a dragon. These opening moments are truly worth admiring from a plot structure perspective as exposition is cleverly and concisely delivered. Forging the Darkstar (HD, 8 min) takes a closer look at the scramjet prototype seen at the beginning of the film and how it plays a role in the story. I loved the nostalgia and the fact that this was clearly a passion project that manifested as a masterpiece.

For this UHD edition, Paramount grounds the film with the same selection of bonus material but throws in one exclusive featurette for 4K collectors. Right from the fantastic frame-perfect fan-service-driven opening credits sequence, those who love the first film will find themselves back at home in Top Gun: Maverick, establishing itself as very clearly a continuation of the same tale, and once again putting Maverick front and centre where he should be in this journey.

The movie catapulted Tom Cruise's career into mega-stardom while also raising the number of naval recruits at the same time, and it strangely endures both as an 80s fan favorite and as the butt of many, many jokes. For the extra money over the two 4K steelbooks what you get (the coasters/beermats, dogtag, photocards, magnetic 'stickers' and gift box don't add up to the cost. The film moments chosen are just a few of the shots that made the audience gasp in the cinema, as you can fully see Mr Cruise is once again, DOING the flying for REAL! At the same, an outstanding mid-range exhibits superb detailing and distinction in the upper frequencies during the loudest segments while the score delivers striking definition in the orchestration with warmth and amazing fidelity while bleeding all around. Much of the character-driven drama takes priority with precise, clear dialogue that remains that way above the commotion, allowing audiences to enjoy every emotional moment and hear every inflection in each of the performances.