Dynamic flight appeal to young people
Actors who played pilot roles such as Tom Cruise
Aviation training and piloting
When the sequel to ‘Top Gun: Maverick’, the sequel to ‘Top Gun’, which came out following 36 years, was recently released through a preview, an unusual scene unfolded. At the end of the movie, some of the audience cheered and applauded. There were also those who wiped away tears. Among the middle-aged and elderly audiences, these people especially stood out.
‘Top Gun: Maverick’, which will be released on the 22nd, starts by showing the appearance of various aircraft, including fighters, taking off and landing from an aircraft carrier floating in the open sea with the sunset in the background as if it were a real training scene. Arousing nostalgia from the audience with an introduction similar to the previous one. From then on, fighters that have advanced to the level of alien technology appear and realize 36 years of time. Legendary fighter pilot Maverick (Tom Cruise), who was a navy captain in the first part, is promoted to colonel and works as a test pilot for the development of future fighters. In order to reach the impossible goal of a top speed of Mach 10 (10 times the speed of sound), Maverick’s body withstands gravity more than 10 times its body weight, like a future astronaut. It is realistic to see his face being crushed as if he were old in an instant because he might not withstand gravity.
Maverick returns as an instructor at the U.S. Navy’s Top Gun Training Center, which trains top pilots. His mission is to gather junior pilots who have graduated with the best from the training center and give them the most difficult flight training. He is on a mission to destroy an enemy’s uranium enrichment facility. The low-altitude flight training to not be detected by radar is reminiscent of an actual air battle. In training and actual scenes, the F-18 fighter performs maneuvers that are close to acrobatic maneuvers, going back and forth between sharp turns and sharp climbs. It adds a sense of realism to any aviation blockbuster as the actors of the pilot role, including Cruise, entered the aviation school, trained, and filmed the actual pilot.
It captures the flight scenes from various angles in the air as well as inside the cockpit, giving the audience a sense of speed as if they were riding in a fighter jet. In scenes where the pilots’ faces are crushed and their breathing becomes difficult, it becomes difficult for viewers to breathe. As if performing a trick between the canyons, when I watch the scenes that capture the detailed facial expressions of the fighter squadrons and pilots, I am amazed at the Hollywood cinematography. That’s why I mightn’t take my eyes off of it for even a moment during the screening.
The scene where Cruz crosses the runway on a motorcycle while wearing a pilot jumper and sunglasses overlaps with his 20s youth 36 years ago. It is a scene that will make the middle-aged and elderly audiences cry as if they were reunited with their youthful days. As it is a blockbuster with Hollywood capital and technology, it is recommended to watch it on a big screen, especially at a special theater such as the 4DX theater. It is a movie that gives memories of youth to the middle-aged and older people who are the ‘top gun generation’, and a new experience of watching an aviation blockbuster with the best technology to the young.
Reporter Hyo-Joo Son hjson@donga.com