I’m not alone in my opinion that “Top Gun: Maverick” is the movie of the summer. I liked it so much that I saw it four times in theaters! I was convinced to see it after scrolling TikTok to find my feed flooded with chatter about Miles Teller’s performance. I loved Teller in the “Divergent” trilogy and “The Spectacular Now,” one of my favorite movies, so seeing a familiar face in a new movie intrigued me. I most appreciated the fact that the film is anti-woke and displays patriotism, militarism, and masculinity, perhaps unknowingly or unintentionally, but to great box office success.
The Daily Wire writer Amanda Harding said of the movie, “‘Maverick’ is devoid of virtue signaling. There are no trans fighter pilots, Top Gun school drag performances, or monologues about white privilege. The film relies on quality storytelling and action scenes that are real rather than computer generated. Perhaps, the film is nostalgic for how entertainment used to actually entertain.” I wholeheartedly agree. This film is the best of believable and exciting action.
Too many movie sequels have been ruined by woke actors or characters (the all-female “Ghostbusters” and Disney’s highly-anticipated “Snow White” remake come to mind). It was refreshing to see a movie that honors the brave men and women serving in the military without adulterating the storyline with fringe, irrelevant, or awkwardly-inserted ideologies. The reality is that conservatives in theaters have little to hold on to when every new Hollywood “masterpiece” clouds the story with political messaging.
This movie is very apolitical overall. It employs no outright conservative messaging, unless one considers not hating America or the military a strictly conservative opinion. All “Maverick” had to do was exclude leftist politics to be a breath of fresh air for conservative viewers craving a pleasant outing with their families. That says a lot about Hollywood and even more about how starved conservatives are for old-fashioned entertainment.
The first time I saw “Top Gun: Maverick” was the best theater experience I have had in years. It should serve as a wakeup call to filmmakers. This movie has made over a billion dollars because it isn’t a slap in the face to its predecessor or half of America. It is rare entertainment that portrays women as women, men as men, and the U.S. military as a superpower. It’s absolutely worth watching, again and again and again.
