‘Maverick’ a stunning sequel; ‘Multiverse of Madness’ not so much

(June 10, 2022) — My VHS of “Top Gun” got quite a workout. In particular, I loved the scenes with music from the soundtrack. I believe my soundtrack cassette tape eventually broke from overuse.

When I heard a sequel was on the horizon a few years ago, it sounded like just another cash grab on a well-known property. Now that it is finally out, it is safe to say “Top Gun: Maverick” was absolutely worth the wait.

Tom Cruise keeps making “Mission Impossible” films, and they truly get better each time. Yet, besides those and a couple of Jack Reacher movies, Cruise sticks to stand-alone films.

The creative team behind “Maverick” was full of people Cruise has worked with often. That was essential to bringing a beloved character like Maverick out of mothballs for one more flight.

Capt. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell has not moved up in Naval rank in decades. His superiors have often shifted him from post to post just to dump him on someone else. After a hypersonic test flight goes wrong, they pass him off to the stern Adm. Simpson (Jon Hamm).

Simpson orders Maverick to teach 12 of the best pilots how to execute an impossible mission that Ethan Hunt would not dare attempt. It is clear Maverick would much rather be out flying than teaching. He knows these pilots are not ready to go into this unnamed country and suspects most will not return.

Connections to the original

Emotional conversations with Iceman (in a heartbreaking return by Val Kilmer) and former flame Penny (Jennifer Connelly) spur Maverick to stay the course and lead the pilots.

Playing Rooster, the son of Maverick’s former partner Goose (Anthony Edwards), Miles Teller is the spitting image of Edwards. Maverick has been protecting a memory that caused a decades-long rift between him and Rooster, and their scenes together are nostalgic bliss.

The aerial shots are some of the finest pieces of filmmaking ever recorded. The fact that the cast did most of the actual flying made those sequences all the more convincing.

Much like Maverick, Cruise had a memory to protect. Unlike many monster hits from the 1980s, “Top Gun” never seemed to sell out or become stale. It is beloved to this day. Messing up the sequel could have forever tarnished the original. Luckily for us, Cruise made a film that might even outshine its progenitor. A

Something’s wrong in the multiverse

I was behind on my MCU movies and shows for quite some time, so I made sure to get caught up before seeing Doctor Strange in the “Multiverse of Madness.” As it turns out, it was absolutely essential in order to follow the film.

A casual MCU fan would be totally lost watching the new Doctor Strange. Even the most ardent fan may still be confused.

Most sequels require viewing previous entries. Yet, Doctor Strange 2 also requires having seen “Spider-Man: No Way Home” and the Disney+ show “WandaVision.”

Because Doctor Strange helped Spider-Man in his last film, a rift in the multiverse caused a lot of people and things to come through. They took care of most of the problems in “Spider-Man: No Way Home.” However, the multiverse-jumping America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez) and a giant one-eyed tentacle monster remained. Strange had been dreaming about other versions of himself and comes to realize America is more powerful than even she knows.

Fresh off shaping an entire town to her whims, Wanda Maximoff has finally donned the “Scarlet Witch” moniker. Even though her sons Billy and Tommy were figments of her creation, she knows that in some universes, other versions of herself truly gave birth to the twins. Determined to use America to steal the boys for herself, she becomes quite the unusual foe to Doctor Strange. Elizabeth Olsen capably plays both the sane and irrational versions of the character.

A few alternate universe cameos from some famous Marvel characters aside, Doctor Strange 2 suffers from too many possibilities crammed into one film. A Disney+ show with visits to several different universes should have been the play. Keeping original director Scott Derrickson would also have helped. He admittedly left the project as his vision was deemed too scary.

America will turn out to be a great character, and Doctor Strange will be just fine. But the Marvel Cinematic machine is definitely showing some wear and tear. Despite making truckloads of money, Doctor Strange 2 was average at best. This summer’s “Thor: Love and Thunder” needs to be just as good as “Thor: Ragnarok.” Or better. B-

‘Men’ is compelling, but grotesque

Alex Garland wrote two of the best sci-fi/horror films of the century with 2002’s “28 Days Later” and 2007’s “Sunshine.”

As a director, Garland came out of the gate hot with his first two movies, “Ex Machina” and “Annihilation.” Both films are top-notch science fiction but also contain some elements of horror. His latest, “Men,” is a foray into full-fledged body horror.

Jessie Buckley plays recently widowed Harper. To get away from crushing memories, Harper visits a remote mansion in the English countryside. She meets the charming, quirky landlord Jeffrey played by Rory Kinnear. He gives her a brief lay of the land but nothing to suggest what madness she will soon face.

On a stroll into the woods, Jessie comes across an immensely creepy, naked man … also played by Kinnear. And, he plays one of the police officers who comes to help. In fact, he plays every male character in the town. However, Jessie does not seem to even notice that all the men look the same. Perhaps she is suffering from her recent tragedy more than she lets on.

As the film moves forward, flashbacks slowly unravel to reveal exactly what happened to her husband. The pieces come together during one of the most grotesque climaxes I can remember. This film is certainly not for everyone, but it is an entirely original piece of exquisite filmmaking. B+