Why?
After experiencing this truly exceptional story, which did such a fantastic job of tying back to the original production all those many long years ago (36...and in what seems like a different age, really), I got the distinct feeling that this was it.
This was the tying up of all the loose ends for these characters -- a last gathering of lives that had intertwined, of friendships that would soon be no more, and of lifelong pains and betrayals that must finally be resolved. But before that scene came, Maverick had to come to terms, once again, with the most painful experience of his life, and the repercussions of the fateful incident that had haunted him through the decades, while facing the reality that his days doing what he lives for are numbered.
Two words. Mission accomplished.
I hope Hollywood leaves the Top Gun saga at that, and doesn't try to resurrect the franchise one last time, just for the sake of, you know, $$$. This was a stellar conclusion to a story that has been a part of our lives and our culture for so long. In many ways it surpassed the original, and that was no easy feat. It has excitement, action, suspense, surprises and supersonic daring-do enough to please any diehard action fan, but it also has something else. Soul. It gave fans everything the original film offered, and then gave them something more. Closure that felt right. It was the perfect goodbye.
This was my take-away:
In time, every storyteller must face writing a goodbye. Either at the end of a one-up book, or the conclusion of a lengthy multi-book series. At some point the surviving characters need to say farewell, if not to each other...to the readers. How that ending is crafted will make or break the story and too often, the ending doesn't live up to expectations.
Every story has a beginning, a middle and an end, and the end of the journey should have as much to offer the reader as the opening promise.
Top Gun: Maverick got it right.
If you were hoping for an actual review of the movie, this isn't it, but you can find an exceptional and relatively spoiler-free critique -- and the white-knuckle trailer -- on Space.com. Click here.
