MOVIE: TOP GUN: MAVERICK

During the 1980s, the popular aviation movie 'Top Gun' achieved great success. Its sequel, 'Maverick,' also showcases exhilarating aerial stunts using actual fighter jets, making for a captivating and nostalgic film experience starring Tom Cruise.

Over the past six years, the concept of 'American exceptionalism' has not been a prominent part of our discourse. The division within our nation has hindered our cultural unity, leading to a superficial form of patriotism rather than a genuine appreciation for all individuals within our country. However, while watching Top Gun: Maverick, I couldn't help but feel a surge of pride as a diverse group of men and women came together to serve a common purpose for their country.

This is not to diminish the impact of Tony Scott's 1986 film, which still holds narrative, historical, and cultural significance. From beach volleyball games in jeans to characters with nicknames like Goose and Iceman, and the exhilarating scenes of fighter jets soaring to the tune of 'Danger Zone,' Top Gun has left a lasting impression. And now, 36 years later, Joseph Kosinski's sequel, Top Gun: Maverick, takes us to even greater heights. Tom Cruise returns to the cockpit, this time as a sanctioned trainer for a group of daring pilots on a mission to neutralize a nuclear threat. The stakes are higher and the thought of losing someone, especially at the hands of 'Maverick' Mitchell, is too much to bear. Cruise puts everything on the line to deliver the same thrills that made Top Gun a blockbuster hit, and in doing so, he takes the franchise to new cinematic heights.