Top Gun: Maverick Review - 8 Ups & 2 Downs

1. Not Enough Jennifer Connelly & Ed Harris

Though Maverick mostly does very well by its large ensemble cast, there are two actors - two of the finest actors among the lot, in fact - who get a bit of a meagre showing.

First we have Jennifer Connelly, who plays Maverick's love interest Penny. Though Connelly certainly brings warmth to the part, Penny is wafer-thin as a character, defined as a single mother and bar owner but little else. Connelly's chemistry with Cruise is solid, but the script gives the actress very little to work with.

Yet worse-served is the great Ed Harris, who shows up for just a single short sequence at the start of the movie, playing Maverick's hard-ass superior Rear Admiral Cain.

Harris is perfect for the part of course, but it's a shame he never reappears. Again, this is hardly a major gripe, but slightly disappointing all the same.

These minor quibbles accepted, though, here's everything that Top Gun: Maverick gets so, so right...