Top Gun: Maverick makes up for the near four-decade wait with stunning aerial performances and one-liners so cheesy you have to love them.

By now, most audiences would have at least heard of 1986's Top Gun and have some rough idea of what it's about, even if they haven't actually seen it. Despite its mixed reviews, the Tony Scott film has become a classic and inspired many to join the U.S Navy. With stunning dogfights, an endless supply of cheesy one-liners, and a charismatic cast, Top Gun: Maverick is likely to have the same effect on an entirely new generation.

Top Gun: Maverick is a film that knows exactly who it's catering to and what they are expecting to see. After an opening showing off a collection of fighter jets and an actual aircraft carrier, the USS Abraham Lincoln, Maverick throws audiences right into the first of many intense flight sequences. There's tension, uncertainty, and, of course, high velocity, culminating in a confrontation that reminds audiences that, despite Pete "Maverick" Mitchell's antics, he's still the best damn Navy pilot in the sky. It's why he returns to TOPGUN, this time as a mentor to the best of the best, and helps prepare others for a high stakes, high-risk mission.

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Audiences can expect plenty of references and homages to the original film, but none of them ever seem forced, and they're all made meaningful in some way. However, for the casual moviegoer who might have no experience with the 1986 film, worry not. Old photos, grainy flashbacks, and archive footage, in keeping with the overall tone of the film and franchise, allow a broader audience to quickly catch up on all the important events and characters.

Top Gun: Maverick sees a far more mature Mitchell. The events of the original film have taken their toll on him, and though he's still got the charm and confidence, he's more haunted than before. Star Tom Cruise brings just enough cockiness to the role, never letting it overwhelm or weaken the more dramatic moments. That perfect balance is captured in the single moment he shares with actor Val Kilmer, who makes his return as Tom "Iceman" Kazansky.

Top Gun: Maverick may be somewhat intimidating at first when the small unit of new characters appear, including Mitchell's new love interest, played by Jennifer Connelly, but each one is given an opportunity to stand out -- not necessarily as a fully fleshed-out character, but as one of the personalities that compose Maverick's students. Rooster, played by Miles Teller, has the most opportunity to shine since he has a history with Maverick -- and a crucial one at that.

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Despite the film's initial attempts to present Rooster as a new hotshot pilot, Teller does not feel suited to the role -- at least, not in the beginning. Throughout the film, after the actor is given a chance to show more than the same arrogance touted by the rest of the cast of characters, he grows into the part and beyond. In fact, as audiences learn more about his character, where he comes from, and what he's trying to be, he becomes one of the most grounded and believable members of the TOPGUN class.

For viewers going in without Top Gun knowledge, regardless of how much of an enjoyable performance the actors provide, it may be wildly apparent that the lines and grounded scenes are filled with the kind of clichés that they might swear went out in the mid-'90s. What those viewers may not realize is that that's all by design. Mitchell quite literally throws the rule book out. Jon Hamm's "Cyclone" Simpson, at one point, utters, "It can't be. It can't be... Maverick!" but it's supposed to be cheesy.

This franchise was built by the quirkiness and over-the-top qualities prevalent in the '80s. It doesn't want to be anything else, but it works because it constantly acknowledges that Top Gun, like Maverick himself, is an old but beloved beast that can still teach the young ones a thing or two. It also works because, no matter how ridiculous the more grounded scenes can be at times, Top Gun: Maverick absolutely nails its action sequences -- gripping dogfights and flight runs that make audiences feel for the film's star pilots.

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Maverick accomplishes something few other blockbuster films have in its flight scenes by highlighting the physical and emotional strain placed on the film's characters during the action scenes. These pilots aren't just trying to look cool while zipping through narrow valleys or across the sky. They're trying to stay conscious while their bodies and the jets themselves endure peak G-force.

It needs to be said that a lot of hard work went into making this film. Top Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinski and Cruise both revealed how the cast and crew underwent months of training to handle both fighter jets and the cameras they would be using inside the cockpit. In total, the cast and crew shot 800 hours of footage, capturing every grueling second of those seemingly hypersonic flights. Thankfully, all that time and effort really shows. Even when the film isn't getting up close and personal with the pilots, it's hard not to admire the stunning camerawork capturing the sheer impact and speed of these multimillion-dollar planes.

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Of course, as much praise as the Top Gun sequel may have been given thus far, it does have at least a couple of major flaws. As entertaining as the '80s clichés are, it can feel, at times, like it brought some unwanted tropes along with them. Jennifer Connelly's role as the new love interest seems to have been included for the sake of filling an '80s film role. She isn't given much to do in the film, which becomes apparent when Maverick switches to a random boat scene that adds nothing to the drama or action. The actor herself takes advantage of every lighthearted or dramatic moment and gives it something believable, but it's a pity the moments themselves didn't have much to offer her.

Despite that, Top Gun: Maverick is just a great time. It takes itself seriously when it needs to and allows itself to be charmingly goofy in ways not many films can be anymore. With all the adrenaline-fueled flight scenes, the likeability of the film's cast, and incredible aerial shots, it's almost impossible not to have a highly enjoyable cinema experience.

Catch Top Gun: Maverick in theaters now.

Narayan Liu (/Nəraɪʌn Lɪʊ/ in IPA) is a contributing features and news writer, and junior editor at CBR. From Hong Kong, currently based in Sweden. Nowadays Narayan writes about films, TV shows, comic books and video games, or about anything related to The Witcher. He does this while studying language, culture, and communication at Linnaeus University. You can follow him on his blog (narayanliu.wordpress.com), on Twitter (@Narayan_Liu) or contact him directly at Narayan(dot)Liu(at)gmail.com.