Top Gun: Maverick appears in a variable aspect ratio of approximately 2.39:1 and 1.90:1 on this 4K UHD Disc. About an hour of the movie used the IMAX 1.90:1 ratio, with the rest at 2.39:1.
Expect the split to involve the nature of the material, as in general, action went IMAX and character/dialogue scenes opted for 2.39:1.
Whatever the case, this turned into an excellent Dolby Vision presentation.
Sharpness worked well. At no point did I discern any softness, so the film was accurate and well-defined.
I saw no signs of jaggies or moiré effects. The film also lacked edge haloes or print flaws.
In terms of palette, the movie opted for a low-key mix of amber and teal much of the time. These felt well-rendered given their intentions, and the disc’s HDR added emphasis and impact to the colors.
Blacks came across nicely. Dark tones were deep and rich, without any muddiness or problems.
In addition, low-light shots gave us smooth, clear visuals. HDR contributed range and power to whites and contrast. All in all, this became a terrific presentation.
I felt happy with the solid Dolby Atmos soundtrack of Maverick. Downconverted to Dolby TrueHD 7.1, the mix offered plenty of opportunities for lively auditory information, and it took good advantage of these.
Given all the aerial material, the mix filled the speakers on a frequent basis. The track placed information in logical spots and blended all the channels in a smooth, compelling manner.
Audio quality was also positive. Music sounded lively and full, while effects delivered accurate material. Those elements showed nice clarity and kick, with tight low-end.
Speech was always distinctive and concise, too. This mix worked well for the film and acted as demo material.
A few extras appear, and Cleared For Takeoff runs nine minutes, 15 seconds. It brings comments from writer Christopher McQuarrie, producer Jerry Bruckheimer, director Joseph Kosinski, Naval Aviation technical advisor/aerial coordinator Captain Brian Ferguson, and actors Tom Cruise, Monica Barbaro, Jay Ellis, Lewis Pullman, Miles Teller, Greg Tarzan Davis, Danny Ramirez, and Glenn Powell.
“Takeoff” looks at the execution of the movie’s aerial sequences and actor training. Like material for any Tom Cruise movie, some of the usual hyperbole arrives, but we still find some good information, mainly about how the actors dealt with various challenges.
Breaking New Ground spans seven minutes, 56 seconds and delivers material from McQuarrie, Cruise, Bruckheimer, Kosinski, Ellis, Barbaro, Teller, Pullman, Powell, Top Gun commanding officer CDR Chris Papaioanu, aerial coordinator Kevin LaRosa Jr. and 1st assistant photographer Danny Ming,
“Ground” examines technological challenges related to the flight sequences. It mixes production facts with promotional hyperbole.
With A Love Letter to Aviation, we locate a four-minute, 48-second piece that offers notes from Cruise, Barbaro, Bruckheimer, McQuarrie, LaRosa, instructor/technical advisor Steve Hinton, director of photography Claudio Miranda, and actors Charles Parnell and Jennifer Connelly.
The featurette looks at some of the planes used on the movie as well as aerial photography. Some decent info arrives, but a lot of this tours Cruise’s bravado and skills.
Forging the Darkstar for seven minutes, 31 seconds and features Cruise, Kosinski, Bruckheimer, McQuarrie, Lockheed Martin engineer Becky Janshego, Skunk Works VP of Customer Requirements Jack O’Bannon, lead vehicle designer Daniel Simon, art director Ron Mandell, production designer Jeremy Hindle, and actor Bashir Salahuddin.
Here we look at the movie’s depiction of Maverick as well as the design of the “Darkstar” craft. Expect another combination of insights and happy talk.
Next comes Masterclass with Tom Cruise, a 49-minute, four-second live audience with Cruise. Conducted by journalist Didier Allouch, Cruise discusses aspects of his career as well as the Top Gun movies.
Few in Hollywood can talk so much and say as little as Cruise. On the surface, he will seem honest and insightful, but in truth, his remarks here just promote the Legend of Tom Cruise, so don’t expect much real substance.
Two music videos finish the disc: Lady Gaga’s “Hold My Hand” and Onerepublic’s “I Ain’t Worried”. I bow to few in my adoration for Gaga but “Hand” becomes a pretty lousy attempt to create an 80s ballad vibe. The video bores, as it just mixes shots of Gaga in Maverick-related locations and actual film shots.
As for “Worried”, the song seems catchier than “Hand”, though I expect a lot less from that band than I do from a massive talent like Gaga. The video uses a similar format and seems equally mediocre.
Audiences loved Top Gun: Maverick, but beyond 1980s nostalgia, I admit I fail to grasp the reason for its immense popularity. While it offers some excellent aerial action scenes, the story and characters seem so thin and banal that they drag down the impact of the positives. The 4K UHD offers excellent picture and audio but supplements tend to seem superficial. Though reasonably entertaining, the inherent lack of substance makes Maverick a disappointment.