Judge me all you like but even just hearing the opening notes of the iconic Top Gun theme gives me Goose-bumps (pardon the pun).
Goose, Iceman and Maverick have lived rent-free in the hearts of '80s audiences and now Pete Mitchell, callsign Maverick, is three decades older, back in the cockpit and back at Top Gun.
His assignment is to teach a new batch of the best of the best, preparing them for a mission none of them - not even Maverick - has ever attempted.
The new crew bring all the ego and chest-thumping you'd expect, with the welcome addition of a female fighter pilot Natasha Trace - callsign Phoenix - who more than holds her own.
But Maverick knows his biggest challenge will be a pilot who is bringing with him more than just cabin baggage: Bradley Bradshaw, son of Goose, call-sign Rooster.
Miles Teller (Whiplash, Footloose) brings his A-game to proceedings delivering a nourishing balancing act of bravado and vulnerability and bouncing off Cruise to perfection.
Jennifer Connelly (A Beautiful Mind, Requiem for a Dream) also brings the much-talked about Penny Benjamin (the Admiral's daughter) into the narrative and what a quietly assured and kick-arse addition she is too.
What Tom Cruise (Jerry Maguire, Born on the 4th of July) does here, alongside his long-time collaborator Christopher McQuarrie and director Joseph Kosinski, is bring his Mission Impossible ethos to his new Maverick. The visuals are lean on the VFX and meaty on the mid-air manoeuvres, while at the same time pumping new blood through the connective tissue of the original and into the hearts of the old school fans and new with a genuinely engaging, emotional story.
Living up to the '80s cultural touchstone that is Top Gun was a tall order. They've done so with what is - SHOCK HORROR - arguably a better film (don't @ me) which can stand alone as an epic cinematic experience best enjoyed on the BIGGEST screen with the BEST sound you can find.
Maverick is essentially the epitome of the big screen blockbuster bringing with it all the fist-pumping adrenaline, death-defying in-camera dog-fighting and all the feels we all need and deserve from a 2022 Top Gun.
One hundred percent worth the wait and a cracking five star watch.
