When I watched Top Gun: Maverick in IMAX on Memorial Day a few months ago, I knew I had just seen an instant classic. The film was not only exhilarating with its incredibly made action scenes featuring the actors in real cockpits of real planes having to perform all of these mindblowing stunts but it was a very well-written sequel to the 80s’ classic Top Gun.

It was one of the most memorable movie theater experiences I’ve ever had, with the entire audience not only engaged but equally enthralled in a movie I don’t think anyone was expecting to be that good. When I walked out of that theater beaming with joy I knew that I didn’t want to see it again in theaters (even though I could’ve several times) but I was sure I would watch it again as soon as it was available digitally. Sure enough, now that its digital release is out, I watched it with all of the 4K capabilities that were available to me, and boy did I have a great time.

The film is one of a kind, bringing together audiences young and old and of multiple races to enjoy a movie that is actually that entertaining. I found myself yesterday watching the film with goosebumps on several occasions because it is that impressive scene after scene after scene. And the film’s final thirty minutes are absolutely exceptional.

The action and suspense are ramped up and by that point, you care so much about the characters that you are fully invested in what is happening onscreen. Tom Cruise’s latest films have been utterly spectacular and Top Gun: Maverick has only cemented his cinematic legacy further.

Maverick just passed Black Panther as the fifth-highest grossing film domestically at $700 million. Its global gross is $1.44 billion. And for the first time since Star Wars (1977) it was #1 at the box office for its Memorial and Labor Day weekends.

This movie has become a tour de force this summer and for a good reason. If you haven’t seen Top Gun: Maverick yet I implore you to give it a shot. It actually lives up to the hype in all of the best ways and is one of the best action movies of all time, and that’s not an understatement.

I thank you for reading and I hope you have a great day.