Christopher Hatch

As a huge fan of the original Top Gun, I was excited and yet still skeptical that this wouldn't hold up to expectations. Glad to see that I was HUGELY proven wrong. This movie isn't just nostalgia bait, it's a true blue sequel that honestly may be much better that the first. The cast was amazing, the action was stellar and kept you on the edge of your seat, and the character development was out of this world. For any naysayers that still think this is an executive cash grab, rest assured that this movie is well worth the money it is earning. Every moment has you laughing, crying, or even tensing up with everyone else on scree.

James Gunn has shown how a movie can be well done if ther is very little interference from studio execs or people who claim that something would be beneficial because its adding a popular character into the mix (cough, Leto as Jokler, cough). This psuedo sequel/reboot/remake hits all of the right marks. Great timing on jokes, amazing effects, enough violence to hit the mark without feeling cartoonish, and GREAT characters. Idris Elba as a cynical leader, John Cena playing the "patriotic" psychopath, Margo Robbie as Harley Quinn, even hidden gem characters like Polka Dot Man and Ratcatcher all get their spots to shine and have weight to what they are doing. The story is almost typical "gruff guys become kind hearted giants" story, but this one does it in a much different way. From the bait and switch opening to the bloody ending, its a fast paced ride that doesn't miss a beat, and still has that dark wit from James Gunn. Definitely recommend checking this one out. I throught the 2016 one was "meh" at best, but this one is a definite "go watch this ASAP".

Seeing many reviews of this with people saying that it makes them feel as if they are actually there is a testament to how powerful this game was. I was wounded in combat in Afghanistan in 2009, and playing this game right when it came out was not a good idea. I was going through serious PTSD and many moments in the game brought me back and I ended up having to walk away from it for almost a year before I could finally finish it. Just this year I picked it up for 5 bucks at a used game store and it still feels amazing to play, and even those moments that triggered my PTSD still had an impact, albiet I knew they were coming and was able to brace myself for them. Still this game is great, not the best, but just a great story and awesome power trip for people to go through without feeling gimmickly and arcade-y like Call of Duty.