You May Not Need To Watch “Top Gun” Before “Top Gun: Maverick” But Here’s Why You Should

I had the pleasure of screening “Top Gun: Maverick” last night (in IMAX) thanks to … well … IMAX, who sent me tickets to the Early Screening here in NYC! But a few hours before I got ready to fly on out to watch the new “Top Gun” sequel, over 30 years in the making, I asked Twitter if I should watch the first film before seeing “Maverick”.

Now if you’re wondering WHY in the hell I was planning on watching a sequel, without watching its original, hang on for a second!

I normally don’t do this. (*cough* That’s what she said. Am I right? Oh the irony here.) But I’m being serious. I normally don’t run to watch a sequel without watching the first film … well, first.

But after seeing SO many people say how entertaining “Top Gun: Maverick” was, when I got the invite to catch it in IMAX for free, it was a no brainer. I had to see if the hype was real!

I originally had no other ties to this, outside of wanting to see a really entertaining film. (Because boy have I been disappointed lately.) First “Fantastic Beasts: Secrets of Dumbledore” made me regret ever caring about Dumbledore’s past. Then came the underwhelming “Spider-Man: No Way Home“, which should have just been a Green Goblin film, since that’s the only thing I enjoyed. Which sucks because I only really watched Spider-Man so I could catch up and see “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness“. But even “Doctor Strange 2” wasn’t as great as I hoped it would be!

So when folks started raving about “Maverick” I immediately got excited.

It only took 5 votes for “yes” and a friend asking the same question, to convince me!

If you still haven’t watched the first “Top Gun” movie yet, you know … because it was released before you were born, in 1986, then you first need to know that it pales in comparison to its sequel!

And because of this, my answer to our burning question here may shock you.

So let me explain.

Should you watch “Top Gun” before seeing “Top Gun: Maverick”?

Yes! Absolutely!

While the first film was released over 30 years ago, it still is a pretty solid film!

It’s not as great as it’s sequel, but … it does set us up for an emotional rollercoaster ride, aka “Maverick”.

And if you’re like me and have NO IDEA why it’s even called “Top Gun: Maverick” you definitely need to watch the first film. If only just for the realization that sinks in after about 10 minutes, when you realize how clever the sequel’s name really is.

However, I don’t think I would have been able to FULLY appreciate “Maverick”, had I not seen the first film. Most of the plot points you can put together on your own, using context clues. Especially since they explain the big issue from the first film, through the characters.

But it’s not just the plot points that makes “Maverick” one of the best sequels I’ve ever seen! It’s the emotions — the “why” — that creates a film worth watching, and rewatching, on the big screen.

THAT’S what brought me great joy throughout the entire 2 hours and 17 minutes!

And you can’t really get 30 years of built up emotions, without seeing the first film.

So if you ask me, you should definitely watch “Top Gun” first!

Here’s where you can watch “Top Gun” before seeing the sequel …

“Top Gun” is currently streaming on Netflix, so you won’t have to pay to watch this one.

But be warned, the film does leave the streaming service on May 31st!

So if you’re planning on seeing “Top Gun: Maverick”, and you haven’t already seen its predecessor, make sure you do that now!

It definitely also makes for a great date night (or solo) double feature.

So despite not actually needing to see the first film, you totally should watch “Top Gun” before seeing “Top Gun: Maverick”.

And if accidentally stumbled upon this article, and you’re wondering if you should even bother seeing “Top Gun: Maverick”, I’ll have a full review up shortly, but until then, here’s a quick social review on Twitter.

“Top Gun: Maverick” releases in theaters on Friday, May 27, 2022.