I was surprised I didn't like the film more. I was also surprised that my absolute favorite part was looking at the aircraft. I can see why they're so expensive. The plot was thin, the characters weren't particularly interesting, and the conflict between Maverick and Goose's son could have been resolved by simply telling him the truth about why he interfered in the young man's career. It's a good "popcorn movie." It put a lot of people to work for a lot of years and no doubt gave military recruitment a boost. As entertainment, it could have been better with a stronger storyline, but Cruise made this for the fans and if they're happy, I'm happy for them!