Production note The hosts say this is their 11th Cruise movie on the podcast.
Production note They say the sequel was shot in 2018 after long delays.
Production note The movie reportedly cost about $170 million and grossed over $1.2 billion.
Production note The film uses actual F-18 flights and the actors did much of the in-cockpit work themselves.
Production note The military reportedly reviewed parts of the script and influenced some talking points.
Production note Miles Teller learned to play 'Great Balls of Fire' on piano himself.
Production note The beach football scene had to be reshot because Cruise wanted it more accurate.
Production note They mention the hard deck rule as a real Navy/flight restriction.
Unforgiven Bill compares Maverick to a late-career Clint Eastwood reckoning with his past.
Jerry Maguire Used as an example of Cruise's best character work and one of his career phases.
Rocky II Bill uses it as one sequel model in a taxonomy of sequel types.
Terminator 2 Used as a benchmark sequel that raises the scale and ambition.
Aliens Mentioned in a best-sequels discussion.
The Dark Knight Another sequel benchmark in the best-sequel debate.
Point Break Used as a reference point for beach sports and action-movie energy.
Top Gun The original film is compared repeatedly to this sequel in tone, structure, and nostalgia.
The Town Used to note Jon Hamm in another rewatchable role with a similar character type.
Anchorman Cited as the defining San Diego movie in a side discussion.
Mission Impossible Referenced as part of Cruise's career and future plans.
The Fugitive Referenced through the 'Dr. Richard Kimball Inappropriate Body Award' joke.
Dead Poets Society Bill compares Maverick's classroom intro to throwing the book away in Dead Poets Society.
Mr. Holland's Opus Referenced via the actress who plays Iceman's wife.
The Challenge USA Only appears in the ad read at the top of the transcript.
