One MSNBC editor is actively rooting against the adrenaline-fueled and Best Picture-nominated “Top Gun: Maverick,” complaining that it paints too positive a picture of the United States military.
MSNBC opinion writer and editor
Aleem referred to the summer blockbuster as “literal propaganda,” noting that the military had given filmmakers access to real aircraft in exchange for some oversight.
“In exchange for access to military aircraft, the producers of the movie agreed to allow the Defense Department to include its own ‘key talking points’ in the script. Perhaps equally important, the script had to be written in a manner that flatters the military in order to secure the buy-in of the Pentagon,” he wrote.
Aleem went on to argue that the 2022 film and its predecessor were used to “rehab” the military’s image, after periods of waning popularity. The original film, he said, helped the military’s reputation recover after Vietnam — and the sequel “diverts from the failed war on terror, and comes as defense officials eye the rise of China.”
“I don’t object to anyone’s enjoyment of the film, but I hope it tanks at the Oscars,” Aleem concluded. “It’s possible to make thrilling action without so brazenly priming the public for warfare.”
In addition to “Top Gun: Maverick,” the other 2023 Best Picture nominees are as follows: “The Banshees of Inisherin,” “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” “All Quiet on the Western Front,” “The Fabelmans,” “Avatar: The Way of Water,” “Elvis,” “Tár,” “Triangle of Sadness,” and “Women Talking.” The ceremony will take place on March 12, 2023, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.