Everyone with a stake in “Top Gun” got what they wanted out of it: Scott became a go-to studio filmmaker (who could turn out nuanced classics when he wanted to), the Navy got loads of fresh meat, Simpson and Bruckheimer burnished their hit-making reputation, and Tom Cruise reminded the world that he is, and always will be, Tom Cruise. And now, 36 years later, we get a nostalgia-laden sequel that may very well outstrip its predecessor in terms of emotionality. I haven’t seen it yet, but as a huge fan of Joseph Kosinski’s heartbreaking “Only the Brave,” I am absolutely looking forward to it.

That said, I believe there are limitations on what a product like this can deliver in the midst of myriad national crises. Indeed, such a film could get us believing that bright, shining lie again. A rah-rah, pro-military-might movie is not something we need right now. A film nostalgic for an era where we embraced patriotic foolishness to assuage the pain of losing an unpopular war feels awfully out of place in 2022. I might not remember watching “Top Gun” in a theater, but I know full well the damage it did to our country’s psyche. I watched it happen. “Top Gun” bought us here.

I also watched the original movie again today, and smiled through the whole damn thing. As far as lies go, it’s distressingly joyous. If nothing else, we could lie with style back then.