“Top Gun: Maverick” likely holds strong thanks to massively positive word-of-mouth, along with critical praise across the board. The film is Certified Fresh with 97% positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. Meanwhile, theatergoers — including one of the film’s stars, Glen Powell — have noted that the action movie is especially excellent with a crowd. On Twitter, “Hangman” actor Powell revealed that he’d been visiting movie theaters to sneak a peek at the crowds, and discovering exhilarated audiences. “Men, women, old, young. It’s all fist pumps, hugs, and high fives on the walk out,” the actor posted.

The theatrical win is also a major one for star Tom Cruise, whose blockbuster appeal has already been proven with the “Mission: Impossible” franchise. Yet The Wrap reports that “Top Gun: Maverick” is outpacing all of those films, too, and is on track to have made $290 million by weekend’s end. “Top Gun: Maverick” also set a new record for a Memorial Day release, something I frankly never thought possible for a non-superhero film in a pandemic-era economy.

The sequel to Tony Scott’s 1986 film will face some competition in the coming weeks, as “Jurassic World: Dominion” and Pixar’s “Lightyear” join the fray. The third installment of Colin Trevorrow’s “Jurassic World” trilogy is already faring well overseas, as it opened in several markets this weekend.

“Top Gun: Maverick” is in theaters now.