It’s a movie, people. Entertainment. Not political statement. I agree with Paul 100% - the flying scenes are incredible, and Cruise did a great job of portraying a man who has learned much since he was a brash 20-something, trying to pass some of it along to the brash 20-somethings he’s ordered to train.
Four of us saw it opening night in a fairly full theater. All four of us loved it, and that seemed to be the general concensus of the whole crowd. The man in front of me was retired Air Force, and he was quite literally on the edge of his seat for much of the second half of the movie.