Top Gun

If there's ever proof of the cachet of Naval Aviation, this is it. Those poor Air Force guys got a trio of "Iron Eagle" flicks that went from bad to horrible, whereas the Navy flyboys got this great 1980's classic. Sure, it's cheesy and corny, but it makes the cheese and corn taste pretty damn good. A cynic might argue that it's just a two hour long Navy recruiting ad (one that worked for me, two years later I found my ass in Pensacola sweating through AOCS, short for Aviation Officer Candidate School, the program immortalized in "An Officer and a Gentleman") but by making a pro-Navy movie, the filmmakers also got invaluable technical assistance from top Navy aviators, and it shows.

For starters, although this movie takes numerous liberties in order to entertain, the basic setup, in which fighter pilots from the fleet get sent to NAS Miramar, aka, "Top Gun" for intensive training, is 100% accurate. The Navy, back during Vietnam, was getting sick of losing too many pilots in air-to-air combat. The problem, they discovered, was their fighter jocks had been trained for purely long-range missile interceptions, meaning they'd lost their dogfighting skills. And, in Vietnam, several American planes were accidentally shot down by their own side by missiles, so, as a safety factor, enemy planes had to be visually identified, meaning American pilots were back to engaging the enemy at short range, hence the need for dogfighting. The "Top Gun" school was started as a result, and the rest is history.

Now, back to the movie. Tom Cruise is Maverick, a hotshot pilot but also somewhat unstable. If "Risky Business" launched his career as a movie star, then "Top Gun" cemented it. Guys wanted to be like him, and women of course lusted after him. The plot is pure formula, but executed with consummate professionalism. The team who put this movie together knew exactly how to push all the right buttons. But the crème de la crème is surely the flying. I don't think that any movie, before or since, has ever rendered air combat in a more convincing and dramatic fashion. For nearly 100 years fighter pilots have been the modern equivalent of olden knights, men who brought a sense of glamour and romance to the deadly art of war, and this movie gives them a fitting tribute.

8/10

There are few movies that are considered classics that I have yet to see, but Top Gun was one of them. I was pretty tired of hearing the endless references and not understanding them, so I decided to finally sit down and give it a shot. It's enjoyable, but I think it was more of a product of it's time. It's better appreciated as an 80's film than a film in general. Now I don't mean that the effects don't hold up, because they do. I just feel like it had all the fruit at the right time, where as now some of them might be expired or just not as popular. Whether it was 'Take My Breath Away', a smash hit at the time, or Tom Cruise, a blossoming superstar actor, Top Gun is a good movie that was definitely considered great back in the day.

Maverick, one of the most famous film characters of all time, learns to become not just a better Navy pilot, but a more well rounded man. Tom Cruise has been better for sure but he has some fun with this role. But when you look at Collateral and even last years Edge of Tomorrow, Cruise is a legitimate actor, but I think at this point in his career he was just trying to make it big. He's extremely cocky and not particularly fond of anybody trying to tell him what to do. He needs wisdom and a life altering event that humbles him. Well he definitely gets both of those. But his cockiness is why the character became so famous. It's one of the main reasons why I think a sequel could be both great and potentially unnecessary. We go on a journey with Maverick throughout the film. A journey that changes his character quite a bit, so I'm not sure a second look at his character works. On the other-hand, knowing where his character ends up, it can be an interesting passing of the torch story if you will.

What I think was missing here was more of a back story with Maverick. We get a little bit with his father and a quick remark about his mother, but I would have liked to see more of how he became so cocky and conceded. I did enjoy the romance between Cruise and Kelly McGinnis, who has some of the most stunning eyes you will ever see. You can tell she was one of the few people that could get to him and help him through all the troubles he ends up going through.

+Effects hold up

+Kilmer and McGinnis' performance

+Music

-Needed more back story

-Too much of an 80's product

7.0/10

I can't believe the reviews I have read about Top Gun being technically inaccurate, not enough character development, an overall simple and childish plot... gimme a freegin' break! This film was made to look cool, sound cool, and define cool. Yeah, okay, the MiG-28s are really F-5 Tigers; I've read the 'goofs' section before. And Tom Cruise's height. And about 'Maverick going supersonic - I'll be there in 30 seconds,' and the laws of physics preventing him from covering 200 or so miles from the carrier in that time. Whatever! So what! If Top Gun had tried to be accurate and true-to-life in every respect, it would have been some oh-so-serious flick like Courage Under Fire. Here's some examples of what I mean:

1 - what's the best way to evade cannon fire? Do a snazzy barrel roll. Problem solved!

2 - the MiG pilots have tinted visors. The good guys don't. Go figure.

2.5 - Russian planes are actually grey or green. The MiG 28s are black. The Tomcats are... yeah, you guessed it... white! Good vs. Evil.

3 - Modern air-to-air combat is usually fought at distances of tens of miles between aircraft. Top Gun uses much cooler spitting-distance WWI era tactics.

4 - "It's too close for missiles. I'm switching to guns!" Enough said.

5 - the generic guy carrying coffee who gets knocked over by the fuming air-control officer. We never see him get up. Classic.

6 - even the edited TV version is a few steps above normal-cool. "... you'll be flying a cargo plane [edit]... out of Hong Kong!"

7 - the way Iceman says, "Mayday, Mav's in trouble. He's in a flat spin, and heading out to sea."

8 - the graceful way Top Gun maintained a PG rating, without using the F-word once.

Top Gun came out in 1986. That's 1986. Seventeen years ago. It rocked then... it rocks now. Just watch it and have some fun.

Top gun, loved and loathed by many alike. The film that launched Tom Cruise's career. I'm a student and watching Top Gun for me is an amazing uplifting experience. A 'feel good' movie that could lift the worse of moods.

The film executes cheese to perfection, yes there are some silly lines but there are some real good ones too! The aerial action sequences are truly amazing, and for 1986 nothing short of magnificent.

The reason why Top Gun appeals to me...Imagine yourself on a Saturday night, not painting the town red staying in for the night. You have your few cans of Budweiser, your nachos what more could you ask for.

From the amazing flight sequences, Mavericks motorbike, trashy romance and to the cool 80's soundtrack. Top Gun should be taken for what it is. An entertaining Film.

Top Gun is undoubtedly one of my favourite films, and one of those that has the ability to keep enthralling you even while watching for the tenth time. Director Tony Scott was chosen after the producers saw his work in advertising, and true to their judgement he has produced a visual masterpiece. It looks simply gorgeous, and the live action sequences have never been bettered. If there is one flaw in the film it is that it is somewhat shallow, with all of the people behind the film (and Tom Cruise) rather better at making visual spectaculars than an engaging story. However the story does work well in drawing you into the world of Maverick and his fellow naval aviators, Cruise forms an excellent rapport with Anthony Edwards as Goose, and the dialogue is snappy and eminently quotable. Everyone has at some stage used Maverick's line - "I couls tell you, but then I'd have to kill you", and the cover of the Righteous Brothers is unforgettable. The film is backed by one of the best soundtracks of the decade, and a very strong supporting cast. In my opinion, the film succeeds in everything it sets out to achieve. A cracking script, a gripping story, and simply stunning aerial photography. You have to see this film.