Top Gun

"On March 3, 1969 the United States Navy established an elite school for the top one percent of its pilots. Its purpose was to teach the lost art of aerial combat and to insure that the handful of men who graduated were the best fighter pilots in the world."

So starts this action masterpiece from director Tony Scott. Hot shot pilot Maverick (Tom Cruise) gets a chance to attend Fighter Weapons School or Top Gun in Miramar when his lead Cougar loses it in the air. He's met by cold as ice Iceman (Val Kilmer) as his calculating competition. He always has his navigator Goose (Anthony Edwards) by his side. He constantly tries to prove himself running on instinct against his father's perceived failed mission. Top Gun commanding officer is Viper (Tom Skerritt) and Jester (Michael Ironside) is an instructor. Charlie (Kelly McGillis) is a civilian instructor.

The action is great. Tony Scott shoots the action like a music video and it looks amazing. He gets great access to military hardware and locations. This is not the older generation military movie. Movie star Tom Cruise is perfectly suited as Maverick. The only minor hiccup is the limited chemistry between McGillis and Cruise. It's not bad and it doesn't detract from anything. This movie just has all the fun 80s stuff. It's funny. It's fun. It's a great popcorn movie.

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

Maverick's a pilot for the navy, flies aircraft, as if he was, a little crazy, selected for Top Gun, he thinks it might be fun, not a train, but a fast plane, will make his gravy. Lots of dogfights keep him active in ascension, but so does Charlie who has captured his attention, can't resist a little tryst, with the flying egoist, business and pleasure causes conflict and high tension. Alas, the wings come off, there's tragedy; guilt, regret, remorse, reproach fill Maverick's day, it's a struggle to recover, regain momentum just to hover, unearth the courage to continue and find a way.

As 1980s a film as you could ever wish for.

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.

It is bizarre to define it or to give an opinion about it. It is legendary, the perfect mix of heroism, love, soundtrack and... Tom Cruise, rivalry and fly. Maybe, its lovely simplicity is the key of huge succes. And the discover of basic, small things defining us.