Top Gun

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.

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.

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

The fact that people are still writing about this film 15yrs after it was first released (and I'm not just talking about me!) really says a lot. I was dubious about writing a comment, seeing as it really has been ages since it was released and thinking that most people who wanted to see it probably already have. After recently watching it for the umpteenth time on TV, I felt compelled to write a quickie ;) I have to say, it's the first time I looked up Top Gun on the imdb and I was actually quite surprised that it only received a 6.4 rating. If you haven't seen the movie yet, don't judge it by the ratings, read a few user comments first and just rent it out, I guarantee you'll have a good time, especially with its amazing soundtrack! The best 80's songs ever written, I still get chills down my back listening to them ;) It's a simple plot but there's something about it that makes it a seriously enjoyable film and one you can watch time and time again. Go have fun! Enjoy!

"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.