On T List of Movie Reviews
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Top Gun (1986)
Rate:
9
Viewed:
3/04, 1/08, 7/19, 6/22
1/08:
Top Gun is one of those films many people don't either understand or appreciate, but it's actually damn good.
Tom Cruise is in his full-blown movie star mode, never being more blockbuster material than he was as Maverick
with the best-looking bomber jacket of all time. What an outstanding cast: Kelly McGillis, Anthony Edwards,
Meg Ryan, Val Vilmer, James Tolkan, Tom Skerritt, Michael Ironside, and Rick Rossovich.
The editing when it comes to the dogfighting scenes is the best I've seen in any film. There are many great movie moments such
as Tom Cruise on his bike while an F-14 Tomcat is taking off, when he arrives at the female instructor's house, the
volleyball match with Rossovich flexing his muscles, the piano scene at Kansas City Barbeque, and an F-14 Tomcat buzzing
the tower.
All in all, Top Gun makes joining the U.S. Navy to be a fighter pilot a very cool thing to do.
7/19:
The number one film of 1986 that's a big favorite of the military for lots of good reasons, Top Gun
is still underappreciated, making a strong case of why being a fighter pilot is the most awesome job in the world.
I like a lot of things about it: Tom Cruise's performance, the dogfighting scenes, the movie moments, and the chemistry.
Everybody looks either cool or hot. The story is excellent as it thrives on adrenaline. The bar scene with Anthony Edwards
playing on the piano was shot on location at Kansas City Barbeque in San Diego. I visited there once, and it had all the
memorabilia including the musical instrument. A year later, the restaurant burned down and was rebuilt, but it's not the
same anymore.
Today, the real Topgun school levies a five-dollar fine on anyone who quotes the movie. It relocated in 1996 from Naval
Air Station Miramar in San Diego to Naval Air Station Fallon which is near Fallon, Nevada. When the movie was nationally
released in 1986, the Navy capitalized on its success by setting up stations at theatres to recruit the exiting moviegoers.
According to IMDb, Jerry Bruckheimer, on how its biggest star signed up for Top Gun, said:
"So they (the Navy) take Tom up there, and they do five Gs. They do barrel rolls, they do everything. He's heaving in the
plane. He gets on the tarmac, runs to a pay phone...and he said, 'I'm in. I'm doing the movie. I love it. This is great.'"
All in all, I will not be surprised if I asked somebody in the Navy his favorite movie and got a quick response: Top Gun.
6/22: Top Gun is a perfect military picture.
It has a lot of classic movie moments, great editing, and well-placed songs against the backdrop of gorgeous cinematography.
The cast is outstanding. Tom Cruise was 23 years old when he took on the role of Lieutenant Pete "Maverick" Mitchell
and became an instant superstar afterwards.
Honestly, I have to say Val Kilmer wasn't good, but he'll be a better actor going forward. The other negative is the
weird air battle at the end. Which country are the MiGs from, and is that a declaration of war against the United States?
By the way, when "R.I.O." is mentioned, it means "Radar Intercept Officer."
All in all, emblematic of the 80's cinema, Top Gun will always stand the test of time.