Directed By: Tony Scott
Written By: Jim Cash
Staring: Tom Cruise, Anthony Edwards, Kelly McGillis, Val Kilmer, Tom Skerritt, Meg Ryan, Tim Robbins, and Michael Ironside
I’ll hit the brakes, he’ll fly right by. -Maverick
Review
Top Gun is a film with ace pilots and contains a Bromance triangle staring Tom Cruise. These are already pretty strong qualities to consider it an awesomely bad movie, and STILL I’ve yet to have even mentioned the boys playing volleyball or even The Danger Zone. Does the “Danger Zone” really mean something else? Has the phallic connotations of the planes mirrored other ideals too closely? I don’t think it matters. Maverick, Goose, Slider, and Iceman will wow you with their machismo and odd sexual tension that screams through this movie. Top Gun might be silly with odd sexual implications, but it’s still loads of fun.
The events might be cheesy and the relationships even more convoluted but the one liners in this flick are epic and timeless. It’s one of those rare films that you could spend an entire day quoting whether it made sense or was even relevant to the events you were using it in. Because in simplicity it’s fun. It’s a flick with a great looking cast full of charm and the overtly masculine references to flying, but of course the relationships between the men that fly together, and especially those that are………..dangerous.
This was Tom Cruise at his most Tom Cruisish. His utter 80′s best with the unapologetic arrogance that worked for him because of his charming smile and a smugness that was irresistible. With all of the men so tense with one another why was the broad shouldered Kelly McGillis cast? She looked like another dude ready to go topless and play some mean volleyball in slow motion. From behind she could almost be mistaken for Iceman and maybe that explains Mavericks attraction to her.
Yes, on occasion it feels like the Bromances may have crossed the line into the land of sexual tension. It was amazing in the locker room scene with Iceman and Maverick that they never embraced and locked themselves together in a lengthy passionate kiss and make out session. After hours filled with mutual animosity and hatred for each other, they unite in the end with Iceman telling Maverick that he can be his wing-man anytime after a session where Maverick saved his behind. In response Maverick counters that Iceman could be his. Does this mean more than it’s saying or are they just bro’s just talking shop? Jokes aside, there are plenty of these awkward moments throughout that are the epitome of good entertainment.
Who doesn’t like Top Gun? I suppose it’s a bit dated now. Looking back it essentially embraces everything cliche about the 80′s but it made it fun and awesomely good. Everything about Top Gun is simply fun. There’s great music, fun action sequences, tons of almost testosterone, hot guys, volleyball, motorcycles, Take My Breath Away, and of course Maverick and Goose. This is a win and while Tony Scott has taken things more seriously since, this is one of his better films. Top Gun is a classic, and an icon of 80′s movies.
Rate This Movie! What do you think?
Is it possible to like Top Gun Re-Mix “Days of Thunder” more than Top Gun?
As much as I like Top Gun, the tragedy that takes Goose from us always detracts from the fun aspect of the movie for me. Days of Thunder has tragedy but it makes it all well again by the end.
Ahhh…so you’re the reason behind this trip down memory lane!
I almost want to go back to my post and leave a little addendum now, stating that while I firmly believe it’s a horrible movie, and that nobody who hasn’t already seen it should hunt it down…that I still love it and will never apologize for it.
Indeed, it is one of those movies that I will stop on every time if I’m flipping channels.
Know what gave me a bit of a laugh though? Cue up the graduation scene…is it my imagination or do Ice Man and Slider hug just a little too close??
While your 3/4 rating is far kinder to it than I would ever be anymore, I have to thank you for this swell trip down memory lavne.
Especially since as Maverick pointed out………Slider stinks. Hahhahaha…….
I do have a place in my heart for Top Gun, and it’s great to sit back and watch laughing at it instead of idolizing it. I just like it differently now. I remember playing it at work in college (I worked at a blockbuster) and my friend Joe always yelling at me to turn it off. That was ten years ago, so it was the first time I saw in a decade a few months ago. Wine helps make it more funny as well.
You’re right, the movie is fun. I would rather watch it over a lot of movies just because of that. The score seems a little high, but who am I to judge. I don’t have any of the nostalgia that others have attached to this movie, it came out the year I was born, so, for me, it just remains an exercise is looking back at our mistakes and hoping to god we never repeat them.
I wouldn’t discredit anyone who claimed this was a load of rubber dog shit…….teeeheee……….and I’m more than aware that my affection for it is solely based on a nostalgic attachment. Watching after not having seen it for a decade did make me realize how terrible it is on most accounts. At the time, it was great, and in that part of humanities timeline Maverick and Iceman were actually straight. We may know better now and anyone watching it that didn’t experience it in that timeframe probably won’t get it, and I completely understand that. I saw on 1001 I was the only one that rated it above 5!!!!!!!!!! Hahahaha……..I still stand by my omission that it’s awesomely bad. After a few drinks it’s hilarious…….for all the wrong reasons, but hilarious nonetheless.
“Hiiiighwaaaaaaaaaaay toooooooooooooo the dangerzone!” I’ve never heard gayer lyrics in my life! I’ve never seen this movie until recently so no attachments or nostalgia or anything. I just don’t get how people could have loved this all those years ago. Surely the same rules to life applied back then, and people would’ve realised that it was terrible???? Kelly McGillis tries to talk to Maverick while he’s on his cool motorbike and he just revs the engine saying “Can’t hear you, can’t hear you!” and drives off!!!! Who does that!!???
Bad acting….bad script….then they kill off Goose…..just plain BAD!!!!!!!! But the volleyball scene was nice
This film is what it is… in that regard, it’s fantastic!
The 80′s soundtrack dates it but is also perfect for it so I don’t care… and, you all ready called it but, I’m always down for shirtless beach volleyball in jeans!!!