THE FOLLOWING REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS OF THE DISCUSSED FILM. READERS DISCRETION IS ADVISED.
Life can be thrilling. You don’t believe that? Watch Top Gun.
PLOT
The film follows US Naval Lieutenant Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell and his RIO junior grade Lieutenant Nick ‘Goose’ Bradshaw get stationed aboard the USS Enterprise. However due to Maverick defying orders to shepherd his wingman Cougar back to the carrier after intercepting two MiGs, he and Goose are sent to attend a Naval Fighter Weapons School at Naval Air Station Miramar, popularly known as ‘TOPGUN’. One night at a bar, both men meet a lady named Charlotte ‘Charlie’ Blackwell, an astrophysicist that also happens to be their instructor. Through his new training, Maverick continues his reckless flying to beat fellow instructor Rick ‘Jester’ Heatherly (Michael Ironside) and sparks a rivalry against classmates Lieutenant Tom ‘Iceman’ Kazansky and Rick 'Hollywood' Neven (Whip Hubley) who call him out for being reckless whenever he can. Despite being reprimanded by chief instructor CDR Mike ‘Viper’ Metcalf, Jester secretly admits to Maverick being impressed of his skills but doesn’t trust him yet. Maverick would also begin a romantic relationship with Charlie when she secretly confesses to have feelings for him. During another day of training, Viper & Jester teach him the value of teamwork. In another competitive day of training with Goose and against Iceman & Hollywood, the dogfight goes awry when Maverick’s jet suffers a flameout on his engines after flying through his rival’s jet wash. He ejects safely but when Goose does, he hits the jettisoned aircraft canopy headfirst, which kills him. The loss of his friend causes Maverick to feel so guilty that he distances himself from Charlie and considers retiring. However, he regains self confidence from Viper who shares how heroic his father was in USS Oriskay and the Vietnam War. The newfound motivation gives Maverick the chance to graduate from TOPGUN, but Iceman wins the prestigious TOPGUN trophy. During their graduation party, both men and Hollywood are ordered to return to the Enterprise. They're ordered to rescue the SS Layton near hostile waters. Maverick get assigned with Cougar's former RIO Sam 'Merlin' Wells (Tim Robbins) to be backup for Iceman & Hollywood, who are against it due to the protagonist's state of mind. Nevertheless, he successfully aids them against six MiGs and eliminate four together, forcing the other two to retreat. When triumphantly returning home, Iceman and Maverick make amends and share newfound respect towards each other. The film ends with Maverick reuniting with Charlie after deciding to pursue instructing for TOPGUN.
THOUGHTS
The only expectation I had when first watching this film, I just hoped for it to be entertainingly good of a film. So I was satisfied to see that is just that and still is to this day. The second you hear ‘Danger Zone’ by Kenny Loggins, you already know you’re in for something different. Director Tony Scott and Producer Jerry Bruckheimer shook things up by providing an exciting experience that is filled with a big heart as it’s main theme of self rediscovery is carefully explored. You totally catch on to this when focusing on the perspective of Tom Cruise’s Maverick. The actors has audiences quickly connect with this character for wanting to earn respect by being a fearless risk taker. Of course we respect it because it’s nothing we’ve ever seen before. The fact that the actor actually flew jets alongside his costars brought authenticity to the film, an important element that stayed with the sequel. Back to the point, he doesn’t understand how selfish he is to be where he wants. So when he Goose tragically dies, that becomes his wake-up call on how valuable teamwork is compared to working alone. He started holding himself back because he didn’t want to make the same mistake that cost Goose’s life. But his pep talk with Viper reminded him to still be himself when it comes to his passion. So once he made amends with Iceman, he accepted that it was not his fault of what happened by throwing his friend’s dog tags into the ocean. It’s important for him to be an instructor because he can teach others to avoid making the same mistakes he made. So when you see him do just that in the sequel, you admire how humble he’s grown to be. It is obvious that Cruise is the star of this movie, but he is not the only one that gets the audience’s attention. It felt even easier to love Goose because Anthony Edwards presented him as more easygoing and becomes Maverick’s moral compass. He is loyal, but it doesn’t stop him from urging him to be careful with the opportunity they share, proving how humble he is. Because he has a wife and son, he has something to live for, which only boosted the tragedy of his death. He overall got along with Maverick so well because they both cared about leaving behind respectable legacies. Goose wanted his family to remember him as a hero and Maverick wanted his family name to be respected while also striving to be his own person. So when Maverick aids Iceman, he felt Goose telling him to be himself, proving how much he meant to him. I also want to give a shout-out to Meg Ryan for adorably playing Carole as the supportive and down to earth wife any husband can ask for. She was aware of the risks being with a soldier and loved him until the end, the latter was all that mattered to her. Kelly McGillis leaves behind an everlasting impression for making Charlie the most self assured of characters in this film. She’s someone who partially hides her feelings in order to avoid the feeling of favoritism. That trait is put to the test when Maverick enters her life. She falls for him as he would for her because they both respect each other’s intelligence, but for her, she also admires his skills in the field. Since the sequel showed that their relationship didn’t last, it’s safe to say that it was good while it did. No one really talks about Cougar enough, but my got attention big time. In his given time, John Stockwell’s performance gets to me because the paranoia of leaving his family behind got to him. He loves defending his country, but he couldn’t bare to let them live without him. Val Kilmer was unforgettable for making Iceman a polar opposite to Maverick. While the protagonist is reckless, Iceman is more practical and competent. He likes to play it safe to avoid risks. He bickers with Maverick a lot because he’s jealous of how he looks good being dangerous. He then slowly came around since he also feels at fault over Goose’s death due to how it was his jet wash that caused them to eject in the first place. And Maverick saving him in the end was the final moment of realization for him to accept that being different is good. So seeing the two make amends reflects how he respects his style, appreciating his selflessness. It only got more bittersweet to see their respect towards each other remain intact in the sequel as well. Last but not least, Tom Skeritt was great as well because he portrays Viper as a confident man who doesn’t play any nonsense with his teachings. His confidence is in full display when he becomes a mentor to Maverick, reminding him to not hold back on showing what makes him special. He pushed him to be the best during his grieving period because he didn’t want him to miss out on more opportunities that would make him a great pilot/soldier. Someone who looks out for others like that is the best mentor anyone could ever receive. Despite enjoying this film within each viewing, it doesn't excuse the flaws I noticed. Like first off, why would Stinger not know that Maverick is aiding Cougar? If he hates his recklessness and deems that a liability, no matter how great of a pilot he is, he shouldn't be up there at all. I was laughing pretty hard when Goose brought a polaroid with him, but how did he sneak that in? His work is supposed to be classified and he's gambling with his career doing that. You could say it doesn't matter because he dies later, but he doesn't know that. And am I the only one that thought Maverick's first class was way too short? I know it'd be too long of a movie if we got a longer session and we needed a scene to lay a bombshell of Charlie being his instructor, but I feel like they could've just away after Goose brags about the polaroid because Jester announcing the first Hop doesn't make it a good cutaway. I do appreciate Goose being concerned of graduating so he can look after his family, but I don;t think he should be too worried because attending TOPGUN proves that you're one of the best pilots around. And isn't it weird how Maverick wasn't allowed into the Academy due to his dad's reputation instead of his own? Avoiding favoritism is one thing, but you can't guarantee that he'll make the same mistakes. If they really didn't want him around, they could've easily said Maverick's own reputation instead of his dad's. And why wasn't Jester against Viper's command to get Maverick back on the field? I know this is about regaining confidence, but it's very absurd how he didn't argue on what could've done to help the protagonist cope with his loss. And lastly, I do respect that Maverick accepts the loss of Goose by throwing his dog tag into the ocean, but shouldn't his wife have that? And if she did, there should've been a scene where she gave it to him. Ignore this and you're still in for a ride. In short, Top Gun is an 80s gem for making you feel multiple emotions you never thought you'd feel, furthermore making the experience memorable. You want to be thrilled? This is the one for you.
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