The Top Gun Naval Fighter Weapons School is where the best of the best train to refine their elite flying skills. When hotshot fighter pilot Maverick (Cruise) is sent to the school, his reckless attitude and cocky demeanor put him at odds with the other pilots, especially the cool and collected Iceman (Kilmer). But Maverick isn’t only competing to be the top fighter pilot, he’s also fighting for the attention of his beautiful flight instructor, Charlotte Blackwood (McGillis).
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With Top Gun: Maverick just sitting on streaming, taunting me, I knew I wanted to see it. But first, I had to go back and watch the original, Top Gun. While this was a big hit for Cruise, director Tony Scott and producers Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer back in the day, would it still be worth watching today? Or, like Knight Rider (TV) or The A-Team (TV), has time reduced it to just more 80’s cheese?
A still young Tom Cruise takes the lead in Top Gun, and displays the bravado and charm he was famous for back then. He embodies Maverick, really bringing across both the pilot’s rebellious streak and hotshot attitude, an attitude started in Risky Business that he’s expounded on for this film. It’s a great role for him back then, and really shows Cruise at his best.
Anthony Edwards is probably the biggest surprise in Top Gun. While he is mostly known for playing a doctor on ER (TV), he really meshed well with his character of Goose. He makes him the heart of the film, the calming force Maverick needs to keep him under control. It’s quite a good performance, and a big change from his doctor persona. And pairing him with Meg Ryan was a smart move. The two have a chemistry that works.
The rest of the cast are solid as well. Kelly McGillis plays the love interest, and while her and Maverick’s romance is the height of corniness, the two are pretty good at flirting with each other. Val Kilmer, as Iceman, shines as well, with the banter between him and Maverick providing some additional tension. Tom Skerritt and Michael Ironside and James Tolkan are also well cast, with all of them presenting a military bearing that fits them well. It’s also fun to spot Tim Robbins in a smaller role, years prior to him becoming a leading man himself.
The story centers on Maverick and Goose squeaking into the Navy’s Fighter Weapons School, where they are trained to be the best pilots in the world. That in itself is promising, and Top Gun delivers with a decent story based on that. There’s a bit of romance, a bunch of action, and some drama mixed it with nothing feeling too pat. Yes, everything is pretty much spoon-fed to the viewer, but it’s done in such a way the viewer will find themselves having a good time of it.
The biggest problem with Top Gun lies with its romance. While McGillis and Cruise are fun and flirty, when they get together it all falls apart. Instead, once the flirting ends, they just run out of steam, and even the script doesn’t know where to go with them for most of the film. It’s sad, and should have ended with a one-night stand rather than continuing on and dragging the film down.
The flying sequences are one of the best things about Top Gun. With impressive camera work, the dogfights are exciting, without ever losing the human element amongst these expensive jets. Tony Scott has become known for his impressive action sequences, and this is one of the films that helped him create that reputation. He makes the viewer feel like they are right in the dogfight, and keeps the viewer on the edge of their seat as they watch.
With a solid cast and stellar flying sequences (not to mention a quintessential 80’s soundtrack), Top Gun was a major hit back in the day, and viewers will easily be able to tell why, even now. Sure, there are some cheesy moments (mostly involving the “romance”), but for a fun blockbuster action pic that puts the viewer right in the thick of things in the sky, it’s easy to still enjoy this today.
