Introduction
Top Gun (1986) was a film that defined the military and action genres from the 1980’s on. Combining a high-octane story with an amazing pop soundtrack, it attracted audiences of all ages and demographics.
Synopsis
Top Gun is the story of Naval Aviator Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Tom Cruise) and Nick “Goose” Bradshaw (Anthony Edwards), who attend the top Navy pilot school. It is there that they meet rival Tom “Iceman” Kazansky (Val Kilmer) and love interest Charlotte “Charlie” Blackwood (Kelly McGillis).
While attending Top Gun, the reckless hotshot Maverick clashes with disciplined, cool pilot Iceman as they compete to be the best and win the Top Gun trophy. It is there that Maverick has to learn to deal with love, loss, and his inner demons as he grows into the person and pilot the Navy needs. It all ends with a climactic showdown with the Russians.
Discussion
The acting is nothing special, and it is difficult to believe any of the characters. Technically, the movie is a success. The editing, sound design, and special effects create the pace and adrenaline rush that make the movie so much fun. Audiences leave the theater on a high, talking about the heroics and action, not the journey of the protagonist. In fact, while events happen around Maverick, at the core, he never changes, but that is not discussed, nor is it important to the audience.
The feature was made with the intention of not being a masterpiece, but rather a commercial and box office success. To do that, Paramount insisted on making a film that appealed to everyone. Men liked Top Gun because of the intense flying scenes, and Maverick’s bravado, and Iceman’s calm and cool counterpoint to it.
To appeal to women, the film needed hot guys and some love interests to balance the flying. To that end, Goose is married and has a child, and Maverick falls for Charlie. In fact, the writers made sure to demonstrate Maverick’s sex appeal the first time he meets Charlotte in a bar early in the first act. The film has a “beefcake” scene that does nothing to advance the story. Everyone knows it as the “volleyball” scene. It is nothing more than oiled-up guys playing volleyball on the beach with a great Kenny Loggins song playing in the background.
Most importantly, the film needed a love scene, so there is an amazing scene featuring Cruise and McGillis filmed in shadow featuring yet another hit song, ‘Take My Breath Away,’ which went on to win the Academy Award for best original song.
Further Analysis
Everything synergizes to create a memorable film that achieves everything it sets out to do. Top Gun grossed $359 million in 1986 against a $15 million budget. The film’s soundtrack went Platinum nine times (indicating 9 million copies sold) and had several hit singles. Add to that the T-shirts, toys, and other product tie-ins like RayBan Aviators, leather bomber jackets, and the result was a film that changed pop culture. At least that’s what happened forty years ago.
Fast forward to the present day, and Top Gun has stood the test of time. It is still a fun movie that appeals to audiences in the same way. Even though the plot is dated and the country’s enemies are different, the film remains popular. Younger generations know the iconic scenes the same way as people did forty years ago. They place ‘You Lost That Loving Feeling’ as the song that Maverick sings to try to pick up Charlie in that California bar. In fact, many of this generation know the lyrics because of Top Gun.
If someone mentions the “ volleyball scene,” it will immediately bring to mind a vision of a bunch of sweaty guys playing volleyball on the beach. A love scene filmed in shadow will immediately bring to mind the scene with Maverick and Charlotte. There is no chance those scenes will be associated with another film. The Russians will still be the enemy, and everyone will cheer at the end of the film.
The Next Chapter
Thirty-six years after the initial release of Top Gun, a sequel was finally released, and with its success, a third installment is officially in development. The filmmakers gave it enough nostalgia that Top Gun: Maverick (2022) feels a lot like the original. However, the story is set in the modern era with different enemies to contend with.
The best part about Top Gun: Maverick is that the story is more complex, and the film is better, but the fun remains. There is a coed ‘ beefcake scene” and a different girl, although she’s mentioned in the original movie. Goose’s son, a child in the original, is all grown up but still plays ‘Great Balls of Fire’ at the piano like his old man.
The opening sequence is so similar to the original that it immediately reminds audiences that they are watching Top Gun. No explanations are necessary. The audience feels immediately at home revisiting old friends and making new ones. The only difference is that the filmmakers had a larger budget and were able to do more to make the film realistic.
For some, seeing Top Gun: Maverick made us the young fighter pilots we were in 1896 as we got into our cars and came up with our own call signs. For others is was a chance to be a fighter pilot, flying missions with our kids to save the world. It might even be a time when the guys are gorgeous and get the girl of their dreams. Others see themselves as a strong female character holding her own with all the macho, egotistical fighter pilots. The sequel allows some of those girls to imagine themselves in that jet, shooting down the enemy.
Conclusion
Top Gun has been rereleased and is well-received. It’s a movie that has to be experienced on the big screen. In fact, the bigger the better. These movies have defined a genre for generations, and might just show a new generation what it is like to see a movie other than Marvel on the big screen. It’s not just sentimentality that makes going to the theater fun. It is nice to be entertained away from phones and other distractions. This is one of the most important things Top Gun, Top Gun: Maverick, and the third Top Gun movie can do. In fact, in 2022, Steven Spielberg thanked Tom Cruise for saving movies.
Just to close, it might be fun to add three small Top Gun trivia facts:
- The volleyball scene almost got director Tony Scott Fired. Scott took a full day to shoot the scene, which adds nothing to the plot. Paramount wanted Scott fired, but that scene is one of the most iconic scenes in the movie.
- The Love scene with Tom Cruise and Kelly McGillis was filmed in shadow because the filmmakers got the rights to use the song Take My Breath Away after the film was completed. They wanted a love scene, and the song made that possible. However, Kelly McGillis’s hair was dyed brown for a different movie. To film the scene, something had to be done, so they shot the scene in shadow, and it works beautifully.
- There is no Top Gun trophy.
