Up there with the best of the best.
Top Gun is a 1986 action drama film directed by Tony Scott, written by Jim Cash and Jack Epps Jr., produced by Don Simpson/Jerry Bruckheimer Films, and distributed by Paramount Pictures. The film stars Tom Cruise and Kelly McGillis. It was nominated for and won Best Original Song, while just being nominated for Best Film Editing, Best Sound, and Best Sound Editing. It was followed by Top Gun: Maverick. In 2015, it was selected for preservation by the National Film Registry as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically" significant.
"I feel the need...the need for speed." - Pete "Maverick" Mitchell
Plot
When hotshot pilot Pete "Maverick" Mitchell makes it to the Top Gun Naval Fighter Weapons School, he becomes egotistical and cocky. He and his best friend Goose aim to be top of their class, rivaled only by the calm and collected Iceman.
My Favorite Part of Top Gun
Top Gun is a strange film. I don't understand why it's such a classic.
What I liked about this movie is the performances, I guess. I find Top Gun to be the ultimate Tom Cruise 80s movie. It has heart, action, cheese, and a bunch of guys playing volleyball with their shirts off. All of the performances here are really good. Tom Cruise and Anthony Edwards are the standouts, but Val Kilmer is pretty good as well. I also think that the last part of this movie is pretty good. There's some emotion and some character redemption, which I really appreciated.
My Least Favorite Part of Top Gun
I think the story here is really bad. I didn't understand anything that was going on for most of the movie. Scenes happened, but it feels like there was no through line. There was no thread connecting all of the individual moments. It feels like you could reshuffle most of the scenes and you'd get a pretty similar movie. That aspect of the movie really, really frustrates me.
Why I Don't Like Top Gun
Because there's a major lack of story, it's hard to get invested in this movie. I don't find any of the characters that compelling. The romance between Maverick and Charlotte is bland. I think it falls flat. And I might be the only person in the world who thinks this, but I hate the action in Top Gun. I find it incredibly hard to follow. There's all these planes flying around, but they all look the same! You don't know who's who! Because of all of this, I think Top Gun is a really boring movie, and I find it extremely overrated.
Final Thoughts and Score
I am not a Top Gun fan. I don't think there's enough story here for an overall good film, and I find the action to be confusing and boring.
I will go Sour here. Age range is 8+.
SWEET N' SOUR SCALE
Sweet (Great) Savory (Good) Sour (Bad) Moldy (Terrible)
"Top Gun"
Fun Factor: 4/10
Acting: 8/10
Story: 2.5/10
Characters: 5/10
Quality: 4.5/10
Directed by Tony Scott
Rated PG for language, minor sexual content, thematic elements
Released on May 16, 1986
1 hour and 50 minutes
Tom Cruise as Pete "Maverick" Mitchell
Anthony Edwards as Nick "Goose" Bradshaw
Val Kilmer as Tom "Iceman" Kazansky
Kelly McGillis as Charlotte Blackwood