When you hear the name Tom Cruise, one of the films that automatically comes to mind is Top Gun. This movie is the definition of an 80's summer blockbuster, and has gone on to become an instant classic. I firmly believe that Top Gun should be in every film connoisseurs' collection.
Top Gun is the story of a young pilot in the United States Navy who gets chosen to attend an elite fighter weapons school. What this film does beautifully right from the opening montage is introduce you to the world that you will experience in this film. Top Gun does a wonderful job of getting you excited to watch it just by its' credits sequence alone. I do have to say that I do not consider this movie to be just an ordinary action film for many reasons. Ironically enough, one of those things is the action sequences because of the subtext behind them. You truly get the sense of the kind of danger that fighter pilots bravely, and voluntarily, put themselves into every time they go up in the air. There are also great performances by the actors, and the main character, Maverick (Tom Cruise) has a troubled past that he is attempting to put behind him. As exciting as this film is, there are several plot holes that I need to address. At one point during flight school, Goose (Anthony Edwards) tells Maverick to execute the "Turn and Burn" maneuver to confuse their opponent, Jester (Michael Ironside). However, we then see Jester execute the maneuver first. How did Jester know they were going to execute that maneuver?? Also, how does Maverick know where Charlie (Kelly McGillis) lives even though he has never been to Miramar?? Another thing that bothers me about this film is that at one point in the film, Charlie is instructing the class, and giving performance reviews of the pilots' techniques based on the previous days' competition, except there is one problem: we never actually see that particular competition. Considering how incredible the aerial footage is in this film, I would have loved to see that. Also, why is there no altercation between Iceman (Val Kilmer) and Maverick after Goose dies? Isn't it Iceman's fault that Goose is dead? If Maverick and Goose were as close as the film claims they are, why isn't Maverick more upset about this??? Also, there is a shot in the film of Wolfman (Barry Tubb) calling someone to let them know that Maverick quit Top Gun, but we never actually see this happen. Considering how crucial of a story point this is for the movie, and for Maverick as a character, the film would have had more substance had we actually seen this happen. Also, during the climax of the film, Maverick is at Vipers' (Tom Skerritt) home for advice. Maverick says, "Sorry to bother you on a Sunday", which implies that he called, wrote a letter or something to that effect beforehand to make plans to see Viper. Again, we never actually see this happen. I feel that the story would have flowed more smoothly had a scene like this been included. Am I picking apart this film? Absolutely. Am I being too hard on such a beloved classic? Possibly. The bottom line is that this movie could have been better, but as it stands it is a decent film.
Tom Cruise, in the role that made him a star, plays Maverick. One of the other things this film does very nicely is introduce you to the characters. From the beginning we see that Maverick is cocky and arrogant, and because of this, not many people like him. However, at the same time we see that he is an excellent pilot. Also, the death of Goose is a crucial moment for Maverick as a character because it brings him down to Earth, so to speak. Maverick is hot-headed guy who lives in this fantasy world where nothing can hurt him when he is flying, and Gooses' death brings him back to reality. Cruise is fantastic in the role, playing all of these dimensions in such a well-rounded way. There is also an emotional side to Maverick that Cruise actually plays quite beautifully because he plays it in such a way that we see that Maverick has a vulnerability to him, but at the same time he does not show weakness. This is the role of a lifetime for Cruise that will go down in the annals of film history.
Kelly McGillis plays Charlie. Charlie is very much Mavericks' equal in terms of attitude, and she also offers consolation and encouragement when Maverick hits his low points. She is an intelligent woman who helps Maverick realize the kind of man he wants to be. McGillis shines in a role that, in the hands of a less capable actress, could have come across as just another pretty face.
Tony Scott is the director of Top Gun. First and foremost, the aerial footage in this film is absolutely spectacular. The scene in which Maverick is chasing Viper is particularly exhilarating to watch, and is filled with tension on many levels because you know Maverick has made a mistake in leaving his wingman and is being set up to be taken out, and yet watching him go toe to toe with Viper, the man who flew with Mavericks' father, is extremely exciting. For me personally, it is the mark of a good director to get good performances out of the actors. Scott not only does that, but the chemistry between the actors is great as well which speaks volumes about Scott as a director and the talent of the actors involved.
There are certain movies that come around once in a generation. I would put Top Gun on that list. While I am not in the camp of film fans who love and adore this movie, I do enjoy it. If you enjoy action "blockbuster" kinds of films, I would recommend it.
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