Top Gun **** (1986, Tom Cruise, Kelly McGillis, Val Kilmer, Tom Skerritt) – Classic Movie Review 1517

Tony Scott’s irresistible, ultra-canny 1986 blockbuster Top Gun shot the 24-year-old Tom Cruise into the Hollywood stratosphere.

Director Tony Scott’s irresistible, ultra-canny 1986 blockbuster Top Gun shot Tom Cruise into the Hollywood stratosphere as Lieutenant Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell, who is out to become the best pilot at the American Navy’s air-fighter school, known as the Top Gun Naval Flying School.

‘Maverick’ is in the hot seat as he battles with the ultra-cool Tom ‘Iceman’ Kazanski (Val Kilmer) for the school’s top honours, under the eagle eye of Commander Mike ‘Viper’ Metcalf (Tom Skerritt).

The aerial dogfights are spectacular, easily upstaging the drama about battling to be the best, the hero’s mental torment over his father’s fatal error in combat that killed him and others, and Cruise’s soft-focus love affair with his civilian instructor Charlie (Kelly McGillis).

Dogfights apart, everything comes more or less second to the film’s real purpose – to worship the 24-year-old Cruise’s sexy good looks against the gleaming backdrop of America’s defence hardware, thanks to extensive filming at the real Top Gun fighter tactics school and the USN’s magnificent F-14 Tomcats in action.

Made with all the relentless pace, speed and gloss of a recruitment ad or a cola commercial, it takes your breath away. Berlin had a number-one hit with the Oscar-winning song ‘Take My Breath Away’ written by Giorgio Moroder and Tom Whitlock.

British TV may show a teen-friendly TV version smoothing out the 15 certificate mild swearing, suggested sex and violence.

There is a very good cast, all vying for attention. Anthony Edwards plays Goose, Michael Ironside is Jester, Tim Robbins is Merlin, Rick Rossovich is Slider, Whip Hubley is Stringer, Adrian Pasdar is Chipper and Meg Ryan is Carole.

Tony Scott’s brother Ridley had just worked with Cruise on the ill-fated Legend, which set Cruise back after his successes with Taps and Risky Business. Here, though, Cruise bounces back triumphantly. Ridley also employed Skerritt on Alien.

Top Gun 2 was finally in the pipeline in 2014. After many delays, it was finally made and released as Top Gun: Maverick (2022), with its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on 18 May 2022, followed a day later by its London premiere, and its UK and US release on 27 May 2022.

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© Derek Winnert 2014 Classic Movie Review 1517

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