Top Gun [PG]

After a classic demonstration of his capabilities as a fighter pilot, Maverick gets accepted to go to the Top Gun school in San Diego, California; a place that creates the world’s best fighter pilots and capable soldiers to serve their country. But once there, Maverick’s hot-headed attitude and reckless flying approaches threaten his chances of earning the trophy and becoming the Best Pilot.

THIS MOVIE IS FANTASTIC! It’s classic 80s: the rock soundtrack mixed with the slow and inspiring instrumental tracks, the cheesy pick-up lines and comic banter, and the fact that, because you’ve got all these young men vying for the title of Best Pilot, there’s a lot of egos and testosterone flying about the place. I JUST LOVED IT! 

On March 3, 1969 the United States Navy established an elite school for the top one percent of its pilots. Its purpose was to teach the lost art of aerial combat and to insure that the handful of men who graduated were the best fighter pilots in the world. They succeeded. Today, the Navy calls it Fighter Weapons School. The flyers call it… Top Gun. 

After a classic demonstration of his capabilities as a fighter pilot, Maverick get accepted to go to the Top Gun school in San Diego, California; a place that creates the world’s best fighter pilots and capable soldiers to serve their country. But once there, Maverick’s hot-headed attitude and reckless flying approaches threaten his chances of earning the trophy and becoming the Best Pilot, and his relationship with his aeronautics instructor isn’t much help either. 

Primarily testosterone-driven and a popular film because of its young heartthrob cast that made it a hit with the ladies, Top Gun nevertheless, is a wonderful film that’s beautifully balanced between comedy, action, romance, and emotional drama. Despite the fact that it really is your classic, cheesy, 80s movie, the film does hold some amazing insight into what traumas and damages can take place and take hold when these soldiers are up there serving their country. Quite a bit of the movie’s drama is achieved through shock and emotional loss as well as dutiful guilt. 

This was the movie that pushed Tom Cruise from teen heartthrob to megastar. I’m watching this and marvelling at how young he is and being all aww-look-at-that-baby-face, but it has to be said that Tom also delivered a great performance in this film: cocky, reckless, but then also charming and quite emotional and distraught when required. He was great… despite his short, dark hair and lack of fangs (wink, wink). 

The aerial cinematography and camera shots from the crafts were astounding and really gave the film its adrenaline and feeling of “need for speed”. I don’t know what it is, but there is something seriously enthralling and exciting about fighter pilot movies. It must be the lingo and banter that goes from pilot to pilot…I’m watching this and just so excited by what these guys are saying and how they are saying it. The script succeeded in bring excitement and fuel to the film, not dissimilar to that climactic fighter scene in A New Hope: “We’re going in full throttle, that ought to keep those rebel fighters off out back”. I don’t know, there is just something about those aerial scenes that sends thrills and adrenaline running through the bloodstream. IT’S FABULOUS! 

Starring Tom Cruise, Kelly McGillis, Val Kilmer, Anthony Edwards, Tom Skerritt, Michael Ironside, John Stockwell, Barry Tub, Rick Rossovich, Tim Robbins, and Meg Ryan, Top Gun is a fantastic 80s classic that’s packed with action, banter, testosterone, adrenaline, romance, drama, and comedy. It’s perfectly balanced and totally FANTASTIC! I loved it!