Top Gun, 1986: A review. Maverick, Goose, Iceman, Hollywood… you know them. They are the best of the best of the best aviators in the 1986 movie Top Gun. And this is a review.
Recently, I decided to watch Top Gun, again. I watched it in the theaters back in 1986. I was in the Navy at that time after all.
Right now, I will tell you that the opening credits alone had me “at attention” with the scenes of real flight crews on an aircraft carrier doing their jobs of preparing the jets for take off and landing on deck. That, to me, was the hottest part of the movie; watching those men work. Forget the hotshot pilots, give me a member of the ground/deck crew!
First of all, they all looked like babies! Man time flies. Val, Tom, Meg, all of them, so young! And I loved Meg Ryan and Anthony Edwards as a couple. They were the best and seemed like they could be any real life couple. They were so cute together. Tom and Kelly on the other hand, I had a hard time putting those two together. I liked both of their characters but they just seemed mismatched.
The story gets right to it in the first 12 minutes. You get the gist of what is happening and about to happen with the “maverick” pilots getting ready to go to the best top flight school for Navy pilots.
Young bucks with massive egos and who are the best of the best go to the elite fighter pilot instructor program called Top Gun. Good ole fashioned competition ensues and camaraderie is on display. Best friend of main character gets killed. Main character blames himself but makes a comeback when needed the most. And gets the girl in the end.
You don’t have to know all of the terminology to enjoy the movie although I was curious to know what an RIO was so I looked it up; Radar Intercept Officer. Goose was Maverick’s RIO.
Back in the day, having two pilots come up to you in a bar and use creative ways to try to pick you up; singing to you, would have been the best! And I also remember, back in the day, when I first saw this scene play out that it was totally dreamy! Watching it again tonight? I couldn’t help but think how young women these days might react – throw a drink in their face, scream and shriek that they are displaying misogynistic toxic masculinity, curse them out, call the police and report sexual harassment. I know. Everything seems ruined in today’s world.
But like other 1980 movies, Top Gun also produced some of the most quoted one-liners.
- Talk to me Goose.
- I feel the need….the need for speed!
- Take me to bed or lose me forever. Show me the way home, honey!
- You can be my wingman anytime.
- Negative, Ghost Rider, the pattern is full.
Okay that last one might not be widely used. But you have to admit, even if they are sort of goofy, people still use these today.
Oh and hello volleyball scene! I don’t think I appreciated this cut when I watched it back in 1986 as a 18- or 19-year old but as a 55-year old, watching it in 2022, well, heh, what can I say.
And I’m sorry, but when Maverick throws Goose’s dog tags out into the middle of the ocean, all I could think was some poor turtle getting choked-out by getting its little neck entangled in the chain or some other poor innocent sea creature accidentally swallowing them and dying! But it was a fleeting thought, and laughed at myself for even thinking of such nonsense to begin with.
Overall, it was a good movie and can still hold its own today. But I am looking forward to seeing the new one, Top Gun: Maverick that will be in theaters this Tuesday – May 24th. I’ll probably go to see it in theaters. I can’t even remember the last movie I saw in theaters. It’s been years. Maybe not 36 years but it’s still been a while.
Thanks for reading and enjoy the new movie.
Let me know what you liked about the original Top Gun in the comments.
