Directed by Tony Scott, Top Gun takes place in the Top Gun Naval Fighter Weapons School, where the best of the best train to refine their elite flying skills, and follows hotshot fighter pilot Maverick (Tom Cruise) after he is sent to the school. His reckless attitude and cocky demeanor puts him at odds with the other pilots, especially the cool and collected Iceman (Val Kilmer). But Maverick isn’t only competing to be the top fighter pilot, he’s also fighting for the attention of his beautiful flight instructor, Charlotte Blackwood (Kelly McGillis).
In honor of the sequel coming out this week I figured it’d be good to watch the original 1986 film that became a large cultural phenomenon. Now, this may come as a shock to people but Top Gun was actually one of the few hit 80s films I never saw in its entirety. I’ve only seen pieces of it as well as knowing of its iconic moments and cultural contributions, making this one of my rare first-time experiences with a beloved classic. With how highly people have talked about this film over the years I was interested to see what it was that made people love this film. Was it because of the action? The cast? The story? The filmmaking? The music? Or perhaps it was that good old 80s nostalgia? After watching it myself I can definitely say it is all of the above.
Top Gun is a fun little time capsule that has a lot to enjoy for everyone. The film is heavily 80s and therefore can be cheesy as hell to anyone who watches it today, but at the same time, there’s also a lot to admire and enjoy about this film for what it accomplished in its time.
My biggest praise goes towards the jet fighter action for how incredibly fun and thrilling it is, as well as how well crafted it is. It was ahead of its time and more than likely inspired a lot of the amazing aerial action we get in films now. We get very intense flight sequences with the F-14 jets filmed in such a way that makes viewers feel everything the pilots do whether they are training or in actual combat.
There are large stakes when it comes to being a Navy pilot because one mistake can lead to death and this film shows it with its brilliantly executed action.
To pair with the great action we get a great set of characters all played by a number of famous faces that deliver surprisingly solid performances. I was expecting a few performances in this film to stick out as weak links since that tends to happen in some films from the 80s but I couldn’t find a single bad or poorly aged performance in this film. Is some of the dialogue cheesy? Of course, but the way the cast delivers it makes it enjoyable and acceptable.
Tom Cruise brings the perfect amount of charm and hot-headedness for our lead character as he goes through your standard rule-breaking rookie journey that many of us are familiar with nowadays. But to be fair, this was one of the first few films to use that trope and it works thanks to Cruise’s performance and his chemistry with other characters. I really liked his moments with his best friend Goose (Anthony Edwards) and his romance with Charlotte despite how god damn 80s both relationships are. If you wish to know what I mean by that it’s best to watch the film itself to understand.
But one other character and performance that really stood out to me in this film was Val Kilmer as Iceman. At first he seemed like he was going to be the typical 80s bully stereotype when he first came on screen but as the film progressed I was surprised to see that wasn’t the case at all. While he is at odds with our lead character due to his polar opposite personality he is not trying to be an enemy or bully of any kind. Instead, he strongly advises Maverick to get his shit together and not treat jet flying like a simple game throughout the film and manages to be one of the wiser characters besides the Top Gun instructors. It’s very refreshing to see a character like this in an 80s film and it was another element that felt ahead of its time.
Now even though there are parts of this film that were ahead of other films, the rest of this film plays out very much like a lot of action dramas of that time in terms of story, complete with head-bopping music and so much 80s cheese that is enough to make you roll your eyes or absolutely adore it depending on what floats your boat. And when I say head-bopping music I really mean it as this film goes full power with a funky score and multiple songs that were made very popular by this film. This was the film that made the song Danger Zone by Kenny Loggins the popular hit it is today and when you finish this film you are forever going to associate that song with this film due to the numerous times it comes on. For some people it may get old real quick but I can completely understand why others are addicted to the song.
Visually the film looks gorgeous, with outstanding cinematography and lighting even if the number of sunset shots can be a bit repetitive at times. But hey at least this film is prettier than 2022’s Firestarter so that says a lot.
In regards to effects, while I feel all the practical work has aged very well there are a few digital effects that haven’t, but they are kind of a blink and you’ll miss it type deal so it can be excused. And apart from one particular scene that happens at the beginning of the film where Maverick flies above an enemy jet upside down I wasn’t pulled out of the film at any of the other moments.
Top Gun might be a basic film that isn’t necessarily that deep or artistically perfect but I don’t think it was trying to be. It set out to be an action drama of the time that would win a lot of hearts and wasn’t necessarily made for critics which is probably why it received such mixed reception from them upon release. It may have fallen flat for critics but it certainly won the favor of many audiences and I can understand now why a lot of people consider this film a top-tier classic of the 80s. It was an enjoyable flick to watch from start to finish and I am interested to see what the upcoming sequel might bring to the table.
Will it greatly improve on what this film was? Will it have the same charm and cheesiness this one had but in a modern setting? I’m not sure yet, but one thing I do know is that regardless of how the sequel turns out, the first film is always safe to revisit and will always be enjoyable to those who want a good time. I’m giving Top Gun a B+ = 89.
You can find more of my writing on instagram, and check out my channel on YouTube!