Movie Discussion: Top Gun

Quite simply, this movie was spectacular. Top Gun was the third movie I watched in the theaters since August 2021; I loved every second. I also took my grandfather to the film which made it all the more wholesome and memorable. Top Gun was an experience, thrill, and adventure that, while remarkable, did not sacrifice any realism.

Indeed, at the film's outset ol' Cruise himself got on the big screen to emphasize that the aeronautical stunts were real. I called bluff. Why are you telling me about these effects if they're so legitimate? If they're real then they'll speak for themselves, Tom. Nonetheless, I decided to trust ol' Cruise who, with a chuckle and toothy grin, coolly reassured me that the effects were legitimate ... And wow, he was not bluffing.

The entire time I was blown away (no pun intended) by the aeronautical effects and stunts peppered throughout the movie. The "flight test" scene alone had my adrenal glands firing and blood pressure spiking beyond the medically prescribed limitations. No previous knowledge was required for the audience to understand our protagonist from that point on: Maverick was an ass, but a bad one indeed. Top Gun was also one of the few movies where I was not annoyed with the superfan (who was sitting next to me). Within each flight scene, the laborious breathing of the superfan made me realize something: I was laboriously breathing too, and so was Grandpa (I was a bit concerned about that). The super fan and I were one in our enjoyment - and Maverick was the badass facilitating it.

More importantly, however, I want to emphasize that it is almost indisputable that Maverick is a metaphor for Tom Cruise. Think about it: in both scenarios we encounter an older veteran who is still trying to thrive in an industry slowly becoming deadened by technological advancement (think of CGI as those 5th generation drones)... such technology is also coming to replace the older skills acquired by this veteran actor/pilot for a perceived "gain" in monetary profit by lazy, detached audiences. It is not too long until a dying industry sees the need for Mav's/Tom's skills to outperform the technology (CGI or drones) that terrorizes the airwaves in hopes of redeeming the value of human acting/piloting currently entrenched in technological handicaps that steal the thrill of a true "sky-high" experience. I confidently assert that, like the movie's ending, the veteran actor who performs the stunts himself (without the co-pilot of CGI) seriously outperforms those high-tech, protoplasmic conglomerations of movies (think of Marvel).

There is no doubt that Top Gun unearthed a long-lost nostalgia for movies that are truly genuine, more realistic, and not dominated by computer technology that ruins sincere expectations. Indeed, picturing Ol' Tom in the plane, toothily grinning and maniacally laughing in the air, birthed an adrenaline rush that almost pushed me to join the military. I cannot stress the good taste in including "Ice's" deteriorating health but growing wisdom, the preservation of goose's legacy, Maverick's awkward father figure moment, and the nostalgia of the old F-14 at the end. These were all fruits of sincere dedication to this film. Like many fans, I was also thrilled that they got Val Kilmer to return in light of his health and appreciated their portrayal of what one might call a "humble bravado" that famed, old-timer veterans usually possess (ironically, this is something that Maverick nor Tom Cruise seem to demonstrate in their personal lives).

In short: Top Gun is an amazing movie. Though I have flown past discussions of his love interest, Miles Teller's performance, the humor, and the politics (note: this movie has no serious geopolitics at play here---This is a ploy by the annoying political commentator to deaden the movie's impact by his comment), I am here to praise the movie for what it stood for: an embrace of more genuine filmmaking that does heavy grunt work. Audiences do value grunt work when they hear of it.

To conclude rather bluntly: this movie has rekindled my hope in a future of action movies that take themselves seriously and, one might facetiously add, an audience that takes themselves seriously as well.