Cruise and Kilmer into dogfight football; the final mission
In the discussion (11)
- The Darkstar opening and diner arrival are nominated
- The Hard Deck introduction through Rooster playing piano is praised for economical character work and emotional flashbacks
- Maverick defeating the trainees is nominated
- The Iceman visit is praised for restraint, typing, frustration, vulnerability and the closing joke
- The hosts question how deep the old rivals’ friendship became
- Dogfight football prompts detailed doubts about two balls, scoring, defensive pressure and strategy
- Maverick demonstrating the impossible training route is nominated
- The full final mission through the carrier reunion is a major choice
- Penny with the Porsche and the final flight provide an especially satisfying coda
- Bill favors the Kilmer scene leading into football
- Chris praises the extended finale and the lack of music during part of the mission
Jennifer Connelly, practical flying and measured callbacks
The panel is imagining how this might look in the future.
In the discussion (15)
- Connelly is both hosts’ first choice
- The romance is praised as age-appropriate, warm and unusually convincing for later Cruise
- Making Penny the briefly mentioned woman from the first film is considered smart
- Teller’s resemblance to Anthony Edwards works
- The casting competition is echoed by Maverick choosing Rooster
- The score reuses familiar themes effectively
- The hosts praise the feeling of actors experiencing real flight
- The opening credits recall the original without making the whole film a remake
- Coyote’s G-lock scene is praised
- The trophy, Goose mannerisms, beach yell and carrier reunion are effective callbacks
- Bob’s simple call sign is funny
- Maverick tossing the manual away is appreciated
- Maverick and Iceman texting with punctuation is a good age detail
- An unnamed enemy allows streamlined action
- Jeans, leather jackets, Hawaiian shirts and aviators lend a timeless look
The sailing scene, Darkstar flyby and aircraft launch
In the discussion (5)
- Chris offers the final-mission aircraft launch and receding carrier
- He also offers the twin vortices during the demonstration run
- The Darkstar flyby lifting the roof behind Ed Harris is a shared favorite
- Bill chooses the sailing scene with Connelly
- The hosts admire the physical realism of the sailing
The underused supporting pilots; Phoenix divides the room
In the discussion (7)
- Bill wants more from Jay Ellis and Manny Jacinto
- Bob’s characterization and second-seat duties are questioned
- Bill considers Phoenix underdeveloped and imagines a Michelle Rodriguez-like presence
- Chris likes Phoenix and values her relationship with Rooster
- Craig is explicitly invited to break the tie and says she was good
- The discussion distinguishes the performance from the amount of character development
- The lack of a larger comic supporting personality is noted
Penny’s idealized life, thin mission logic and rushed funeral
The panel is imagining how this might look in the future.
In the discussion (11)
- Cruise’s introductory theater message feels stiff
- The hosts jokingly connect its placement to the Nicole Kidman AMC advertisement
- Penny’s beauty, successful bar, Porsche, sailboat and almost frictionless family life seem implausibly perfect
- A crowded bar seems impossibly understaffed
- The unnamed uranium target and lack of simpler attack options raise doubts
- Cruise’s dark hair is questioned as an age detail
- The pre-mission encouragement to Rooster feels too ordinary
- The new pop singles compare poorly with the original soundtrack’s cultural footprint
- Rooster’s call sign is not universally liked
- The hosts reject some complaints about omitting McGillis and Meg Ryan, while imagining a Ryan scene
- Iceman’s funeral feels too short
Allison Willmore’s Maverick death-dream interpretation
In the discussion (7)
- The hosts credit Allison Willmore at Vulture for the theory
- Maverick dies in the opening flight and the rest resolves his unfinished relationships
- The idealized diner, vague enemy and timeless clothing are offered as supporting readings
- Surviving the opening crash is treated as doubtful based on informal research
- The hosts say the film can work either with or without this interpretation
- Rooster’s selection is criticized as nepotism while a dangerous mission is at stake
- Penny’s implausibly perfect existence is another related take
Charles Parnell as Warlock
In the discussion (3)
- Hondo and Warlock are the finalists
- Salahuddin may be more familiar to South Side viewers
- Parnell is the agreed choice, with Briarpatch also mentioned
Post-prime Cruise and Joseph Kosinski; Connelly debated
In the discussion (10)
- Both agree on post-prime Cruise, distinguishing it from his earlier overall peak
- The 1973 Porsche 911 receives an emphatic yes
- Connelly’s late resurgence is compared with her A Beautiful Mind Oscar
- Kosinski is an emphatic yes
- Teller and Powell may still have higher peaks ahead
- Whiplash is contrasted with Teller’s new fame
- Anchorman is preferred for San Diego
- Posthumous Don Simpson, Mach 10 and the hard-deck rule are jokingly considered
- Hamm is not at his overall peak
- The original film is preferred as the Top Gun institution’s peak
Penny’s Porsche, the Hard Deck or Maverick’s jacket
In the discussion (4)
- The Porsche is the emphatic first choice
- Owning the entire Hard Deck is proposed
- The bomber jacket is the smaller alternative
- The hosts dismiss a plane or motorcycle as less usable for them
It’s the pilot, not the plane
In the discussion (2)
- The pilot-over-equipment lesson is preferred
- Acting without overthinking is another candidate
Tom Cruise, with a personal case for Jennifer Connelly
In the discussion (4)
- Cruise receives the initial shared answer
- One host personally favors Connelly
- Two more Connelly scenes are imagined as enough to change the result
- The exchange is preserved as qualified rather than manufactured unanimous ballots
Most Rewatchable Scene
