☆★☆★☆★☆★
Roger Ebert’s review is discussed: 2.5 stars
In the discussion (3)
- Ebert is reported to give Top Gun 2.5 out of four stars
- The panel discusses his praise for aerial scenes and criticism of dialogue
- The hosts find additional pleasure in the unintentional comedy
Beach volleyball, the final dogfight and the landing celebration lead a long list of favorites
In the discussion (12)
- The bar rendition of You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ is both appealing and absurd
- Mallory finds the public seduction simultaneously attractive and uncomfortable
- The Great Balls of Fire double date establishes Goose’s family and friendship before his death
- Beach volleyball receives an extended discussion of clothes, watch-checking, competitive stakes and implausible logistics
- Goose’s death remains emotionally effective on repeat viewing
- Iceman’s condolence scene and exaggerated breathing are favorites
- The graduation’s immediate deployment raises questions about all the other graduates
- The blue-lit love scene is discussed as both erotic and bizarre
- The elevator scene is nominated as the strongest chemistry between Cruise and McGillis
- The final landing, celebration and Iceman’s acceptance of Maverick are favorites
- The Viper training sequence and communal shower scene receive nominations
- Final choices include the dogfight, volleyball and post-battle celebration; no single unanimous scene is established
Magazine origins, Navy cooperation and production stories
In the discussion (14)
- The film is said to originate in California magazine’s Top Guns article
- The Navy’s involvement is reported to have changed location, language, a crash and Charlie’s role
- Paramount’s flight costs are discussed
- Pilot Art Scholl’s fatal production accident and the dedication are discussed; the machine transcript renders his name imperfectly
- Kilmer’s interruption is reported as improvised
- Edwards is reported as the only actor not to vomit during flights
- An early Maverick sequel concept about drones is discussed as then-current development history
- Kansas City Barbeque’s filming locations, fire and surviving piano are discussed
- Cruise’s lifts and a trench for McGillis are reported as height accommodations
- The alleged fine for quoting Top Gun is explicitly doubted
- Charlie’s inspiration Christine Fox and adviser Pete Pettigrew are discussed
- Randy Duke Cunningham’s claim to inspire Maverick is contrasted with filmmakers’ denial
- Tony Scott’s alleged payment to turn a ship for lighting is treated as an uncertain anecdote
- Earlier discussion attributes the added elevator and love scenes to test-screening feedback and explains costume/lighting continuity fixes
Beach volleyball wins, with Iceman’s bite also singled out
In the discussion (11)
- Cruise’s crying face is nominated
- Carol’s consolation that Goose would have flown anyway is discussed
- Maverick’s outburst at Sundown is nominated
- Iceman and Slider’s rivalry and the second-seat role are questioned
- The Cruise–McGillis chemistry is nominated
- Maverick’s claims about flight safety conflict with his behavior
- The Indian Ocean time/location card is a nominee
- Iceman and Maverick’s dangerous exchange is a favorite
- The panel reads Tony Scott’s account of staging the volleyball scene
- Chris explicitly chooses beach volleyball and the room agrees
- Iceman’s bite remains a close favorite
The soundtrack, rivalry, style and Tony Scott’s filmmaking
In the discussion (14)
- Buzzing the tower became part of everyday vocabulary
- Charlie’s Porsche is admired
- The soundtrack and electric-guitar anthem retain their appeal
- Kenny Loggins’s run of movie-theme songs is discussed
- Meg Ryan and Anthony Edwards have convincing chemistry
- Maverick and Iceman’s rivalry is compared to Bird and Magic
- Tom Skerritt balances authority, warmth and intimidation
- The character-by-character end credits are praised
- The panel credits the low-priced Top Gun VHS release and Pepsi marketing with expanding home-video ownership
- Aviators, bomber jackets, jeans and mustaches remain iconic
- Cruise’s sex-symbol image and the forbidden romance are discussed
- Call signs and practical aerial effects hold up
- Tony Scott’s glossy blockbuster direction is praised
- Tim Robbins’s tiny role is a source of continuing surprise
Maverick following Charlie into the women’s restroom
In the discussion (10)
- The restroom pursuit is criticized as invasive and unacceptable
- Aerial scenes lose some impact on a small screen, though modern home viewing helps
- The later careers of Skerritt and Rossovich are debated, with counterexamples
- The vague enemy and global-war implications of the final fight are questioned
- Sending a traumatized Maverick into combat is criticized
- Maverick’s first-date shower request and departure lead to a long disagreement about his intentions
- McGillis’s performance and the romantic chemistry are criticized
- Charlie’s harsh consolation dialogue is singled out
- The wine and salad scene is treated as awkward
- The discussion returns to the restroom pursuit as the leading choice
A quiz matching Top Gun call signs to character names
In the discussion (4)
- The quiz gives Goose as Nick Bradshaw and Iceman as Tom Kazansky
- Charlie is Charlotte Blackwood; Jester is Rick Heatherly
- Viper is Mike Metcalf and Slider is Ron Kerner
- Cougar and Merlin are given as Bill Cortell and Sam Wells; transcript spelling remains a secondary source
Danger Zone, Take My Breath Away and Top Gun Anthem split the choices
In the discussion (8)
- Danger Zone receives multiple choices
- Take My Breath Away is defended for its buildup and romantic placement
- Top Gun Anthem is chosen for its soaring melody
- Playing with the Boys, Heaven in Your Eyes and You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ are also offered
- Danger Zone’s repetition is criticized
- Toto’s intended involvement and legal conflict are reported
- Bryan Adams, REO Speedwagon and Corey Hart are said to have declined Danger Zone
- The Motels and Berlin are said to have recorded competing versions of Take My Breath Away
Matthew Modine, Linda Fiorentino and other reported alternatives
In the discussion (8)
- Modine is said to have declined Maverick because of the military politics
- Travolta’s asking price is reported as a barrier, with uncertainty around the wider internet list
- Fiorentino is reported to have declined Charlie because of the glorification of war
- Ally Sheedy is reported to have doubted demand for a fighter-pilot movie
- Julianne Phillips is mentioned for Charlie and Jon Voight for Viper
- Modine is considered a plausible alternative Maverick
- Robert Downey Jr. as Maverick, or as Iceman opposite Kilmer, is imagined
- Judd Nelson and Charlie Sheen are discussed as very different possibilities
Meg Ryan, with Michael Ironside as an alternative
In the discussion (4)
- Kilmer and Edwards are ruled too prominent for the award
- Meg Ryan’s Carol is the leading choice
- Michael Ironside’s Jester receives an alternative nomination
- The room returns to Meg Ryan
McGillis, Rossovich and Simpson–Bruckheimer are leading apex candidates
In the discussion (7)
- Tom Skerritt is debated against Alien
- Kelly McGillis’s Witness–Top Gun stretch is accepted
- Rick Rossovich is accepted
- The Navy is debated against Zero Dark Thirty
- The Beverly Hills Cop–Top Gun run is accepted for Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer
- Cruise and Kilmer are rejected as being at their apex here
- Beach volleyball is debated against Karch Kiraly
Tolkan, Cruise’s crying and Kilmer’s grief breathing
In the discussion (4)
- James Tolkan’s scenes are nominated
- Cruise’s crying is nominated
- Kilmer’s exaggerated grieving breaths are nominated
- No final single choice is established
Goose’s ejection, the dog tags and Maverick’s instant teaching career
In the discussion (8)
- Maverick leaves volleyball before its resolution
- The ejection mechanism is questioned as a design flaw
- Hollywood’s rapid rescue and cheerful return after his plane is hit seem implausible
- Throwing Goose’s dog tags away deprives his widow and son of them
- The crowded bar falls silent implausibly for the song
- Charlie’s older bar companion is debated as a date versus colleague
- Maverick opts to teach immediately after graduating and one battle
- An aside calls this an apex for USA Today’s sports section
The ego/checks line, Take Me to Bed and Need for Speed lead the nominations
In the discussion (11)
- Mallory selects the ego-writing-checks reprimand
- Mallory selects Carol’s invitation to Goose
- Mallory selects Charlie’s hemlock reply
- Mallory selects the long-but-distinguished exchange
- Mallory selects Goose’s flying-against-a-ghost line
- Need for speed is a favorite
- The inverted-flight exchange and hand gesture are praised
- Jester’s praise ending in the pilot getting killed is nominated
- Goose’s Defense Department joke is nominated
- The no-points-for-second-place warning and Goddammit Maverick are remembered as everyday quotations
- The request for a beer to extinguish flames is also nominated
A ten-episode Netflix remake is rejected
In the discussion (1)
- The panel immediately rejects the proposed television format
The film’s erotic intent, Goose’s death and Charlie’s interest in Maverick
In the discussion (12)
- Was the homoeroticism intentional? The panel discusses Scott’s quote and the film’s broader salesmanship
- Why make Hot Shots when Top Gun already resembles parody? The panel notes viewers originally took it seriously
- Why was Kilmer not nominated for a supporting Oscar?
- Maverick ending up with Goose’s widow is floated
- Why are the ship interiors so hot and smoky?
- Is Goose among the most upsetting unexpected screen deaths? Hooch, Fredo, Mickey, the Champ, Apollo and Elias are compared
- The predictability of Goose’s death is disputed
- Why play volleyball in jeans?
- What does Charlie do after Maverick leaves dinner?
- Charlie’s desire and the actors’ on-screen chemistry prompt an extended disagreement
- Does Charlie return for Maverick or for more information about MiGs?
- These are speculative readings of fictional characters, not facts about the actors
Roger Ebert's review
Most Rewatchable Scene
Unintentional Comedy Award
What’s Aged the Best?
What’s Aged the Worst?
The Dion Waiters Award for Best Heat Check Performance
Apex Mountain
The Joey Pants “That Guy” Award
The Ruffalo / Hanna / Rubinek / Partridge Overacting Award
Sequel, Prequel, Limited Series, or All-Black Remake
Who Won the Movie?