Jenna Ortega is proposed for Phoenix
Sydney Sweeney is another proposal, including a car-restoration conversation with Penny
Chris offers no recasting choice

Half-Assed Internet Research

Cruise’s earlier refusal, cockpit filming and a beach-scene reshoot

In the discussion (13)

Approx. transcript time · 01:20:47Read transcript

Cruise reportedly dismissed a sequel as irresponsible in 1990
Kosinski pitched the Rooster relationship and Darkstar storyline to Cruise
A professor’s records research is cited about military input in the film
The hosts report hourly Navy aircraft fees
Actors handled aspects of makeup and camera operation while airborne
They note that extensive practical filming does not make all mission details realistic
The flight-jacket Taiwan/China flag controversy is briefly discussed without resolving every claim
Cruise’s own P-51 appears in the final flight
The beach montage was reportedly reshot after Cruise found the first version insufficient
The cast reportedly returned to training after celebrating the original shoot
The sailing sequence reportedly used a J-125 in San Francisco Bay without doubles
Bruckheimer restored a Don Simpson credit as a tribute
Teller reportedly learned the piano performance

Picking Nits

The convenient escape, lack of casualties and impossible crash

In the discussion (12)

Approx. transcript time · 01:33:05Read transcript

Cyclone’s decisions are jokingly suspected of sabotage
Rooster’s age and delayed training are worked through
The younger pilots seem to have almost no personal lives
The two downed pilots land conveniently close to each other and a usable airstrip
An operational familiar F-14 makes their escape convenient
Maverick dying while saving Rooster might have supplied a powerful ending
The forest escape feels like a tonal shift
The hosts argue for at least one meaningful pilot death, proposing Phoenix and Bob
Maverick’s age as an active pilot is questioned
Opening-flight survival and lack of medical aftermath are criticized
Rooster returning safely through the defended valley is unexplained
The final hangar scene raises a question about Rooster living with Maverick

Probably Unanswerable Questions

The unnamed enemy and alternative readings of Maverick

In the discussion (5)

Approx. transcript time · 01:42:49Read transcript

Which real country best fits the mission’s fictional opponent?
Iran and North Korea are suggested without treating either as identified in the film
Do Cruise’s stunt choices suggest a death wish? This is host speculation, not a personal-health finding
The hosts discuss a queer reading of the fictional Maverick based on relationships and recurring imagery
The imagined Maverick/Rooster domestic arrangement extends the joke

Best Double Feature

In the discussion (1)

Approx. transcript time · 01:45:19Read transcript

The original Top Gun is the clear companion film

Producer review

Craig praises the movie’s cross-generational appeal

In the discussion (3)

Approx. transcript time · 01:48:05Read transcript

Craig is explicitly invited for closing thoughts
He argues the movie unites viewers across generations
The hosts agree and discuss the broadly enthusiastic response

Mentions across The Rewatchables

Double Feature

There Will Be Blood

The Rewatchables · aired July 26, 2022

No Country for Old Men, Citizen Kane, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, Chinatown, The Karate Kid Part III, and Top Gun: Maverick are distinct choices.

Approx. transcript time · 01:58:59Read transcript

Source 1