Top Gun

[Cail]

So during a conversation with Cailette, it came up that she'd never seen Top Gun. So I ran to Best Buy and picked up a spiffy 2-disc set for all of $10.

Now for perspective, I haven't seen the entire film since May of '86 (when it came out). It was my senior year of high school, and my friends and I went and saw it on the big screen (at the grand old theater in Westview....Now it's a Circuit City). I was blown away by the flying sequences, but overall didn't care for the movie. I've seen bits and pieces of it since then, but I haven't sat through the whole thing.

For starters, Cailette didn't like it either ("It's boring"). Oh well.

Here's what I noticed...

-It's the most clichéd movie ever made. I'm sure a lot of the clichés were around prior to TG, but this had to have been a pioneering film in the art of cliché-slinging.

-The film looks great. The DVD transfer is fantastic, but the film itself was really well-shot. Tony Scott really used to be a great director before he started shaking the living crap out of the camera.

-Kelly McGillis is only 5 years older than Tom Cruise, but she still looks like his mother. I never understood this pairing.

-The flying sequences are awesome; well worth the $10 for the DVD. I can't think of any other film that does them this well.

-The sound is fantastic. Again, this goes back to the original film, 'cause I remember it being thunderous in the theater as well.

-The story is old....It's Rocky in an airplane (which ultimately goes all the way back to the story of Jesus and Easter), but it's effective.

-But back to the clichés......Whoo boy, this is just a rough film to watch and listen to when it comes to the dialog and character moments.

-And finally, it's mind-boggling that this movie was made for $15 million, with no CGI. It's a nice little time capsule from the Cold War, and a really entertaining watch.

[dlbpharmd]

I saw this in our little hometown theater back when I was a junior in high school I can't watch it now though, as Cail said it's just a hokey film now.

[Usivius]

one of my wife's favourite movies.... we have to watch it once a year.
She loves it for the (very cliches) love story and young, naked male bodies with ripped abs, adn I tolerate it because of the very good flying sequences.

[SoulBiter]

Not my favorite either but as you said.. the flying sequences make it worth watching at least once.

[Rawedge Rim]

Since I spent many years working in Naval Aviation (unfortunately, from the bottom, non-flying half), I can't stand to watch Top Gun, I know to much about how it really works, and it burns out my BS alarm.

[High Lord Tolkien]

Guys...it's a great movie BECAUSE of the cheese!
It's the Dirty Dancing of military movies.
"Son, your ego is writing checks your body can't cash."