No Points For Second Place

As Top Gun Maverick currently soars in cinemas, we go back to Tony Scott’s iconic testosterone fuelled original; Top Gun (1986).

Movie producing duo, Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer owned the 80s when it came to producing popular audience action fare. Add in director Tony Scott under their banner and you had a trio that gave us works that still endure, Top Gun being right towards the top. It follows hot shot pilot Maverick (Tom Cruise), who gets a chance to attend Fighter Weapons School where he falls for a civilian instructor (Kelly McGillis) while trying to achieve top pilot status over his peers.

This was a star making turn for Cruise. We really see the Cruise persona coming into effect here, cock sure, and arrogant while being likeable and vulnerable all at the same time. Kelly McGillis is great also, as well as Anthony Edwards, Val Kilmer and Tom Skerrit.

Tony Scott was often seen as crude by film critics. They thought his movies were cut too fast, shot too erratic, and sounded too loud; not the case. He was a man that created a style really - the MTV style employed new and experimental editing and shooting techniques so he could deliver high octane action scenes. The aerial action scenes here are amazing. And no one used smoke in interior scenes to accentuate an environment like Scott did. Top Gun was a huge hit for other reasons; a great Harold Faltermeier score not to mention two iconic songs, Take my Breathe Away by Berlin and You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ by the Righteous Brothers. Its success even led to a massive enrolment in pilot training academies.

Is it high art? No. Is it cheesy? Yes. Who cares?! It’s really entertaining and exciting action done right. Tony Scott will definitely be a man I’ll be featuring more of in the future.

As of writing this, I am about to see its sequel. I hear good things about it but the original casts a long shadow. Here’s hoping Maverick’s second outing will take my breathe away. I’ll see myself out.

Available on DVD, Blu Ray & to rent on YouTube.