I must admit that I am not generally a Tom Cruise fan. Perhaps because of his good looks and dynamite smile, or perhaps because of his sex appeal, or perhaps because of my jealousy! Whatever it is I never managed to watch Top Gun all the way. However, after my wife watched a few Star Trek movies with me I felt obliged to sit and watch a movie or two that she wanted to see.
<The Movie>
Tom Cruise plays Maverick, a highly talented but dangerous fighter pilot in the US marines. After the number one pilot on his ship (USS Enterprise - there is a link to Star Trek) encounters a Russian Mig, the pilot loses his nerve and hands in his wings. This makes Maverick the number one pilot. The USS Enterprise has been asked to send its top pilot to 'Top Gun'. 'Top Gun' is an academy for the best fighter pilots that extends their skills to the extreme enhancing their fighting abilities and also instigating a little competition between these top pilots as they fight for the prestigious position of Best in Class.
Kelly McGillis plays a civilian astrophysics instructor. During a classic scene Maverick and his co-pilot Goosey serenade Kelly in a bar. This sets the scene for the romance that begins between the two. Although initially put off by his brash, fighter pilot confidence she slowly falls for him as he begins to show her that he is more than an unfeeling pilot.
Maverick begins to show his rashness and cockiness as he continues to do risky flying against the rule book; although he is obviously a superb pilot, his cockiness and risk taking goes against the grain and counts against him.
During a training session, Maverick loses control of his fighter plane; there is no blame on his part as the conditions that he hit were unexpected and he had no chance to control his plane. The crash that occurs is serious and threatens Maverick's career and confidence.
Like someone who gets off a horse, Maverick has to get back into the plane. Although he sill has some cockiness, and still takes some risks, the incident has changed him and made him far more mature.
The movie moves to a fairly good conclusion, leaving us sad and yet happy. The romantic elements combine with the excitement to make the movie very exciting.
<My Opinion>
Although reluctant to watch the movie I am glad I did. The story is complicated with elements of romance, growing up, sadness, anger and happiness. The sequences involving the fighter planes are spectacular and make the movie well worth watching just for this aspect of the movie. Add to this the excellent sound track and you will soon feel your heart pumping fast as your adrenalin builds.
The plot is at times amusing, and at times shows the desperation and loneliness of a life in the armed forces. The romantic theme throughout is good, combining the complexities of romance between two very different people.
As a whole the movie is very enjoyable, and although much of the plot seems unreal, it is nice to see inside the lives of those who defend America.
<The Acting>
Tom Cruise is very good in this movie; his good looks and smile make it easy to see why people love him, but I was impressed by his ability to convey his feelings and anguishes to the big screen.
Kelly McGillis is very good also, combining the right amount of passion with an aloofness that is required to try and keep teacher and student apart.
Val Kilmer is very good as a snooty pilot who is Maverick's main competitor. Playing a role like a rich aristocrat, Val combines pomposity with a touching compassion (at the end of the movie) to create a convincing character.
<Conclusion>
Although this is billed as a ladies movie, I believe that most people will enjoy the combination of action and romance. It portrays the harsh reality of life in the armed forces showing how tenuous the link between life and death can be.
Although not quite a classic, this movie is very watchable.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Production Year: 2002 - Action/Adventure - Director: Vincenzo Natali - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring:Lucy Liu, David Hewlett, Anne Marie Scheffler, Joseph Scoren, Matthew Sharp, Jeremy Northam
Production Year: 1977 - Action/Adventure - Director: Clint Eastwood - Original Language: English - Classification: 18 years and over - Starring:Clint Eastwood, Sondra Locke, Pat Hingle, William Prince, Bill McKinney
Production Year: 1964 - Action/Adventure - Director: Cyril Endfield - Original Language: English - Classification: Parental Guidance - Starring:Stanley Baker, Jack Hawkins, Ulla Jacobsson, James Booth, Michael Caine, Nigel Green
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Advantages: Great fun, good flight scenes, chance to see famous actors before they were famous Disadvantages: Cruise is just too cheesy for words, romance doesn't work too well
CaptainDisaster 06.05.2005 (06.05.2005)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
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