User:Stephenfisher2001/sandbox/Top Gun

Top Gun is a 1986 American action drama film directed by Tony Scott, and produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer, in association with Paramount Pictures. The screenplay was written by Jim Cash and Jack Epps Jr., and was inspired by an article titled "Top Guns" published in California magazine three years earlier. The film stars Tom Cruise, Kelly McGillis, Val Kilmer, Anthony Edwards, and Tom Skerritt.

While Top Gun received generally mixed reviews from film critics, many particularly praised the action sequences, the effects, the aerial stunts, and the acting performances with Cruise and McGillis receiving the most praise. The film maintained its popularity over the years and earned an IMAX 3D re-release in 2013. In 2015, the United States Library of Congress selected the film for preservation in the National Film Registry, finding it "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

A sequel, titled Top Gun: Maverick premiered at CinemaCon on April 28, 2022 before May 27, 2022, after facing multiple delays from the summer 2019 release due to "allow the production to work out all the complex flight sequences", and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Plot
The Top Gun Naval Fighter Weapons School is where the best of the best train to refine their elite flying skills. When hotshot fighter pilot Maverick (Tom Cruise) is sent to the school, his reckless attitude and cocky demeanor put him at odds with the other pilots, especially the cool and collected Iceman (Val Kilmer). But Maverick isn't only competing to be the top fighter pilot, he's also fighting for the attention of his beautiful flight instructor, Charlotte Blackwood (Kelly McGillis).

Why It Rocks

 * 1) Cool aerial stunts.
 * 2) Tom Cruise gave an amazing performance as LT Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, a US Navy pilot.
 * 3) *In addition, Kelly McGillis also gave amazing Charlotte "Charlie" Blackwood, instructor of Top Gun and Maverick's love interest.
 * 4) LT Pete "Maverick" Mitchell is a likable, and memorable character that has a lot of amazing character development.
 * 5) Awesome action sequences.
 * 6) The opening scene is amazing, and exciting at the same time for the well fitting song "Danger Zone".
 * 7) A very fun and exciting plot.
 * 8) Fantasic cinematography.
 * 9) Aside from Tom Cruise, and Kelly Gillis acting, the acting is great, especially for Val Kilmer, Anthony Edwards, and Tom Skerritt.
 * 10) Exciting soundtrack, that was performed by Harold Faltermeyer. It was one of the most popular soundtracks of all time, you know this will be filled with so much ear worms.
 * 11) *First, we have the Top Gun Anthem, the main theme of the movie.
 * 12) *The ever badass "Danger Zone" by Kenny Loggins. It becomes so popular that it includes in the trailers and the sequel.
 * 13) *The Righteous Brothers' "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'", first when Maverick and the other pilots sing it to Charlie when first meeting her at the bar, then when Maverick meets up with Charlie as the song plays on a jukebox at the end.
 * 14) *"Playing with the Boys", another song by Kenny Loggins which plays during the volleyball match between Maverick and Iceman.
 * 15) *Berlin's "Take My Breath Away", the love theme between Maverick and Charlie. It won the Oscar for Best Original Song at the 59th Academy Awards, beating out "Glory of Love" from The Karate Kid Part II and "Somewhere Out There" from An American Tail, among others.
 * 16) *Cheap Trick's "Mighty Wings", the ending theme, as well as the instrumental version which plays in the first hop against Jester.

Reception
Upon the film's original release in May 1986, Top Gun received mixed reviews from critics but many particularly praised the action sequences, the effects, the aerial stunts, and the acting performances with Cruise and McGillis receiving the most praise. On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 56% based on reviews from 68 critics, with an average rating of 6.0/10. The website's critical consensus states: "Though it features some of the most memorable and electrifying aerial footage shot with an expert eye for action, Top Gun offers too little for non-adolescent viewers to chew on when its characters aren't in the air.". On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 50 out of 100 based on 15 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale.

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film 2.5 out of 4 stars, saying that "Movies like Top Gun are hard to review because the good parts are so good and the bad parts are so relentless. The dogfights are absolutely the best since Clint Eastwood's electrifying aerial scenes in Firefox. But look out for the scenes where the people talk to one another."

In 2015, The film somewhat preservation in the National Film Registry, finding it "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

Trivia

 * Actor Matthew Modine turned down the role of Pete Mitchell (that went to Tom Cruise) because he felt the film's pro-military stance went against his politics. The character of Chipper Piper was created just for Pasdar as Scott loved his performance.