tom cruise em 1986

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Trouble logging in?

By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes.

Email not verified

Let's keep in touch.

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

• Upcoming Movies and TV shows
• Trivia & Rotten Tomatoes Podcast
• Media News + More

By clicking "Sign Me Up," you are agreeing to receive occasional emails and communications from Fandango Media (Fandango, Vudu, and Rotten Tomatoes) and consenting to Fandango's Privacy Policy and Terms and Policies . Please allow 10 business days for your account to reflect your preferences.

OK, got it!

Movies / TV

No results found.

• What's the Tomatometer®?
• Login/signup

Movies in theaters

• Opening this week
• Top box office
• Coming soon to theaters
• Certified fresh movies

Movies at home

• Netflix streaming
• Prime Video
• Most popular streaming movies
• What to Watch New

Certified fresh picks

• Love Lies Bleeding Link to Love Lies Bleeding
• Problemista Link to Problemista
• Late Night with the Devil Link to Late Night with the Devil

New TV Tonight

• We Were the Lucky Ones: Season 1
• Renegade Nell: Season 1
• Steve! (Martin) A Documentary in 2 Pieces: Season 1
• American Rust: Season 2
• A Gentleman in Moscow: Season 1
• Jerrod Carmichael: Reality Show: Season 1
• The Baxters: Season 1
• grown-ish: Season 6

Most Popular TV on RT

• 3 Body Problem: Season 1
• X-Men '97: Season 1
• Shōgun: Season 1
• Palm Royale: Season 1
• The Gentlemen: Season 1
• Manhunt: Season 1
• Halo: Season 2
• Apples Never Fall: Season 1
• Avatar: The Last Airbender: Season 1
• Invincible: Season 2
• Best TV Shows
• Most Popular TV
• TV & Streaming News

Certified fresh pick

• X-Men '97: Season 1 Link to X-Men '97: Season 1
• All-Time Lists
• Binge Guide
• Comics on TV
• Five Favorite Films
• Video Interviews
• Weekend Box Office
• Weekly Ketchup
• What to Watch

Marvel TV Ranked by Tomatometer

Best TV Shows of 2024: Best New Series to Watch Now

Women’s History

Awards Tour

The Most Anticipated TV and Streaming Shows of 2024: New and Returning Shows We Can’t Wait to See

Renewed and Cancelled TV Shows 2024

• Trending on RT
• Most Anticipated Movies
• Play Movie Trivia
• Best Movies 2024

1986, Action/Adventure, 1h 49m

What to know

Critics Consensus

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. Read critic reviews

You might also like

Where to watch top gun.

Watch Top Gun with a subscription on Paramount+, rent on Apple TV, Prime Video, Vudu, or buy on Apple TV, Prime Video, Vudu.

Rate And Review

Super Reviewer

Rate this movie

Oof, that was Rotten.

Meh, it passed the time.

It’s good – I’d recommend it.

So Fresh: Absolute Must See!

What did you think of the movie? (optional)

You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.

Step 2 of 2

How did you buy your ticket?

Let's get your review verified..

AMCTheatres.com or AMC App New

Cinemark Coming Soon

We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

Regal Coming Soon

Theater box office or somewhere else

By opting to have your ticket verified for this movie, you are allowing us to check the email address associated with your Rotten Tomatoes account against an email address associated with a Fandango ticket purchase for the same movie.

You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.

Top gun videos, top gun   photos.

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).

Genre: Action, Adventure

Original Language: English

Director: Tony Scott

Producer: Jerry Bruckheimer , Don Simpson

Writer: Jim Cash , Jack Epps Jr.

Release Date (Theaters): May 16, 1986  original

Rerelease Date (Theaters): May 13, 2021

Release Date (Streaming): Aug 1, 2013

Box Office (Gross USA): $179.8M

Runtime: 1h 49m

Distributor: Paramount Pictures

Production Co: Paramount Pictures

Sound Mix: Dolby Stereo, Surround, Dolby Atmos, DTS, Dolby Digital

Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

Cast & Crew

Lt. Pete "Maverick" Mitchell

Kelly McGillis

Charlotte "Charlie" Blackwood

Anthony Edwards

Lt. Nick "Goose" Bradshaw

Lt. Tom "Iceman" Kazanski

Tom Skerritt

Cmdr. Mike "Viper" Metcalf

Michael Ironside

Lt. Cmdr. Rick "Jester" Heatherly

John Stockwell

Rick Rossovich

Lt. Ron "Slider" Kerner

Tim Robbins

Lt. Sam "Merlin" Wells

James Tolkan

Jack Epps Jr.

Bill Badalato

Executive Producer

Jerry Bruckheimer

Don Simpson

Harold Faltermeyer

Original Music

Giorgio Moroder

Jeffrey Kimball

Cinematographer

Chris Lebenzon

Film Editing

Billy Weber

Margery Simkin

John DeCuir Jr.

Production Design

Robert R. Benton

Set Decoration

News & Interviews for Top Gun

Is Top Gun: Maverick Best Picture-Worthy?

Top Gun: Maverick First Reviews: The Most Thrilling Blockbuster We’ve Gotten in Years

“Rotten Tomatoes Is Wrong” About… Top Gun

Critic Reviews for Top Gun

Audience reviews for top gun.

Not terrible but I think you had to be there when the movie originally came out to be able to truly appreciate it.

"Top Gun" is an amazing 1980's drama/action film. "Top Gun" has amazing acting from "Tom Cruise" and "Kelly McGillis". The plot to "Top Gun" is great and has great plot points. The special effects in this movie are incredible for a 1980's film. There are no action sequences that look like the back of a green screen. The soundtrack to "Top Gun" is great, it makes every scene better and better. I will recommend you watch "Top Gun" as it is a awesome action/drama. So I give "Top Gun" a 8/10.

One can appreciate the film for being iconic, yet it is frustratingly bland and corny. Though Top Gun is full of action, nothing really happens, and the charming romance that inspires the classic hit "Take My Breath Away" becomes a vague, second-thought.

[img]http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/user/icons/icon13.gif[/img]

Movie & TV guides

Play Daily Tomato Movie Trivia

Discover What to Watch

Rotten Tomatoes Podcasts

top gun (1986)

Maverick is a reckless ace fighter pilot, living with the ghosts of his famous aviator father and his own penchant for hijinks. Along with his best friend and navigator, Goose, Maverick attends the Navy's elite air combat academy where the two work together to compete for the title of Top Gun against the best of the best Naval aviators. Breaking rules and convention is his specialty and, true to form, Maverick falls in love with a civilian instructor at the academy. When his best friend, Goose, is killed in training, Maverick must pull himself back from the brink to prove that he can change his ways and become a team player.

Top Gun Maverick: 10 Reasons it Surpasses the Original

As one of the biggest action films in recent cinematic history, here's why Top Gun: Maverick ended up better than the original.

Top Gun: The LGBTQ+ Subtext Everyone Has Talked About, Explained

Top Gun has one scene so iconic, the sequel cashed in and went even deeper. Here's a look at the gay subtext that everyone's been talking about.

Here’s Why Top Gun Remains Such an Iconic Classic

Top Gun: Maverick, the sequel to 1986's Top Gun, is heading to theaters this year. Here's what makes the original so iconic all these years later.

Explained: How Successful Was Top Gun in 1986?

Top Gun: Maverick proved to be one of the best legacy sequels when it released earlier this year. But how successful was Top Gun in 1986?

Top Gun's Goose Actor Heaps Praise on Top Gun: Maverick

Anthony Edwards was a big part of Top Gun, and his character's legacy is central to Top Gun: Maverick

Val Kilmer Says There Was a 'Special Bond' Between Top Gun Stars

With Top Gun: Maverick soaring over $600 million at the box office, Val Kilmer has reflected on working on the original Top Gun.

David Cronenberg Has No Regrets About Not Directing Top Gun

Iconic director David Cronenberg almost directed Top Gun and Return of The Jedi, but has no regrets about missing out on the two blockbusters.

These Are the Best Tom Cruise Movies, Ranked

Undeniably one of Hollywood’s most impressive talents, Tom Cruise’s career has spanned 40 years and garnered numerous accolades and achievements.

These Are 10 Most Unexpected Movie Death Scenes That Shocked Us

Throughout the years, we have lost several memorable characters. Let's take a look at the 10 most unexpected deaths that shocked audiences.

Tom Cruise Really Wanted Iceman in Top Gun: Maverick: We Have to Have Val

Tom Cruise knew, like everyone else, that the Iceman was crucial to the fans and the sequel. They also gave us a Rooster to replace our Goose.

New Top Gun: Maverick Trailer and Opening Scene Fly Into CinemaCon

The long awaited Top Gun sequel's opening 15 minutes bring high-flying nostalgic thrills to Paramount's panel.

New Val Kilmer Documentary Is Coming from Amazon Studios and A24

Consisting of decades worth of interviews and behind-the-scenes footage, the Val Kilmer documentary will tell the complete story of the Top Gun star.

Top Gun Director Tony Scott Was Fired Three Times During Production

Late director Tony Scott revealed that he kept getting fired while making Top Gun with Tom Cruise during the recording of an audio commentary.

Tom Cruise Awarded Honorary Naval Aviator Certificate for Top Gun

Tom Cruise was made an honorary aviator by Naval Air Forces.

Tom Cruise Day: Top Gun, War of the Worlds, Days of Thunder Are Getting 4K Ultra HD Releases

Three of Tom Cruise's most successful movies are coming home on 4K Ultra HD Digital and 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray in May to Celebrate #TomCruiseDay.

Val Kilmer Remembers the Icy Top Gun Prank He Pulled on Tom Cruise

Val Kilmer has been reminiscing about his days on the set of Top Gun with co-star Tom Cruise.

Kumail Nanjiani Does Top Gun, Die Hard and Wolverine in Action Movie Photo Shoot

Kumail Nanjiani is showing off his new jacked physique for Eternals by recreating some of his favorite action movies.

I Watched Top Gun with Val Kilmer at a Military Base

Val Kilmer recently attended a special screening of Top Gun at Camp Mabry in Austin, Texas and it made me change my opinion on the 80s classic.

How Goose Got His Nickname in Top Gun

The history behind Goose's nickname in Top Gun is finally broken down by the guy who brought he character to life.

Win Top Gun 30th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray

Relive the 1986 classic Top Gun all over with the 30th Anniversay Blu-ray, loaded with special features.

Film Details

• Articles & Reviews

Brief Synopsis

Cast & crew, kelly mcgillis, anthony edwards, tom skerritt, technical specs.

A cocky Navy pilot, Maverick, and his co-pilot, Goose, are chosen to attend the Top Gun school. Training begins against other hot shots, and Maverick falls for one of the instructors.

Michael Ironside

Adrian Pasdar

Randall brady, richard villalobos, linda rae jurgens, clarence gilyard, troy hunter, duke stroud, frank pesce, whip hubley, brian sheehan.

Tim Robbins

James tolkan, john stockwell, rick rossovich, pete pettigrew, admiral t j cassidy, nick alavarado, julianna arenson, diana austin, bill badalato, pamela bentkowski, robert r. benton, otis blackwell, larry blanford, michael w blymyer, jerry bruckheimer, peter cairo, james campana, david carothers, james cavarretta, richard childs, richard f clark, lisa clarkson milillo, sam comstock, john j connor, virginia cook, jack cooperman, patrick cosgrove, steve cropper, stuart cudlitz, john de cuir, dan delgado, jim destafney, john dexter, michael dilbeck, teri e. dorman, john michael eaves, craig dennis edgar, ron eiseman, juno j. ellis, emilio estefan, julia evershade, harold faltermeyer, john paul fasal, rick fichter, claudia finkle, daniel f. finnerty, stacey foiles, steven foster, roy freeland, john gazdik, barbara gerard, john gilbert, franne golde, whitney green, jeff greenberg, larry greene, william groshelle, gary gutierrez, allen l hall, cecelia hall, david hallinger, jack hammer, donald r hansard, jack hansard, thomas r harmon, c j heatley, jan heyneker, steve holladay, jake hooker, john horton, frank howard, george howe, joey ippolito, sarah jacobs, michael jay, wingate jones jr., william b. kaplan, donna keegan, william kelly, david kelson, jeffrey l kimball, catalaine knell, david knoll, dan koblash, dan kolsrud, george leahy, chris lebenzon, stephen lighthill, kenny loggins, sharon mann, teena marie, stacey s mcintosh, marghe mcmahon, scott metcalfe, donald o mitchell, ted moehnke, giorgio moroder, michael moskowitz, earle murphy, jon napolitano, ralph nelson, bob nichols, martin nicholson, kenneth nishino, david nowell, jon o'connell, kevin o'connell, ron oberman, allessandro palladini, andrew g patterson, gayle peabody, bruce pearson, randy peters, peter pettigrew, joe pizzulo, gary platek, thomas prophet, chip proser, bobbie read, otis redding, brian reeves, david robertson, mitch romanauski, r.a. rondell, ward t russell, earl sampson, june samson, steven sanders, greg schmidt, alan roy scott, margery simkin, don simpson, warren skaaren, donald smith, matthew snyder, phil spector, sandy stairs, stephen stalheim, jeffery d stanman, edward steidele, steve stephens, richard t stevens, randy stiles, peter stolz, david stone, sally syberg, wes takahashi, peter thomas, don thompson, gary tolbert, james w. tyson, joe valentine, marietta waters, george watters, billy weber, cynthia weil, barbara weintraub, d michael wheeler, tom whitlock, christine whitney, robert willard, erick willenbrock, robert winder, marshall winn, award nominations, best editing, best sound effects sound editing.

Miscellaneous Notes

Released in United States Spring May 12, 1986

Wide Release in United States May 16, 1986

Re-released in United States February 8, 2013

Released in United States on Video March 1987

The film was converted to 3-D by Legend 3D for an IMAX® 3D re-release, beginning on February 8, 2013.

To achieve its widescreen effect film was shot in Super Technicscope/Super 35, instead of the fully anamorphic widescreen process Panavision, due to the smaller, more manageable shooting lenses afforded.

Began shooting June 26, 1985.

Additional love scenes between Tom Cruise and Kelly McGillis were shot in Chicago, Illinois March 1986 after a sneak preview in Dallas, Texas.

According to the July 1991 issue of Esquire magazine, Warren Skaaren contributed to the screenplay.

aspect ratio 2.35

Sign Up now to stay up to date with all of the latest news from TCM.

Your Browser is Not Supported

To view this content, please use one of the following compatible browsers:

Safari v11+

Firefox Quantum

Microsoft Edge

Inside the Original ‘Top Gun’: How Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer Assembled the 1986 Tom Cruise Classic

By Cynthia Littleton

Cynthia Littleton

Business Editor

• FCC Orders Nexstar to Sell WPIX New York or Other Stations, Levies $1.2 Million Fine Over Mission Broadcasting Pact 2 days ago
• Judge Dismisses DirecTV’s Antitrust Lawsuit Against Nexstar 4 days ago
• Brooke Shields Talks Beauty, Business, Growing Up in Public and the Power of Vulnerability at SXSW: ‘I Am Woman, Hear Me More’ 1 week ago

The original “Top Gun” is a study in Hollywood moviemaking of a certain era — an era captured in the pages of Variety as the movie was birthed starting in mid-1983 until its triumphant release by Paramount Pictures three years later.

The movie came together during the period when Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer were at the peak of their powers as red-hot producers of culture-shaking films such as 1983’s “Flashdance” and 1984’s “Beverly Hills Cop.” The film that the pair crafted with numerous screenwriters (more on that in the clips), director Tony Scott and veteran producer Bill Badalato launched Tom Cruise to a new level of stardom and created a legacy sturdy enough for Cruise, Bruckheimer and Paramount to leap back to the top of the box office nearly 40 years later with the long-delayed, made-for-movie-screens sequel “Top Gun: Maverick.”

As demonstrated by the steady pace of news about “Top Gun,” Simpson and Bruckheimer had a ton of clout with Paramount and the industry at the time. They even were able to control the rights to the soundtrack for the film — something they learned from the success of “Flashdance” and “Beverly Hills Cop.” Simpson-Bruckheimer Prods. cut a deal with Columbia Records for the soundtrack that spent several weeks at No. 1 in the summer of 1986 and yielded hits for Kenny Loggins (“‘Danger Zone”), Berlin (“Take My Breath Away”) and Harold Faltermeyer (“Top Gun Anthem,” “Memories”).

A trip through the Variety archives shows the first reference to the movie in nascent form came about two months after California magazine published the article that inspired the movie. “ Top Guns,” penned by Ehud Yonay, told the story of derring-do by top-tier young pilots at the Naval Air Station Miramar training facility near San Diego.

The project was mentioned as one of several in development in the Aug. 3, 1983 edition of Daily Variety , which included a page 1 story about Simpson and Bruckheimer signing a rich new three-year production pact with Paramount, which was eager to keep its dynamic duo on the Melrose lot. (In classic slate-story fashion, the other early-gestating projects cited are worth a read-through for ’80s movie obsessives.)

The “Top Gun”-related clips shared here follow the nuts-and-bolts process of assembling a movie, from landing Cruise and director Tony Scott to the hurdles in selecting the film’s female lead to the tragic 1985 death of ace pilot Art Scholl,who crashed while capturing aerial footage for the movie.

A look back at the transactional history of “Top Gun” also adds telling details to the legend of the late Don Simpson. Variety’s coverage of the voluble producer is a window on how the master showman worked every lever — he was on the phone with Variety ‘s Army Archerd at least once a week — to lay the groundwork for a blockbuster that would stand the test of time.

Simpson had his demons that led to his death in January 1996 at the age of 52. But before tales of his personal behavior overtook his professional accomplishments, he spent years as a movie marketing and advertising executive. He knew what to do with a massive hit. And he had a lot of thoughts about what it takes to make a great movie.

As Simpson told Variety in August 1983 when he and Bruckheimer inked what would be a fruitful, multi-picture deal with Paramount:

Interestingly, all of the 11 films Simpson and Bruckheimer now have in development are original ideas rather than scripts based on novels or film remakes. “One of the problems and reasons behind movies failing is that they’re not based on new ideas, ” Simpson offered. “We have much more on the upside working this way and I think our personal aptitude is more in that area.”

August 3, 1983: 'Top Gun' the Movie is Born

The first reference to “Top Gun” as a movie project came in the Aug. 3, 1983, edition of Daily Variety .

Producers Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer parlayed their success with “Flashdance” into a lucrative multi-picture deal with Paramount Pictures — a pact that would pay off nicely for both sides with “Beverly Hills Cop” and “Top Gun,” for starters.

The above-the-fold page 1 story in Variety cemented their status as hot-shot movie producers. It’s full of pearls of wisdom from Simpson, who had previously been president of production at Paramount before stepping down to produce “Flashdance.”

The story also features Paramount president Michael Eisner vowing that the pair would “be productive in both films and television.” What’s more, Eisner assured, in a quote that is now a time capsule, the TV marketplace was wide open for the pair: “We have two of the three networks interested in them (Simpson and Bruckheimer) as a team,” Eisner told Daily Variety ‘s Steven Ginsberg.

(Bruckheimer, of course, was destined for big things in TV, but it would take another 17 years before he found his first smash hit, CBS’ “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.”)

Read the story in two parts below.

December 7, 1984: 'Top Guns' Gets the Greenlight

Paramount Pictures gave Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer an early holiday gift in December 1984 with the formal greenlight for what was dubbed “Top Guns,” as the tale was titled in the original 1983 magazine article on the Miramar Naval Air Station, aka “Fightertown, U.S.A.” It’s no coincidence that the good news came to Simpson and Bruckheimer as the pair’s Eddie Murphy starrer “Beverly Hills Cop” was beginning its strong run that same month.

Simpson vowed to Variety that the movie about hot-shot naval aviators would be akin to “this generation’s ‘From Here to Eternity.’ ”

Read the story below.

March 28, 1985: 'Top Gun' Lands Its Star and Director

A new regime at Paramount Pictures (Michael Eisner had moved on to run Disney by this point) threw even more money at Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer in 1985, as “Top Gun” readied for lensing and as “Beverly Hills Cop” fired up the box office. News that the producers had landed Tom Cruise to star and Tony Scott to direct made page 1 on March 28, 1985.

May 20, 1985: 'Top Gun' Gets a Quick Rewrite

Producer Don Simpson kept beloved Variety columnist Army Archerd regularly apprised of the trajectory of “Top Gun.” Here it’s clear he was doing some proactive damage control on rumors that the studio was unhappy with the script just as filming was about to begin.

June 3, 1985: Casting Call for 'Top Gun' Female Lead

“Available part: 26-28, femme, physics proficiency, intelligent, starring role.”

With cameras getting ready to roll in San Diego, Paramount sought submissions for the female lead on “Top Gun” as late as the June 3, 1985, edition of Daily Variety .

But in reality, the “Top Gun” team wasn’t waiting on general submissions to land in Marge Simpkin’s office at Paramount. Two days after that item ran, Variety columnist Army Archerd reported in “Just for Variety” that Kelly McGillis had landed the plum part opposite Tom Cruise.

McGillis was on a roll in her career at the time, coming off a well-reviewed performance with Harrison Ford in 1985’s “Witness.” But she did not return for sequel “Top Gun: Maverick.”

September 18, 1985: Top Hollywood Pilot Killed While Working on 'Top Gun'

“Top Gun” came face-to-face with the danger of flying during production when veteran Hollywood film pilot Art Scholl was killed while shooting second-unit aerial footage for director Tony Scott.

Daily Variety , in the Sept. 18, 1985, edition, reported that Scholl, 53, was believed to have died after his “prop-driven biplane crashed into the sea off the northern coast of San Diego.” A Paramount rep told Variety that Scholl had been working with a remote control camera.

Scholl’s previous credits include 1983’s “Blue Thunder” and “The Right Stuff” and 1975’s “The Great Waldo Pepper,” among other films. He was survived by his wife, Judy, and two sons, David and John.

May 9, 1986: 'Top Gun' Review -- 'Revved-Up But Empty Entertainment'

Let’s be frank: Variety did not love “Top Gun” on first viewing. Our reviewer deemed it “revved-up but empty entertainment” and observed that “watching the film is like wearing a Walkman” thanks to its propulsive soundtrack. But we did allow that “audiences prepared to go with it will be taken for a thrilling ride in the wide blue yonder.” (According to Variety ‘s unusual custom back then, the reviewer stayed mostly anonymous under the abbreviated byline “Jagr.”)

Read Variety ‘s original “Top Gun” review in two parts.

May 21, 1986: 'Top Gun' Soars at the Box Office

The verdict was in after opening weekend. “Top Gun” was a hit.

Variety reported on the film’s “big bow,” which ranked as the second-best of the year and helped boost overall receipts over the previous weekend by 37%. Simpson/Bruckheimer Productions and Paramount Pictures also made sure the industry didn’t miss the big numbers with a double-truck grosses ad that featured an instantly iconic shot of star Tom Cruise.

See the story and advertisement below.

January-March 1987: 'Top Gun' FYC Ads

“Top Gun” lived up to its name and stayed aloft as the top-grossing movie of 1986. Producers Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer and Paramount Pictures took a shot at the Oscar race, but they were practical.

Variety ‘s pages during the heat of the early 1987 campaign season (for movies released in 1986) demonstrate that Team “Top Gun” wisely focused its efforts on competing in song and score categories as well as film editing. The movie wound up earning a total of four Academy Award nominations: for sound, film editing, sound effects editing and original song, for tunesmiths Giorgio Moroder and Tom Whitlock for “Take My Breath Away,” as performed by Berlin. The film’s sole win came for song.

Here’s a sampling of “Top Gun” For Your Consideration ads.

More From Our Brands

Russia announces national day of mourning following terror attack at moscow concert hall, billionaire marc andreessen’s longtime silicon valley estate just popped up for sale at $33 million, padres remember peter seidler as world series quest continues, the best loofahs and body scrubbers, according to dermatologists, alice & jack’s domhnall gleeson weighs in on why jack tolerates this ‘tempestuous’ relationship, verify it's you, please log in.

Top Gun: Maverick is the most Tom Cruise film ever

Cruise feels the need for speed in a sequel that puts the actor on a pedestal.

Social Sharing

His voice is a little deeper, there are a few creases around the eyes, but Tom Cruise is as we remember him.  At 59, Cruise has been one of the few constants in the ever-changing film business. 

He has yet to play a superhero. He's resisted the siren call of television. 

"I make movies for the big screen," he recently told the crowd at Cannes Film Festival where he presented Top Gun: Maverick , a sequel to the 1986 air combat film from director Tony Scott. 

There was a time Cruise was shaking things up. He was the slippery sex guru of Magnolia . The bellowing studio exec of Tropic Thunder . Even director Stanley Kubrick found a complexity to Cruise's Ken doll charisma in the steamy Eyes Wide Shut . 

For the last decade, Cruise has been laser-focused on a singular kind of character: The Best. Whether it's space ranger, fighter pilot, or covert agent, Cruise plays the optimal human. The bravest. The most determined. The only flaws are coming from those who stand in his way.

Which brings us to Cruise's return as Capt. Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell. As Admiral Bates breathlessly intones in the new film, "his exploits are legendary."  

Known by his call sign, Maverick is one of the most experienced combat pilots in the navy. Set 30 years after the original, the film opens with Maverick working as a test pilot. As Cruise pushes the experimental jet past Mach 10, hammering the dashboard with his patented "Come On!" a flinty-eyed rear admiral (Ed Harris) orders him to land. 

He does not. 

But before the admiral can clip his wings, there are new orders: report to Top Gun training school. 

If the cycle of derring-do with a dash of insubordination sounds familiar, buckle up, because Top Gun: Maverick is a heat-seeking missile of movie memories, weaponizing every frame of the original film for maximum impact. 

Just as with the original, Top Gun: Maverick opens with a montage of ear-splitting takeoffs, fiery afterburners all accompanied by the Kenny Loggins classic song Danger Zone . America's war machine has never looked better.

But that's just the warm-up. 

As he prepares to return to Top Gun academy, Cruise pulls The Jacket out of his locker. He puts on the mirrored sunglasses and jumps on his Kawasaki motorcycle. Director Joseph Kosinski films Maverick's return to the flight school with all the majesty of a knight in shining armour mounting his steed.

As Cruise zooms past the tarmac, little does he know this is a different kind of mission. No longer a competitor, he's now the teacher — and he'll be training a new generation of elite fighter pilots to take out a dangerous uranium enrichment facility. The country of this rogue state is never mentioned. To maximize profitability and avoid any potential offence, the politics of the film have been completely neutered to the point where even Cruise's famous flight jacket had Japanese and Taiwanese flags removed to avoid upsetting China.  

Top Gun: Maverick is not a subtle film. This is a story where each young pilot comes with a call sign and their own baggage, repeated multiple times for maximum clarity. Glen Powell plays Hangman, a pilot with a carnivorous smile who only looks out for himself.  Then there's the Rooster, played by the mustachioed Miles Teller, who doesn't know when to take the shot. 

Rooster is much more than a pilot fighting his instincts, he's the frustrated son of Goose — who died when Maverick's jet spun out of control 30 years ago. With Teller's height and long face, he easily could be the son of actor Anthony Edwards who played his fictional father in the original.

Militarily, Maverick's biggest challenge is getting the students ready for a seemingly impossible mission in three weeks. But what he's really battling are the ghosts of the past, wrestling with the death of his friend and the responsibility of putting Goose's son in danger. 

It's difficult to critique how heavy-handed the storytelling is because the film is so naked in its intentions. This smart bomb of nostalgia repurposes every element from the original, from the sweaty beach sports sequence to the synth pop pumping in the background. Even Val Kilmer, who lost his voice to throat cancer, was recruited and returns as Iceman, now promoted and acting as Maverick's guardian angel. While Kilmer's role is mainly silent, his star presence is enough that his brief appearance is effective.

What Top Gun: Maverick lacks in subtlety it makes up for with stunning cinematography and flight sequences with actors in the centre of the action. Cruise is an experienced pilot who is known for pushing his cast and crew. Not only did he design a five-month flight training course for the young actors, but he reportedly insisted on the camera system being placed in the cockpits to capture the flight manoeuvres. The result is a blend of acting and real aerial footage that is breathtaking.

We're so accustomed to watching computer-generated effects that it takes a moment to process that those are real canyons and clouds whipping past the actors as the world swings around them like a gyroscope.  

But there's one special effect Cruise can't replicate: his younger self's vulnerability.  Yes, the Tom Cruise of 1986 was a bit of a babyface who looked like he should barely be driving, never mind flying $30-million fighter jets. But there was a spark of danger there. Pete had something to prove. He earned that call sign Maverick. Even Iceman didn't trust him. He was too hungry, too reckless. 

In the sequel, nothing is left to chance. The camera orbits around him, his skills are unquestioned. Even Jennifer Connelly as the old flame Penny inevitably gives in with a love scene that has all the passion of a Christmas card. But this too makes sense. There is an almost saintly air about the characters Cruise plays now. He's gone beyond the needs of the flesh. Call it the Church of Tom. 

Top Gun: Maverick ends with a stunning 30-minute climax filled with roaring jets and close calls. His face hidden behind the oxygen mask, all we have are Cruise's eyes and voice. The jet has become a projection of his will. 

"Don't think, just do," he tells Rooster as they zip over the terrain. 

The actor has spent the past 10 years showing us he's the best at everything. He's clearly convinced himself and the people he works with. But in his mania to control every element, he's lost a little of the spark that made him so watchable in the first place. 

Top Gun: Maverick opens in theatres May 27th

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Senior entertainment reporter

Eli Glasner is the senior entertainment reporter and screentime columnist for CBC News. Covering culture has taken him from the northern tip of Moosonee Ontario to the Oscars and beyond.  You can reach him at [email protected].

• More by this author

Related Stories

• The first flight of Top Gun (and two other reasons to visit the cinema) in 1986
• From patriotism to recruitment: How Hollywood helped the U.S. military sell the War on Terror
• Tom Cruise aims higher with movie shot on space station

• Search Please fill out this field.
• Manage Your Subscription
• Give a Gift Subscription
• Sweepstakes
• Entertainment

Anthony Edwards Told Tom Cruise 'Mission Accomplished' with 'Top Gun: Maverick' : 'They Did It'

"It was fantastic," Top Gun star Anthony Edwards raved of the 1986 film's long-awaited sequel Maverick after catching an early screening of the film with costar Tom Cruise

Glenn Garner is a form writer-reporter who worked heavily with PEOPLE's Movies and TV verticals. He left PEOPLE in 2023.

Anthony Edwards may not physically appear in Top Gun: Maverick but he was one of the sequel's earliest fans.

The Golden Globe winner, 59, gave his seal of approval to the follow-up of his 1986 movie after catching an early screening with costar Tom Cruise , which he spoke about at Thursday's Tribeca Film Festival world premiere of Jennifer Lopez 's Halftime documentary.

"If you do the first movie, you're lucky enough," Edwards told ET . "I was lucky enough that Tom called me up. He screened it for me in person."

He noted that his son Bailey, 28, who walked the red carpet with him, also tagged along for the intimate sneak peek at the Dolby screening room in New York City, which he said had "the best sound ever," adding: "It was fantastic."

Edwards appeared in the original Top Gun as Lt. Nick "Goose" Bradshaw, the closest confidant of LT Pete "Maverick" Mitchell (Cruise). And although the character tragically died in the first film, he lives on in the sequel through the character of his now-grown son Lt. Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw ( Miles Teller ).

"It's the biggest movie that I'm in that I never had to show up for a day of work, so it was fun," Edwards raved.

The ER alum also praised the sequel for living up to its predecessor. "When something's that successful, people had a certain feeling in the original one," he said.

"And [ Top Gun: Maverick ] does exactly what it felt like seeing it the first time, only more," Edwards explained. "As I said to Tom, 'Mission accomplished.' They did it. They really did though. It's a lot of work that went into that. But it had the feel, it had the tone, it had what people wanted."

RELATED VIDEO: 'Top Gun: Maverick" Stars Tom Cruise , Jon Hamm, Miles Teller & More on Filming the "Love Letter to Aviation"

Cruise, 59, reprises his role in Top Gun: Maverick more than 35 years after appearing in the original. The sequel sees Maverick still flying as one of the Navy's top aviators, avoiding a rank promotion that would keep him grounded. Meanwhile, he trains a new class of fighter pilots for the mission of a lifetime, while confronting ghosts from his past.

Top Gun: Maverick is now in theaters.

• Born July 3 , 1962 · Syracuse, New York, USA
• Birth name Thomas Cruise Mapother IV
• Height 5′ 7″ (1.70 m)
• In 1976, if you had told fourteen-year-old Franciscan seminary student Thomas Cruise Mapother IV that one day in the not too distant future he would be Tom Cruise, one of the top 100 movie stars of all time, he would have probably grinned and told you that his ambition was to join the priesthood. Nonetheless, this sensitive, deeply religious youngster who was born in 1962 in Syracuse, New York, was destined to become one of the highest paid and most sought after actors in screen history. Tom is the only son (among four children) of nomadic parents, Mary Lee (Pfeiffer), a special education teacher, and Thomas Cruise Mapother III, an electrical engineer. His parents were both from Louisville, Kentucky, and he has German, Irish, and English ancestry. Young Tom spent his boyhood always on the move, and by the time he was 14 he had attended 15 different schools in the U.S. and Canada. He finally settled in Glen Ridge, New Jersey with his mother and her new husband. While in high school, Tom wanted to become a priest but pretty soon he developed an interest in acting and abandoned his plans of becoming a priest, dropped out of school, and at age 18 headed for New York and a possible acting career. The next 15 years of his life are the stuff of legends. He made his film debut with a small part in Endless Love (1981) and from the outset exhibited an undeniable box office appeal to both male and female audiences. With handsome movie star looks and a charismatic smile, within 5 years Tom Cruise was starring in some of the top-grossing films of the 1980s including Top Gun (1986) ; The Color of Money (1986) , Rain Man (1988) and Born on the Fourth of July (1989) . By the 1990s he was one of the highest-paid actors in the world earning an average 15 million dollars a picture in such blockbuster hits as Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994) , Mission: Impossible (1996) and Jerry Maguire (1996) , for which he received an Academy Award Nomination for best actor. Tom Cruise's biggest franchise, Mission Impossible, has also earned a total of 3 billion dollars worldwide. Tom Cruise has also shown lots of interest in producing, with his biggest producer credits being the Mission Impossible franchise. In 1990 he renounced his devout Catholic beliefs and embraced The Church of Scientology claiming that Scientology teachings had cured him of the dyslexia that had plagued him all of his life. A kind and thoughtful man well known for his compassion and generosity, Tom Cruise is one of the best liked members of the movie community. He was married to actress Nicole Kidman until 2001. Thomas Cruise Mapother IV has indeed come a long way from the lonely wanderings of his youth to become one of the biggest movie stars ever. - IMDb Mini Biography By: Tom McDonough, Grant failor
• Spouses Katie Holmes (November 18, 2006 - August 20, 2012) (divorced, 1 child) Nicole Kidman (December 24, 1990 - August 8, 2001) (divorced, 2 children) Mimi Rogers (May 9, 1987 - February 4, 1990) (divorced)
• Children Isabella Jane Cruise Suri Cruise Connor Cruise
• Parents Thomas Mapother III Mary Lee Pfeiffer
• Relatives William Mapother (Cousin) Amy Mapother (Cousin) Katherine Mapother (Cousin) Lee Anne De Vette (Sibling)
• Often plays romantic leading men with an edge
• Often plays characters caught up in extraordinary circumstances
• Frequently plays intelligent yet laidback and likeable characters
• Beaming smile and intense eye contact
• Boundless off-stage energy
• His acting idol is Paul Newman . Much to the delight of Cruise, they became good friends during work on The Color of Money (1986) . Newman got him into racing, and Cruise ultimately raced on his team.
• Stopped to help a hit and run victim and paid her hospital bills. The victim was aspiring Brazilian actress Heloisa Vinhas (1996).
• Insists on performing many of his own stunts in his films, including climbing the exterior of the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world, during the filming of Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011) , and driving during the car chases in Jack Reacher (2012) .
• Cruise earned roughly $75 million for Mission: Impossible II (2000) . He did this by turning down any upfront salary, for instead taking a back-end deal that landed him 30% of the film's gross for both his producing and acting duties.
• He did not stay for the remainder of the 2002 Academy Awards after opening them because it was his turn to look after his and ex-wife Nicole Kidman 's children. He reportedly left the Kodak Theatre by a back door after opening proceedings and dashed home to watch the rest of the event on television with his kids Connor and Isabella.
• The thing about filmmaking is I give it everything, that's why I work so hard. I always tell young actors to take charge. It's not that hard. Sign your own checks, be responsible.
• [to Jay Leno regarding his topless Vanity Fair cover shoot] I don't drink but I had a beer that night and they only did one setup like that. I'm a cheap date. What can I say?
• [on Eyes Wide Shut (1999) ] We knew from the beginning the level of commitment needed. We felt honored to work with Stanley Kubrick . We were going to do what it took to do this picture, whatever time, because I felt - and Nic [ Nicole Kidman ] did, too - that this was going to be a really special time for us. We knew it would be difficult. But I would have absolutely kicked myself if I hadn't done this.
• I have cooked turkeys in my day but when Mom's around I let her do it.
• I was 18 when I saw Akira Kurosawa 's Seven Samurai (1954) . After about 30 seconds, I realized that this was not just a cultural thing, it was universal. Years later, I read Bushido. It talked about many things that I strive for in my own life: loyalty, compassion, responsibility, the idea of looking back on your life and taking responsibility for everything you've ever done. I'm fascinated by the samurai and the samurai code - it's one of the main reasons I wanted to make The Last Samurai (2003) .
• Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part Two (2025) - $13,000,000 + % of back end
• Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (2023) - $13,000,000 + % of back end
• Top Gun: Maverick (2022) - $13,000,000 + % of back end
• The Mummy (2017) - $13,000,000 + % of gross
• Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011) - $12,500,000 + % of back end

Contribute to this page

• Learn more about contributing

More from this person

• View agent, publicist, legal and company contact details on IMDbPro

More to explore

Recently viewed

• Action/Adventure
• Children's/Family
• Documentary/Reality
• Amazon Prime Video

More From Decider

Watch Kate Middleton's Heartbreaking Cancer Video Announcement, Told In...

'Quiet On Set' Unearths Disturbing Clip of A Young Ariana Grande "Milking"...

Chelsea Clinton Says Joe Biden "Doesn't Get The Credit He Deserves" On...

Amanda Bynes And Dan Schneider's Creepy Jacuzzi Sketch Questioned In...

Stormy Daniels Says Donald Trump “Cornered” Her Into Having Sex in...

Whoopi Goldberg Tells 'The View' She Thinks Donald Trump Has Been Using AI...

'Curb Your Enthusiasm' Is Limping To The Finish Line In Its Final Season

John Oliver Tells Andy Cohen That He Thinks Kate Middleton Is "Dead" Until...

Share this:.

• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
• Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
• Click to copy URL

‘Road House’ Director Doug Liman’s Studio Star Vehicles Are Always Refreshingly Uneven, Unpredictable, and Weirdly Alive

Where to stream:.

• Road House (2024)

Wait, Was That Post Malone In ‘Road House’?

Is glass key, florida a real place what to know about ‘road house’ 2024 filming locations, stream it or skip it: ‘road house’ on amazon prime video, a highly enjoyable remake starring jake gyllenhaal and his abs, when does ‘road house’ (2024) come out on amazon prime how to stream jake gyllenhaal’s ‘road house’ movie.

If you heard around the year 2000 that the director of Swingers and Go had signed on to remake the 1989 action movie Road House , you might sigh with trepidation over another seemingly independent-minded filmmaker getting sucked into a vortex of Hollywood pointlessness. Then you might patiently wait for the movie to flop and bust him back to the smaller-budget world where he clearly flourishes. But the strangest thing about the career of director Doug Liman isn’t that he would wind up remaking Road House after such a promisingly scrappy start back in the 1990s; it’s that in 2024, the new version of Road House feels weirdly of a piece with Liman’s other films. He hasn’t made recent studio-feuding headlines by prematurely denouncing his own selling out; he’s made them by angrily insisting that his new movie deserves to be seen in a theater, rather than heading straight to streaming . Whatever he’s up to, Doug Liman is taking it seriously.

Maybe he’s still sensitive about the fact that his first movie, the little-seen dark comedy Getting In , was sent direct to video back in 1994. Liman got a quick reboot of sorts when he directed the 1996 indie comedy Swingers , which is now more closely associated with screenwriter and star Jon Favreau (himself no stranger to corporate-sponsored fare). But with Swingers and its 1999 follow-up Go , Liman established himself as snappy, scrappy chronicler of post-Tarantino semi-youth culture, following would-be scenesters and some actual dirtbags on their misadventures, often involving side trips to Las Vegas. A quarter-century later, Go may look dated in some of its fashions or cultural preoccupations, but it’s still a fast, funny crime comedy – one of the only Pulp Fiction knockoffs that feels like it occupies its own distinct milieu, perhaps due to Liman’s admitted tendency toward “chaotic” shoots that find the movie as he goes rather than working from a strict and disciplined blueprint.

Liman’s jump to bigger projects came with The Bourne Identity , though he retained enough of that old chaos during filming that the studio kept him off the many subsequent sequels. Throughout his “sellout trilogy,” as he once called it, you can sense that creative process starting to wobble, the wheels about to come off: The messy but icon-heavy Mr. and Mrs. Smith gets by on its star power and occasional, mildly Soderberghian touches, and Jumper (or as my tour guide at the Coliseum in Rome referred to it when listing movies that filmed there, The Jumper ) should be a good fit for Liman’s immediate, itchy style, but collapses in a heap of YA franchise spare parts. His subsequent big-to-small-to-big swings have only occasionally seemed strategic, even when, by the vagaries of studio release schedules, his last bunch of movies have been released in complementary size-contrasting bursts: The stripped-down war actioner The Wall and one of Tom Cruise’s only non-franchise movies American Made months apart in 2017; the long-delayed sci-fi YA picture Chaos Walking and the antsy COVID project Locked Down even closer together in 2021.

Road House is sort of both scales at once; a splashy, star-vehicle action movie on one hand, a straight-to-streaming remake of an unambitious exploitation movie on the other. Tackling a disreputable cult classic, Liman has a few tricks he uses incessantly, primarily whip-panning his camera around so ostentatiously, and at such canted angles, that it looks virtual, like the more heightened sequences in James Wan’s Aquaman movies, only without the high-fantasy imagery. The fight scenes are more elaborate and sustained than in the 1989 original, and also, befitting this era of filmmaking, look way more fake. Thematically or formally, it’s hard to draw many connections between this movie and, say, Go , other than a sly sense of humor and an unflagging energy.

At the same time, there is a kind of knockabout unity among most of Liman’s films. It’s best encapsulated by his best big-budget movie, maybe even his best movie full stop: Edge of Tomorrow , the Tom Cruise/Emily Blunt time-loop adventure. While following the incremental growth of a callow military public relations officer (Cruise) as he lives, dies, and re-lives the same ill-fated battle with hostile alien invaders, Liman finds a lively rhythm to Cruise’s repeated demise, mixing montages and more sustained sequences with abandon. It feels like the movie he was looking for during Jumper or Mr. and Mrs. Smith , the perfect vehicle for the restlessness of his scrappy very ’90s comedies – and for Tom Cruise, too, at a time when his star-driven career moves threatened to feel overly brand-managed.

The same nearly happens with Jake Gyllenhaal in Road House , albeit at a lower wattage and with bigger caveats about his own later-career tendencies: The movie feels tailored, on the fly, to Gyllenhaal’s personality, just as Mr. and Mrs. Smith refashioned itself around Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie almost instinctively, and Bourne Identity turned into a signature level-up for Matt Damon despite a seemingly interchangeable blank of a lead character. Still, nothing in those movies has the bittersweet romantic soul that emerges from Edge of Tomorrow , where Cruise does his most effective audience-surrogate work of the past 20 years simply by quietly falling in love with Emily Blunt while repeatedly getting shot down – literally. Just limiting the comparison to action-movie skills, nothing in Road House has Tomorrow ’s slam-bang slyness, even when Liman seems interested in using CG action to bend and stretch the laws of physics, like a scene where a pickup truck bears down on Gyllenhaal, throws into reverse, and somehow manages to force-scoop him up and yeet him off a bridge. The visual effects of the scene are dodgy, yet there’s more muscle behind this fakery than in similar moments from, say, Matthew Vaughn’s Argylle . Throughout the movie, Liman slides in and out of the uncanny valley; I still have next to no idea whether or not he can be described as good at directing action. I do know that the sloppy-by-design Vegas car chase in Go has a lot more juice than anything that happens in Jumper or most of the cartoony face-offs in Road House (or even the comparably stripped-down The Wall ).

Why, then, does Doug Liman making junk like Road House still sound weirdly promising? How did I so enjoy, for example, his seemingly intentionally annoying marital-disintegration caper movie Locked Down , as well as his computerized Road House and even the largely ignored/reviled Chaos Walking ? I think it’s because there’s something genuinely flaky and erratic about Liman that often makes his bigger-budget movies uneven, unpredictable, and weirdly alive. On paper, Road House is everything wrong with reboot culture: It tries to steal the valor of a movie with an organic, cable-grown cult following; it slathers its “updates” in unconvincing special effects; it actively wastes the time of multiple talented performers; it chucks any chance to say anything (beyond pointing out its own questionable bona fides as a quasi-western) with reckless abandon. In reality, the movie fakes it until it makes it. Maybe that’s why so much of Liman’s disparate, uneven work still feels spiritually connected to Swingers : Those guys bumbled, wheedled, and improvised their way toward unlikely charm, too.

Jesse Hassenger ( @rockmarooned ) is a writer living in Brooklyn. He’s a regular contributor to The A.V. Club, Polygon, and The Week, among others. He podcasts at www.sportsalcohol.com , too.

• Prime Video

Whoopi Goldberg Reveals To 'The View' That She Was Nearly 300 Pounds Before Taking Mounjaro To Lose Weight

Kelly Ripa Calms The 'Live' Audience Down After Telling Them Mark Consuelos Kept Her "Awake All Night Last Night": "No, It's Not That"

Joy Behar Calls Out Men In 'The View' Audience After They Fail To Clap For Dr. Christine Blasey Ford

'Will & Grace' Star Eric McCormack Says Straight Actors Being Cast In Gay Roles Is "Part Of The Gig": "I Didn't Become An Actor So That I Could Play An Actor"

Drew Barrymore Flashes Her Underwear On 'The Drew Barrymore Show': "I Bought These At A Drugstore"

Hulu’s ‘Freaknik’ Documentary Features Nudity, Sex in the Street, and Huge Dildos: “It Was Like a Peep Show”