Little off topic for the Holiday weekend.. Who's going to see the new Top Gun movie?

I realize that. A movie is supposed to be entertainment. I was not entertained - I was irritated that a production company would expect me to buy into the movie for an instant.

 

ahhh.. to each his own guys..

To me, there is a word for movies that are totally based in reality.. Documentaries..

Anyway..

Saw the move last night..

I would give it a 7 on a 1-10 scale.

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High points:

Excellent action scenes..

Great casting and Cinematography.. the movie really jumps off the screen at you. Ed Harris's role was small, but he nails it. The Cameo by Kilmer was nice.

The theatrical opening included a personal message from Tom Cruise, thanking the patrons for going to the movies to see it.. That was interesting and unexpected. Might be the first time that has ever been done.

For the airplane enthusiast, this is about as good as it gets.. from Cruise's personal P-51 to the CGI renditions of the latest Russian fighter jets, it's a feast for the senses.

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Negatives:

It relies too much on the first movie.. some of the dialog is directly from the first movie, it's suppose to be nostalgic, but it came off as cheesy to me. The opening sequence is a direct copy of the original film, right down to Kenny Login's music over the top of it.. Only difference is a new carrier, and different planes.

Too predictable.. as with most sequels, the writers were afraid to explore new ideas with the main character. I would have loved to have seen one of the twenty something hotshots best Maverick in a training dog fight.. that would be believable, as being a fighter pilot is a young mans game, that one would not expect a nearly 60 year old to be competitive in. Then they could have built an "older hero against the odds" deal, which would have made the main plot more interesting.

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But overall, I would say it's worth the price of the ticket, and if you loved the first one, this one delivers. The 21st century special effects are incredible, there is a bit of humor in it, and it's not a bad way to spend a couple hours.

JW

 

I don't like Tom Cruise and won't see his movies. Not because of any of his personal beliefs, but because:
-- He threw Goose's dog tags like a little girl.
-- That "you complete me' movie.
-- The whole "jumping on the couch" thing.

I mean, wouldn't the original Top Gun movie have been better if it had been about Goose?

 

His scientology exploits are enough for me.

 

Maybe part of it is that I am first and foremost a comedy guy. Action films generally aren't my thing.

 

HA! thats funny cause anything can go in an Avengers movie. Nothing is out of bounds or off limits. Watched part of Aquaman last night on the TV and thought it was stupid and totally unbelievable. If the same story took place in space It would have been ok.

 

All I want from a movie is entertainment. Entertain me for 2 hours, that's all I ask. I don't need Oscar- winning performances, great this or fantastic that -- just don't make me feel like you stole my money. Give me a 7 on a scale of 1-10 and I'll probably go away happy.

FYI, From the way things in Ukraine are going, the most unrealistic thing about the new Top Gun might be showing the Russian jets as airworthy instead of being stuck in the hanger due to poor maintenance and missing parts. But that might have ruined the plot...

 

I always liked the late Robert Mitchum. I once saw an interview with him where he was asked what had made him as successful an actor as he was. His answer was perfect : "I show up on time and know my lines."

 

Interesting that you say that. Actors like Mitchum, Borgnine, Wayne, Kennedy, McQueen, and Eastwood all relied heavily on their charisma.

Never really thought about this before, but I think it holds true for Tom Cruise as well.

 

We just got back from watching it. It was light, full of action, drama etc. Great flight footage throughout the movie.
They didn't try to stuff any left or right ideas down our throats, just made their universe, established a justified enemy and the action was on.

I enjoyed it. I was shocked how much Rooster looked like Goose. It was a pleasant afternoon. I give it a perfect 5 out of 7.

 

My youngest daughter just got the "Most Dependable" award in her middle school drama club last week for that very reason. She liked that quote. Thanks.

(Also, spellcheck just tried to change "aaward" or whatever it was that I typed to "aardvark". Gotta admit, it would have been way cooler if they gave out aardvarks.)

 

Just got home from an XD theatre showing. I would be hard pressed to find fault with TG Maverick. Two guns up

The wives even liked it!

Consider this, it was PG-13.

 

Great show ..left the theatre happy with the entertainment of it and the nostalgia..8/10 for me

 

I'm a plane dude but I think I will just catch it on cable around x-mas time

 

Some movies warrant the big screen. This is one of them.

There were two things that bothered me, but not bunches. The actors that played pilots Phoenix and Payback completely lacked any talent IMHO. Also, Maverick had his own P-51, which was not a naval plane. He should have had an F4U Corsair in keeping with all things Navy.

 

That is actually Tom Cruise's personal P-51, which is why it's in the movie I am sure.. and the scenes at the end of him flying it are real. He also apparently did a bunch of the flying in the movie, but it's hard to get any info on exactly what it was.. I can't see the Navy letting him fly one of their jets, 11K an hour to rent or not...

The P-51 was a present from his then Wife, Katie Holmes.

JW