TOP GUN (1986)

Positive Experience/Entertaining? Sure--in a horribly cheesy way. I forgot how cheese-ball this film was. The 1980s were a time when we'd accept any kind of cocky dickweed as a hero. Smarm does not begin to describe Tom Cruise in this film... or in life, now that I think about it. Still, it was enjoyable to make fun of and we had help from Mike Nelson and Bill Corbett of RiffTrax.com.


Technically any good? Well, I'll always maintain that the flight sequences are truly thrilling (there are only a couple obvious model shots in the film) the story and acting was straight out of some low-rent acting school. No offense to Kelly McGillis, who really is a great actress, but she's pretty flat in this. If this movie were shot today, they'd cast the chick from Transformers as the dog fighting instructor. The music was cheesy and fun and the FX were great.


How did it leave me feeling? Astounded--how did I ever take this film seriously? I think most of us did back in the 1980s. Maybe I just liked the military more back then? I can't explain it. But it's seriously painful to watch now.


Final Rating? RTV - Rent The Video - for 1980s nostalgia's sake only. Don't expect an actual good movie.