Top Gun Review

Top Gun

Release Date: 13th July 1986 - Australia


Production Companies
Paramount Pictures

Don Simpson/Jerry Bruckheimer Films

Distribution

Paramount Pictures Australia

Genre: Action/Drama

Rating: PG

Runtime: 110 minutes

Budget: $15,000,000

Box Office Gross: $357,288,178 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary

Daredevil fighter pilot Maverick is enrolled in the naval flying school of Top Gun to undergo advanced training. He competes with Iceman as they strive to be the best. Maverick is also head over heels for his flying instructor and learns the secret history of his father's death.

Cast

Tom Cruise - Lt. Pete "Maverick" Mitchell

Kelly McGillis - Charlotte "Charlie" Blackwood

Anthony Edwards - Lt. (JG) Nick "Goose" Bradshaw

Meg Ryan - Carole Bradshaw

Val Kilmer - Lt. Tom "Iceman"

Kazansky

Rick Rossovich - Lt. (JG) Ron "Slider" Kerner

Tom Skerritt - Commander Mike "Viper" Metcalf

Michael Ironside - Lt.
Commander Rick "Jester"
Heatherly

John Stockwell - Lt. Bill "Cougar" Cortell
Barry Tubb - Lt. (JG) Henry "Wolfman" Ruth

Tim Robbins - Lt. Sam "Merlin" Wells

Clarence Gilyard Jr. - Lt. (JG) Marcus "Sundown" Williams

Whip Hubley - Lt. Rick
"Hollywood" Neven

James Tolkan - Commander Tom "Stinger" Jordan
Adrian Pasdar - Lt. Charles "Chipper" Piper

Duke Stroud - Air Boss Johnson

Pete Pettigrew - Perry Siedenthal

Randall Brady - Lt. Davis

Brian Sheehan - Sprawl

T.J. Cassidy - Himself (Cameo)

Aaron & Adam Weis - Goose's Son (Uncredited)

Crew
Director - Tony Scott

Based on a Magazine Article "Top Guns" -

Ehud Yonay

Writers - Jim Cash and Jack Epps Jr.
Screenplay (Uncredited)/Associate Producer -
Warren Skaaren
Executive Producer/Unit Production Manager -

Bill Badalato

Producers - Jerry Bruckheimer and

Don Simpson

Technical Advisor - Pete Pettigrew

Aerial Consultants - Thomas R. Harmon
and Richard T. Stevens
Casting Director - Margery Simkin
Production Designer - John DeCuir Jr.

Set Decorator - Robert R. Benton

Director of Photography - Jeffrey L. Kimball

Camera Operators - John J. Connor,

Bob Carmichael (Uncredited) and Robert Edesa

(Uncredited)

Aerial Camera Operators - Nick Alavardo,

Larry Blanford, C.J. Heatley, George Howe,

William E. Kelley Jr., Dan Koblash,

David B. Nowell, Don Thompson and

Gary Tolbert

First Assistant Director - Dan Kolsrud

Second Assistant Directors - Patrick Cosgrove,

Sharon Mann and James Dillon (Uncredited)
Stunt Coordinator/Stunts - R.A. Rondell
F-14 Aerial Coordinator/Aircrew - Lloyd Abel

Navy Aerial Coordinator/Top Gun Instructor

and MIG Pilot - Robert Willard

Transportation Coordinator - Randy Peters

Special Effects Coordinator - Allen Hall

Supervisor of Special Photographic Effects -
Gary Gutierrez

Model Department Supervisor: USFX -

David Sosalla

Director of Photography: USFX - Rich Fichter

Film Editors - Chris Lebenzon and Billy Weber

Supervising Sound Editors - Cecelia Hall

and George Watters II

Sound Editors - Virginia Cook-McGowan,

Teri Dorman, Julia Evershade, Frank Howard,

Marshall Winn and David Stone

Re-Recording Mixers - Rick Kline,

Donald O. Mitchell and Kevin O'Connell

Foley Artists - Sarah Monat and

Edward M. Stediele

Songs - Giorgio Moroder
Lyrics - Tom Whitlock

Music Editor - Bob Badami

Music - Harold Faltermayer

Awards

1987 Academy Awards
Best Music, Original Song "Take My Breath

Away" - Giorgio Moroder and Tom Whitlock (Won)
-------------------------
Best Sound - Donald O. Mitchell, Kevin O'Connell,
Rick Kline and William B. Kaplan (Nominated)
Best Film Editing - Billy Weber and

Chris Lebenzon (Nominated)
Best Sound Editing - Cecelia Hall and

George Watters II (Nominated)

Review

What a total high-flying action movie. TOP GUN has done well with its perfectly choreographed flight sequences, brilliant cinematography and the onscreen romantic chemistry between Tom Cruise and Kelly McGillis. TOP GUN provides incredible acting with the best performance from Cruise as Maverick. Also worthy of mention are the supporting actors like Val Kilmer and Anthony Edwards. Terrific 80s songs such as Kenny Loggins' "Danger Zone" and Berlin's "Take My Breath Away", with the music score by Harold Faltermeyer, only add to this airborne action drama of overall superb quality.

This feature is superior to the last jet movie, Stealth, which fails to amaze. TOP GUN is a unique film by producer Jerry Bruckheimer and the late director Tony Scott, who made it a combined effort in all their hard work. It's enjoyable in its own right and deliberately takes your breath away (no pun intended). I'm putting this movie on my favourite action feature list.

Star rating: (5/5) Best Movie Ever

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