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Top Gun

  • 1986
  • PG
  • 1h 49m
IMDb RATING
7.0/10
528K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
360
120
Tom Cruise and Kelly McGillis in Top Gun (1986)
As students at the United States Navy's elite fighter weapons school compete to be best in the class, one daring young pilot learns a few things from a civilian instructor that are not taught in the classroom.
Play trailer0:51
20 Videos
99+ Photos
Action EpicActionDrama

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 is sent to the school, his reckless atti... Read allThe 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 is sent to the school, his reckless attitude and cocky demeanor put him at odds with the other pilots, especially the cool and col... Read allThe 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 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.

  • Director
    • Tony Scott
  • Writers
    • Jim Cash
    • Jack Epps Jr.
    • Ehud Yonay
  • Stars
    • Tom Cruise
    • Tim Robbins
    • Kelly McGillis
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.0/10
    528K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    360
    120
    • Director
      • Tony Scott
    • Writers
      • Jim Cash
      • Jack Epps Jr.
      • Ehud Yonay
    • Stars
      • Tom Cruise
      • Tim Robbins
      • Kelly McGillis
    • 874User reviews
    • 195Critic reviews
    • 50Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Won 1 Oscar
      • 11 wins & 9 nominations total

    Videos20

    'Top Gun' 3D Re-release Trailer
    Trailer 0:51
    'Top Gun' 3D Re-release Trailer
    Top Gun
    Trailer 1:23
    Top Gun
    Top Gun
    Trailer 1:23
    Top Gun
    Top Gun
    Trailer 0:13
    Top Gun
    The Rise of Tom Cruise
    Clip 4:36
    The Rise of Tom Cruise
    How 'Top Gun' Changed Tom Cruise
    Clip 4:45
    How 'Top Gun' Changed Tom Cruise
    IMDb Getting Ready for Maverick's Return Presented by USAA Insurance
    Clip 1:00:01
    IMDb Getting Ready for Maverick's Return Presented by USAA Insurance

    Photos274

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    Top cast37

    Edit
    Tom Cruise
    Tom Cruise
    • Maverick
    Tim Robbins
    Tim Robbins
    • Merlin
    Kelly McGillis
    Kelly McGillis
    • Charlie
    Val Kilmer
    Val Kilmer
    • Ice
    Anthony Edwards
    Anthony Edwards
    • Goose
    Tom Skerritt
    Tom Skerritt
    • Viper
    Michael Ironside
    Michael Ironside
    • Jester
    John Stockwell
    John Stockwell
    • Cougar
    Barry Tubb
    Barry Tubb
    • Wolfman
    Rick Rossovich
    Rick Rossovich
    • Slider
    Clarence Gilyard Jr.
    Clarence Gilyard Jr.
    • Sundown
    Whip Hubley
    Whip Hubley
    • Hollywood
    James Tolkan
    James Tolkan
    • Stinger
    Meg Ryan
    Meg Ryan
    • Carole
    Adrian Pasdar
    Adrian Pasdar
    • Chipper
    Randall Brady
    • Lt. Davis
    Duke Stroud
    Duke Stroud
    • Air Boss Johnson
    Brian Sheehan
    Brian Sheehan
    • Sprawl
    • Director
      • Tony Scott
    • Writers
      • Jim Cash
      • Jack Epps Jr.
      • Ehud Yonay
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews874

    7.0528K
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    Featured reviews

    7utgard14

    "Talk to me, Goose."

    Hot shot fighter pilot Maverick (Tom Cruise) clashes with other pilots at Top Gun School while trying to prove himself and live down his father's bad reputation. He also makes time to get sexy with instructor Kelly McGillis, who may or may not have lost that lovin' feelin'. What an awesome movie. Who doesn't love Top Gun? It made Tom Cruise a household name, gave us countless quotable lines, and has one of the best soundtracks ever. Yeah, it's cheesy and formulaic but it's also a lot of fun. Hey, it's got a mustachioed Anthony Edwards playing a dude called Goose! How cool is that? One word of caution for all the young guys out there: following a woman into the ladies room will not work out well for you. Only Maverick can pull that off and get away with it.
    ericjg623

    And all the Air Force got was "Iron Eagle" .....

    If there's ever proof of the cachet of Naval Aviation, this is it. Those poor Air Force guys got a trio of "Iron Eagle" flicks that went from bad to horrible, whereas the Navy flyboys got this great 1980's classic. Sure, it's cheesy and corny, but it makes the cheese and corn taste pretty damn good. A cynic might argue that it's just a two hour long Navy recruiting ad (one that worked for me, two years later I found my ass in Pensacola sweating through AOCS, short for Aviation Officer Candidate School, the program immortalized in "An Officer and a Gentleman") but by making a pro-Navy movie, the filmmakers also got invaluable technical assistance from top Navy aviators, and it shows.

    For starters, although this movie takes numerous liberties in order to entertain, the basic setup, in which fighter pilots from the fleet get sent to NAS Miramar, aka, "Top Gun" for intensive training, is 100% accurate. The Navy, back during Vietnam, was getting sick of losing too many pilots in air-to-air combat. The problem, they discovered, was their fighter jocks had been trained for purely long-range missile interceptions, meaning they'd lost their dogfighting skills. And, in Vietnam, several American planes were accidentally shot down by their own side by missiles, so, as a safety factor, enemy planes had to be visually identified, meaning American pilots were back to engaging the enemy at short range, hence the need for dogfighting. The "Top Gun" school was started as a result, and the rest is history.

    Now, back to the movie. Tom Cruise is Maverick, a hotshot pilot but also somewhat unstable. If "Risky Business" launched his career as a movie star, then "Top Gun" cemented it. Guys wanted to be like him, and women of course lusted after him. The plot is pure formula, but executed with consummate professionalism. The team who put this movie together knew exactly how to push all the right buttons. But the crème de la crème is surely the flying. I don't think that any movie, before or since, has ever rendered air combat in a more convincing and dramatic fashion. For nearly 100 years fighter pilots have been the modern equivalent of olden knights, men who brought a sense of glamour and romance to the deadly art of war, and this movie gives them a fitting tribute.

    8/10
    7ThomasDrufke

    Flying Against a Ghost

    There are few movies that are considered classics that I have yet to see, but Top Gun was one of them. I was pretty tired of hearing the endless references and not understanding them, so I decided to finally sit down and give it a shot. It's enjoyable, but I think it was more of a product of it's time. It's better appreciated as an 80's film than a film in general. Now I don't mean that the effects don't hold up, because they do. I just feel like it had all the fruit at the right time, where as now some of them might be expired or just not as popular. Whether it was 'Take My Breath Away', a smash hit at the time, or Tom Cruise, a blossoming superstar actor, Top Gun is a good movie that was definitely considered great back in the day.

    Maverick, one of the most famous film characters of all time, learns to become not just a better Navy pilot, but a more well rounded man. Tom Cruise has been better for sure but he has some fun with this role. But when you look at Collateral and even last years Edge of Tomorrow, Cruise is a legitimate actor, but I think at this point in his career he was just trying to make it big. He's extremely cocky and not particularly fond of anybody trying to tell him what to do. He needs wisdom and a life altering event that humbles him. Well he definitely gets both of those. But his cockiness is why the character became so famous. It's one of the main reasons why I think a sequel could be both great and potentially unnecessary. We go on a journey with Maverick throughout the film. A journey that changes his character quite a bit, so I'm not sure a second look at his character works. On the other-hand, knowing where his character ends up, it can be an interesting passing of the torch story if you will.

    What I think was missing here was more of a back story with Maverick. We get a little bit with his father and a quick remark about his mother, but I would have liked to see more of how he became so cocky and conceded. I did enjoy the romance between Cruise and Kelly McGinnis, who has some of the most stunning eyes you will ever see. You can tell she was one of the few people that could get to him and help him through all the troubles he ends up going through.

    +Effects hold up

    +Kilmer and McGinnis' performance

    +Music

    -Needed more back story

    -Too much of an 80's product

    7.0/10
    GRL666

    Classic 80's movie: Tom Cruise at his best

    The fact that people are still writing about this film 15yrs after it was first released (and I'm not just talking about me!) really says a lot. I was dubious about writing a comment, seeing as it really has been ages since it was released and thinking that most people who wanted to see it probably already have. After recently watching it for the umpteenth time on TV, I felt compelled to write a quickie ;) I have to say, it's the first time I looked up Top Gun on the imdb and I was actually quite surprised that it only received a 6.4 rating. If you haven't seen the movie yet, don't judge it by the ratings, read a few user comments first and just rent it out, I guarantee you'll have a good time, especially with its amazing soundtrack! The best 80's songs ever written, I still get chills down my back listening to them ;) It's a simple plot but there's something about it that makes it a seriously enjoyable film and one you can watch time and time again. Go have fun! Enjoy!
    neilanderson

    Polished and heartfelt

    Top Gun is undoubtedly one of my favourite films, and one of those that has the ability to keep enthralling you even while watching for the tenth time. Director Tony Scott was chosen after the producers saw his work in advertising, and true to their judgement he has produced a visual masterpiece. It looks simply gorgeous, and the live action sequences have never been bettered. If there is one flaw in the film it is that it is somewhat shallow, with all of the people behind the film (and Tom Cruise) rather better at making visual spectaculars than an engaging story. However the story does work well in drawing you into the world of Maverick and his fellow naval aviators, Cruise forms an excellent rapport with Anthony Edwards as Goose, and the dialogue is snappy and eminently quotable. Everyone has at some stage used Maverick's line - "I couls tell you, but then I'd have to kill you", and the cover of the Righteous Brothers is unforgettable. The film is backed by one of the best soundtracks of the decade, and a very strong supporting cast. In my opinion, the film succeeds in everything it sets out to achieve. A cracking script, a gripping story, and simply stunning aerial photography. You have to see this film.

    Who Was Almost Cast in 'Top Gun'?

    Who Was Almost Cast in 'Top Gun'?

    The cast of Top Gun is so iconic, it's hard to imagine anyone else filling those roles, but Maverick and Iceman almost looked very different.
    Watch the video
    Editorial Image
    3:11

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Stunt pilot Art Scholl was killed during the production of the movie, aged 54. He died when his Pitts S-2 camera plane failed to recover from a flat spin and plunged into the Pacific Ocean. Scholl's last words over the radio were "I have a problem - I have a real problem." The exact cause of the crash was never determined, and neither the aircraft nor Scholl's body were ever recovered. The film is dedicated to him.
    • Goofs
      The term "bogey" is misused throughout the movie. A bogey is an unidentified aircraft. Once identified, it is referred to as a "friendly" (for friendly aircraft), "bandit" (for non-friendly aircraft) or "hostile" (for non-friendly aircraft that may be fired at). In USN terminology, a non-friendly surface radar contact is a "skunk".
    • Quotes

      Iceman: You! You are still dangerous. But you can be my wingman any time.

      Maverick: Bullshit! You can be mine.

    • Crazy credits
      The opening credits sequence features a history of the Top Gun program before the title of the film appears on screen, with the remainder of the opening credits devoted to footage of planes being launched from and landing on an aircraft carrier.
    • Alternate versions
      The version of the film shown on the Paramount Network has nearly all of the profane language intact (basically everything but the word "shit"). However, this version also randomly cuts out several scenes and parts of scenes, presumably to fit in the network time slot allotted. Scenes missing altogether include (but are certainly not limited to) Maverick and Goose conversing in their housing regarding whether or not they'll graduate, and Jester and Viper conversing, with Viper revealing hew knew Maverick's "old man." The latter is especially surprising considering this plot point plays a major role in a later scene.
    • Connections
      Edited into MacGyver: GX-1 (1987)
    • Soundtracks
      Danger Zone
      Written by Giorgio Moroder & Tom Whitlock

      Performed by Kenny Loggins

      Produced by Giorgio Moroder

      Kenny Loggins courtesy of CBS Records

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    FAQ27

    • How long is Top Gun?Powered by Alexa
    • What military conflict is going on in the movie? Is there an actual war, or just one isolated incident against Soviet fighter planes for some reason?
    • What is Top Gun about?
    • The soundtrack has a song called "Through The Fire" but does that song actually appear in the movie?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • May 16, 1986 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Facebook
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Top Gun. Pasión y gloria
    • Filming locations
      • 102 Pacific Street, Oceanside, California, USA(Charlie's house)
    • Production companies
      • Paramount Pictures
      • Don Simpson/Jerry Bruckheimer Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $15,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $180,258,178
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $8,193,052
      • May 18, 1986
    • Gross worldwide
      • $357,288,178
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 49 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Stereo
      • Dolby Digital
      • DTS-ES
      • Dolby Digital EX
      • Dolby Atmos
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.39 : 1

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