Top Gun
Academy Award × 1·National Film Registry
Rent/Purchase
For Lieutenant Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell and his friend and co-pilot Nick 'Goose' Bradshaw, being accepted into an elite training school for fighter pilots is a dream come true. But a tragedy, as well as personal demons, will threaten Pete's dreams of becoming an ace pilot.
What critics thought
DivisiveCritics in 1986 were split almost exactly down the middle: the aerial sequences were widely celebrated as some of the best dogfight footage ever put on screen, but the earthbound drama — particularly the romance — struck many as thin, formulaic, and aimed squarely at teenagers. Audiences loved it unconditionally, and its cultural footprint has only grown, widening the gap between its original mixed notices and its enduring popular reputation.
“the good parts are so good and the bad parts are so relentless. The dogfights are absolutely the best since Clint Eastwood's electrifying aerial scenes in Firefox. But look out for the scenes where the people talk to one another.”
Roger Ebert·Chicago Sun-Times
“it belongs in a teenage sex-fantasy film and not in a movie that deserves the genuine romantic value of An Officer and a Gentleman”
Gene Siskel·Chicago Tribune
Genres
Action, Drama
Cast & Crew
DirectorTony Scott
StarringTom Cruise, Kelly McGillis, Val Kilmer, Anthony Edwards, Tom Skerritt
ComposerHarold Faltermeyer
Top Gun
Academy Award × 1·National Film Registry
For Lieutenant Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell and his friend and co-pilot Nick 'Goose' Bradshaw, being accepted into an elite training school for fighter pilots is a dream come true. But a tragedy, as well as personal demons, will threaten Pete's dreams of becoming an ace pilot.
What critics thought
DivisiveCritics in 1986 were split almost exactly down the middle: the aerial sequences were widely celebrated as some of the best dogfight footage ever put on screen, but the earthbound drama — particularly the romance — struck many as thin, formulaic, and aimed squarely at teenagers. Audiences loved it unconditionally, and its cultural footprint has only grown, widening the gap between its original mixed notices and its enduring popular reputation.
“the good parts are so good and the bad parts are so relentless. The dogfights are absolutely the best since Clint Eastwood's electrifying aerial scenes in Firefox. But look out for the scenes where the people talk to one another.”
Roger Ebert·Chicago Sun-Times
“it belongs in a teenage sex-fantasy film and not in a movie that deserves the genuine romantic value of An Officer and a Gentleman”
Gene Siskel·Chicago Tribune
Genres
Action, Drama
Cast & Crew
DirectorTony Scott
StarringTom Cruise, Kelly McGillis, Val Kilmer, Anthony Edwards, Tom Skerritt
ComposerHarold Faltermeyer
Rent/Purchase