Everything GREAT About Top Gun!

Ooh, that classic Paramount logo. I immediately feel like I'm watching a VHS and that's a rush of dopamine to the old noodle. So this is mostly true. The only difference is that in real life, there's no trophy because in the Navy's own words, no one would graduate because they'd all die in fiery midair jet collisions. Apparently they're competitive. Boys, this cast stacked. Meg Ryan is the last actor listed. That's how stacked this is. And Harold Faltermeyer, the guy you called if you wanted a synth score in the 80s. Both Beverly Hills cops, the running man, freaking Fletch. Maybe they aren't all winners. He was taking this very seriously. He sets the whole film up with vivid earnestness. I mean, I could do a whole 30 minute video on just the soundtrack for Top Gun because it is untouchable. Brian Adams and REO Speedwagon turned the writers of Danger Zone down and I think we're all pretty stoked they did. Kenny Loggins stands alone. Also, I love that this song is about driving to a laser tag arena two blocks from my childhood home. At least that's what I think the song's about. Never really listened to the lyrics. Highway to the danger zone. Yeah, I'm pretty confident that's what it's about. Why else would Archer love it so much? Man, I hope psyched just to be here doing my job guys in the sequel. And it's such a great intro to this movie. We hit the four minute mark before we meet any actual characters. Just a few solid minutes of jets going vroom vroom. Or is it zoom zoom? Saying present day is a great choice because yeah, the style and music and the treatment of women puts this film squarely in the 80s, but the villains in this film are from an unnamed country and therefore could make this film set any time. It's a good move that puts this story in its own world. Does your 80s movie need a grizzled hard ass who tells your wild card protagonist they're out of line? Look no further than James Tolkien. Anyone else's commie detector going off? Red star and a yellow circle. Definitely ain't no capitalist in that cockpit. Next time Tim Robbins was in a movie with Tom Cruise, he died by shovel. So my point is, fun cameo. Greetings. For the lulz. The kids will say that, right? Anyway, I guess you could say he's a real maverick. Boom, smash to titles. Oh, it's the next one? All right, right. Greetings. And here comes Falter Meyer's Top Gun theme. One of the best movie themes from the 80s, a decade of the best movie themes. Love the dark visor they use for all the enemy pilots. Helps us never feel bad when they die. This is a great shot, man. A simpler time when we pretended like armed conflicts were just a wee bit of fun. Of course, it didn't stop pilots from having full on panic attacks when hearing a missile lock on their jet. Smart to both keep it lighthearted while selling that this is real, even if Goose and Mav don't always act like it is. I bet that never comes back to bite either of these invincible boys. Dang, this is giving me NES Top Gun flashbacks, trying to land on the carrier and crashing into the water every single time. Why was that so hard? Why was it so hard, Nintendo? It didn't need to be that hard. It certainly adds to the tension of the scene, but someone really needs to look into the air conditioning on this ship because it is not working. Fun fact, in real life, James Tolkien is actually only one inch shorter than Tom Cruise and Anthony Edwards is seven inches taller than Tom. So you do what you have to do with that information while looking at this scene. I honestly don't blame them. For practical reasons, this shot just doesn't work as well if real heights are shown. You two characters are going to Top Gun. I'm a simple man. If I'm gonna have some exposition, it better be angry, it better be sweaty, and bonus points if it has the title in it. You don't own that plane, the taxpayers do. I don't mean to repeat myself, but as a taxpayer, I am getting a little concerned. The military budget in 1986 was around $230 billion. Was none of it used on air conditioning? A fan? Iconic. And just like, cool, just so cool. I can't stress this enough, but Tom Cruise does look good in a motorcycle. And I'm a grown adult, but this moment still makes me think I should maybe buy a sweet leather jacket and a motorcycle. I shouldn't, but I want to, and I might. I won't. Shoot, I just did. Don't tell Julia. And part of what makes it seem so cool is that I have to assume you're not allowed to drive a motorcycle that close to a runway, especially at a military base. I don't know, maybe in the 80s. But either way, it seems like you'd be right in the, I'm not sure what the phrase I'm looking for is, the threat area. Yeah, that sounds right. It seems like you would be on a road to the threat area. We all like to talk about Tom Selleck's mustache, but honestly, Tom Skerritt's is one of the best in the game. Respect. Look at Iceman checking out the competition immediately. Name a more iconic couple. I won't wait. Black for the alternates is down in the ladies' room. Goose just amazingly mocking Iceman's grade school misogynistic diss. That laugh gets me every time. I love that the actor behind him seems to really laugh from Edward's performance. Even Cruise seems to crack a smile. Goose is absolutely the heart of this film. I hope nothing happens to him. If I walk up to a bar that proclaims it's animal night, I'm probably just gonna skip it and go to Chili's. Sets the tone for what we're about to witness, I suppose. Also, does that flag look weird? Hey, there's only 36 stars. This movie doesn't take place in America. This is what I call a target rich environment. Fighter pilot wordplay, letting us know he's not just maverick in the Navy, he's also a maverick of being creepy. Goose, even you can get laid in a place like this. I get that Tom Cruise is an agreed upon hottie, but is he really trying to say that ER Dr. Mark Green isn't a verified snack? The vastly underrated Val Kilmer absolutely embodying his namesake by just existing. His namesake being Iceman. Sorry to hear about Cougar. He and I were like brothers in flight school. He was a good man. Still is a good man. Yeah, that's what I meant. Dang it, how do you make me love you with that dismissive snark, Iceman? As it becomes more and more apparent that Tom Cruise is an ageless woods fright who will no doubt outlive society as we know it, it's interesting to see him looking so genuinely young here, like Charlemagne Young. He was in his early 20s, but looks 15. It really lands his young and cocky vibe for the character, while Kilmer, who was in his late 20s, could be 40, exuding clear man strength. No, she hasn't. Yes, she has. She has not lost that look. Goose, she's lost it. Matt, come on. I hate it when she does that. It's amazing how quickly we're completely sold in their lifelong friendship. Excuse me, miss. Hey, hey, hey, don't worry, I'll take care of this. Look, it's clear a lot of effort goes into this pickup routine, and it's another iconic scene, but this is just a gentle reminder not to grab someone at a bar you're interested in talking to. You can just, like, talk to them. But maybe it's... But for being the immortal powerhouse that he is, it's nice to see that there is at least one thing Tom Cruise is not good at. Your lips. It's singing, was that clear? He's very bad at singing. Although I just realized it's a lie because he sings in Magnolia, and it's actually pretty good. But the fact that all these guys are going this hard to help out a newbie who's been pretty arrogant so far is genuinely admirable in a we've all got each other's back sort of way. I love that song. Charlie says she loves that song with an intensity that may be hard to believe if you think of it as a kind of corny oldie. However, Top Gun came out in 86, and the Righteous Brothers released You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' in 1965, which is a 21-year difference. So if this movie were made today, it'd be the equivalent of Charlie saying she loves Miss Jackson by Outkast. Basically, this means I'm old and terrified of dying. Did I say that out loud? Are you a good pilot? I can hold my own. Then I won't have to worry about you making your living as a singer. Oh, Charlie just burned his buttons. Okay, the arm grab was rude, but nope. Just a big old nope. Do not do this. Just really want to make sure we all know not to follow someone who just politely turned you down into a bathroom. It wasn't a product of its time. It was terrible then, too. If you look like Tom Cruise, you might get away with it, but trust me, you don't look like Tom Cruise, and you shouldn't do it even if you do. If there is any sort of win from this insanely aggressive red flag scene, it's that Charlie doesn't give Maverick an inch. He's not taking the hint, but she doesn't back down, doesn't seem intimidated, and moves on with her night, letting him know he's child. The camera focuses on Charlie's legs because that's what Maverick's looking at. This moment really nails Maverick's immaturity. Jester just got done telling everyone to treat Charlie with respect, and Mav can't help but check out the powerful woman walking by him, even when ordered to focus by a superior officer. And before you yell at me, what, we can't look at women now? I'm saying that's what Tony Scott is pointing out here. It's a reveal that it's Charlie by how the camera moves up her body because Mav was distracted by her nylons. Love that Goose takes off his sunglasses, hoping that Charlie won't recognize him because he wore his sunnies at the bar. Meanwhile, Maverick puts his sunglasses on for the same reason. Well, if you were directly above him, how could you see him? Because I was inverted. This moment kind of sums up why Mav's character arc and eventual maturity are so important to the story. Charlie is genuinely trying to understand if Maverick and Goose are telling the truth, how it could be possible, and what the ramifications are for the military. Mav is trying to look cool. He's taking her incredulity as a mating call instead of the valid skepticism it is. Charlie might actually be impressed, but he can't even pump the brakes enough to explain what he did in a way that doesn't make him immensely punchable. Eventually, he'll need something to slow him down and reconsider his brash actions. Something like losing someone very important to him. Can't think of who, though. What were you doing there? Keeping up foreign relations. You know, giving him the bird. You know, the finger. Yes, I know the finger. Goose, even when he's being a condescending idiot, he's still lovable. This guy's going places. Kelly McGillis is three inches taller than Tom Cruise, and we've already established she's wearing heels. That's some movie magic. You can run, kid, but you can't hide. Michael Ironside has such an iconic voice. And you know what else? He truly wears the heck out of this hat. All right, gentlemen, we have a hop to take. Watch the mountains! Now that's a good Rio. I feel like we sort of take it for granted now because Top Gun is such a staple of our culture, so it's been normalized, but these are dope jets doing dope flying stuff. Jets are cool, man. That's it. Crap is cool as crap. This theme every dang time. Also, I take back what I said about the Fletch soundtrack. Just re-listen to Nitslaps. That's because every time you go up in the air, you're unsafe. I don't like you because you're dangerous. That's right, Ice Man. Ice Man laying down some truth, but young Lee entirely missed the message and just thought he was being a jerk. Or a narc. Nerc. Plus, he bites at him, which seems bad. Maybe he's a little salty, but ultimately, Mav is dangerous and unsafe. Thankfully, we'll never get concrete proof of that. For real, I have no idea what this is or even what Ice Man is actually trying to do here, but it is one of the most iconic moments in an iconic movie, and I wouldn't change a thing Really can't get behind this. Don't mess with a man's coffee. The 80s and 90s trope of proper authority figure assumes young Ruffian will follow orders only to be surprised by Ruffian's rebellion and spill food and or drinks all over themselves is just so corny. And I absolutely love it, and it needs to come back. Also, can we talk about the drip on the guy carrying the coffee? I'm pretty sure I've heard that guy's witch house EP. I want some butt! Yeah, man, we all do. Everyone likes a butt. Don't see me yelling about it, though. There was no danger, so I took it. That little goose side-eye. I was about to see to his pants. Completely unpredictable. He got you, didn't he? And the truth comes out. Always nice to get a little behind the scenes that our protagonist didn't get. You're the only family I've got. I'm not gonna let you down. This movie telegraphs it at every pass, and somehow that makes it even better. They're already playing Goose's theme. I guess not everything needs to be tenant-level mind trickery. What's up? I don't date students. While she obviously backs down on this, I'd say that's a solid rule to live by. It's a weird power dynamic. I can see it's dangerous for you, but if the government trusts me, maybe you could. I mean, do they? They seem just as skeptical about you. Plus, who cares what they think? Have you seen the F-35 budget? Slider, you stink. Got him. You see, it was the 80s, and for some reason, everyone was good at volleyball. Couldn't really explain it. I mean, these are fighter pilots, but this is 100% accurate. And absolutely everyone's workout routine over a full minute of greased-up dudes playing volleyball. They really don't make movies like this anymore. What's the point of getting a Marvel body if you're not gonna play greasy, shirtless volleyball? Or even shirtless, greasy settlers of Catan? I will say the only one using common sense sun protection is Goose, so he gets his own special win. All right, I'm starting to get worried about overusing the word iconic, but one second of take my breath away and you know exactly what it is. You know exactly who's doing it. It's the one and only Berlin. I probably saw this at an age when I didn't know what sex was, but somehow math pulling up at sunset on that bike to this song was the sexiest thing ever. I'm gonna just take a quick shower while you're finishing up here. And wash off all that volleyball grease. Okay, things started out sketchy with them and the whole bathroom thing, but just comfortably hanging out, drinking wine, and listening to Otis Redding is like dream date material. He disappeared in an F4 November 5th, 1965. The stink of it was he screwed up. No way. My old man was a great fire fighter. Just a brief moment of honesty and vulnerability from the tough guy keeps us on his side. Thank you. Enjoy being here. Politeness. Elevator flirting. And oh man, the constant take my breath away tease. What does it mean? Hugging and love. Love the whole vibe here. Goose obviously tells his wife everything because he adores her and Goose and Carol are lovely and smoochy and hopefully live happily ever after. Wow, I totally blocked out that Goose had a kid. Can't imagine why. If you think you're dead. True of dog fights and brain spawn. Unless you're Fry. Gutsiest move I ever saw, man. Respect. Tom Cruise helped revitalize wayfarers and risky business and here he is making you wanna go out and buy a pair of aviators. Oh right, you already have a pair because he convinced you in 1986. Also enjoyed that Tony Scott didn't know he needed to have Tom sprint in this scene so he just saunters along because let's be honest, Tom Cruise sprints like a champ. Cheated it in there. I can't hear you. Well that's not very Maverick of you at all. Maybe your call sign should be bratty baby. He's proving exactly why she was concerned about being in a relationship with him. They do a good job of reminding us that Maverick will never change until he has to. What was that about? Risky maneuvers, Charlie? You think I'm reckless? Oh man, Mav stole my burn. Mav burn. I was afraid that everyone in that tax trailer would see right through me and I just don't want anyone to know that I've fallen for you. They just don't do angry speech turns into I've fallen for you speech like they used to. As a child, I was blindsided by this 180 and now every time Juliet gets mad at me, I assume we're gonna make out in silhouette directly after. Which is insane because it's usually a coin flip. We're a family-ish channel here but let's be honest, this is sometimes how families are made. Take notes, folks. Blue backlighting and 80s synth ballads. This is an all-time iconic movie love scene and not making it a win would be a crime against humanity. But also, remember how I said I probably didn't know what sex was when I saw this? Well, I'm pretty sure I had some awkward and confusing conversations about what role chins and tongues play in procreation and I'm still a little unclear. Ha, paper airplane note. What an F-boy thing to do. Flyboys, am I right? I feel the need, the need for speed. Perfect line, fantastic shot, best friendship and a decent motto depending on the situation. There are tons of great shots of fighter jets in this movie but shots from the cockpit will always be awesome to me. My inner nine-year-old has never even heard of the industrial military complex and just likes the vroom-vrooms and the pew-pews. Damn, this gets good. And Viper recognizes Maverick's skills even when he's by himself. That was some of the best flying I've seen yet. Right up to the part where you got killed. You never, never leave your wingman. Ironside was born to play this type of part. Well, this and Roughneck's commanding officer. Did I mention Val Kilmer's workout routine? And his hair defies gravity and logic. Not your flying, it's your attitude. Right now, you're worse than the enemy. You're dangerous and foolish. And then Iceman laying down some life lessons. This is a pretty big departure from the black and white good guys, bad guys dichotomy we usually got in the 80s. Iceman is, again, showing genuine concern for Mav since, you know, same team. Whose side are you on? Get you a frenemy like Iceman. Also, in case it's lost on anyone, Mav is on his own side. That's Ice's main accusation and he's dead right. You always go home with the hot women. All right, thank you, Carol. Still way into this vibe. Carol treats Maverick like a little brother. Come on, Brad, let's sing with the family. But also, Nick and Carol name their kid Bradley. Bradley Bradshaw. Rooster is fine, but I would have gone with a different animal as a call sign, a three-toed sloth, a bradapus? Could have been like Flash Flash Hundred Yard Dash, a little expectation subversion name, if you will. Bradley Bradapus Bradshaw just rolls off the tongue. We don't get sunsets like they did in the 80s. Neither do we get enough scenes of hotties making out on motorcycles at sunset. And then action at sunrise. We just don't utilize the sun the same way anymore. You up for this one, Maverick? Just a walk in the park, Kazansky. It just hit me how demeaning and even disrespectful Mav is. Everyone gets called by their call sign, especially when they're in the air, and he calls Iceman by his last name. Such a punk. Still, classic line is a classic line. Engine one is out. Engine two is out. Fun fact, the name of the technical advisor is Peter Pettigrew, not that one, but he's the real-life Viper. And this sequence is based on the account of an accident that he saw happen while he was an instructor at Top Gun. So it's pretty dang close to reality, making it even more terrifying, which obviously made me give up my dreams of becoming a naval aviator. Head forward, goose! I can't reach the ejection handle! But every part of this is what could really happen. When in a flat spin, the pilot is outside the center of gravity and gets forced to the front of the cockpit so he can't reach the handle. Watch the canopy! And then under normal circumstances, the canopy would be out of the way in seconds, but a flat spin creates a low-pressure area above the jet that makes it stick there a little longer. But I didn't know any of that the first time I saw this, and this shot haunted me as a kid. This film doesn't really show a lot of violence, and the scene isn't graphic, but the tension is perfect. There's a split second when you think maybe he'll be okay, but the sound of goose hitting and his body going limp is heartbreaking. Absolutely brutal shot. My squad in Vietnam, we lost eight of 18 aircraft. 10 men. First one dies, you die too. You gotta let him go. This mini-speech from Viper is so cold and yet is the reality of being in the military. It's also essentially the reality of life. Also, that's like a theme for this section of the movie. Let go of him! You gotta let him go, sir! I think maybe it was my fault. One of the ironies of this film is that it really isn't his fault, or at least not solely his. For all his stupid moves, this one was partially Iceman's fault and Goose encouraged Mav to move in. Technically, Goose just didn't wait long enough for the canopy to clear, but this part has always been a piece of the story. God, you love flying with your memory. The fact that Carol is consoling Mav here shows how close they are and what a class act she is. She has every right to not want to look at this guy, but instead she's letting him know he brought her husband joy. You think you're a piece of fire when I am goddamn good and ready? You get that? Ah, happens to the best of us. But hey, that's Hans Gruber's hacker buddy, Theo. Wait, sundown? What a great touch to have Ice tiptoeing around, putting his stuff away and closing his locker so quietly. Showing some real respect. Mitchell, I'm sorry about Goose. Everybody liked him. I'm sorry. And the conflict you can see in Ice Man's face. It's a solid representation of when you want to say something, but you don't know what to say. Also, you want to say everything, but shouldn't. Such a human moment. He wants to tell him not to quit, but knows it's not his place. Yeah, Maverick just quit. Get you a coworker like Wolfman. So long, Pete Mitchell. Oof, that's rough. Especially when you consider that she initially spent time with him to hear about the MIG, something only Maverick could talk about. But now that he quit, she uses his civilian name. A wayward son and surrogate father figure chat while the theme usually shredding on electric guitar softly played on oboe. The simple fact is you feel responsible for Goose and you have a confidence problem. What? The impulsive and brash fighter pilot named Maverick has a confidence problem? Who could have guessed? Maverick will get you real when you get to your ship. And if you don't, give me a call. I'll fly with you. Oh, boy. Surrogate father figure believes it and trusts him. Definitely not the type of thing to make me cry. I see they still haven't fixed the AC. Also, were unibrow sexy in the 80s? I don't really remember. Is Tom Cruise's unibrow sexy? Tom Cruise's unibrow is sexy. Maverick, you back him up with Merlin on ready five. Aw, Tim Robbins is pilot quit and Mav lost his Rio. Although last time we saw Merlin, his co-pilot Cougar had a panic attack. So maybe not the best of luck. With regard to Maverick, is he the best? I know it's on your mind, Kazansky. I'm probably going to get some backlash for how I seem to be rehabilitating Iceman, but I really just can't get over how I hated him when I watched this movie as a kid. He's the bad guy. He's always treating Maverick like a kid. But as an adult, he's just like a guy doing a job to the best of his ability, trying to keep everyone safe. And Mav has never shown that he's safe. And as far as we know, the last time he flew with him, Mav's PTSD was triggered and he bailed. I feel like Barney talking about the real hero of Karate Kid. Or maybe I just really love the saint. Not one pair, two pair. Repeat, four bogeys. I think everyone knew what a bogey was. Maybe not, but context clears it up. But I can't pretend like I knew what a mig was before Top Gun. But it's a huge part of the charm of this movie that the jargon is just there. We're expected to just catch up. What's a Rio? Where's the heart desk? Called what now? The heart deck for this hop was 10,000 feet. Called no joy. Didn't see this coming the first time I saw this film. Seemed like it was just a movie about training. And now things are getting really, really real on the real, real, for real. Launch Maverick on alert slides. Get a bearing on Hollywood Wolfman. And launch the rescue helicopter immediately. Even having seen this movie a hundred times, this kicks my anxiety into high gear. We know Mav is scared and unsure, and he's taking off now because someone got shot down. Stress. Well, 10 minutes. The signal will be over in two minutes. Get on it. That's why you hire James Dulcan. He gets it done. Just flew right through his jet launch. Well, that's unfortunate. All the things to happen on your first day back. Almost be better off getting shot up a little, honestly. I got him, Mav. One mig passing between us. You'd think they'd put the Rio seat on a swivel, but I will say the constant need to jerk their heads around builds the tension and also probably prevents their necks from getting snapped. I'm not leaving my wingman. Wowzers. Some lessons learned. That's what we call character growth, folks. Ever seen this picture? Yeah, these spots are fine. Don't even worry. See what I mean about those dark visors? There's no ejecting from that. I'm bringing him in closer, Merlin. You're gonna do what? Every dang time. What a finale this dogfight is. I wonder if he ever got them butts. Either way, buzzing the tower for goose is the only honorable thing to do. And this is how we found out that Tim Robbins was an actual 12-foot-tall giant. Kissing. Oh, wait, just hug it. Huh, I remembered that differently. Still great, though. Reconciliation and hugging. You can be my wingman any time. You can be mine. Ah, Tom Cruise is always a win. You know what else? Val Kilmer is always a win. Awesome shot. Nice moment. But seriously, Mav, we're trying to take the trash out of the ocean. I made a video about it. Top gun? Yes, sir. God help us. Longest running sequel bait ever? A real place? That's what it was actually called, which is pretty neat. And if it's anywhere near Flavortown, I'm in. I don't know why I always forget that she comes back. Always happily surprised. Happy endings. See what I mean about the sun? Use the sun, filmmakers. What a closing shot. Top Gun is a war propaganda movie that was reported to have increased pilot naval aviator. Sorry, naval aviator recruitment by 400% because kids thought they too could be a Maverick or an Iceman, but obviously not a silly goose because we're all the protagonists of our own lives, right? A little bleak, no? Sorry, I'm being controversial here. Bold take. I know, war bad. But if you already had a feeling about what I think about these kinds of things, you might wonder why I'd enjoy and celebrate a movie like Top Gun. Well, because it's Top Gun. It's big, stupid fantasy fun escape. And my gripes about propaganda are a double-edged sword because there's a reason the Navy was so involved in making this film. But it's the same reason we got all these fantastic shots of very clearly actual F-14s in the sky. There's a reverence to the whole thing that manages to cancel out any camp. Well, cancel is a big word. So is my Johnson. But look at these money shots. And Tony Scott was a big part of that. OK, slight side tangent, and I might not be willing to die on this hill, but I'm at least willing to get maimed on it. Tony Scott is the more enjoyable of the Scott brothers. Yeah, Ridley has the more distinguished pedigree. But for every Martian or Thelma and Louise, there's a Robin Hood or an exodus of Scots and Kings, which, you know. On the other hand, Tony Scott has a lineup that you're never not in the mood for. It's essentially pure fun. Sure, most of them never get to the level of Alien or Blade Runner. But true bromance, man on fire? Close your eyes and pick a random Tony Scott film. Even if you land on some lower rated ones like Domino or The Fan, you've got your entertainment for a dang good pizza party. And that's all that matters. Pizza parties. Also, it takes a special kind of director to have your name torched by jet engines. And while I'm complaining and complimenting at the same time, complainamenting, if you will, let's also talk about Charlie. Kelly McGillis has a somewhat thankless task of being the love interest, but she nails it. In many ways, Charlie's incredible, smart, strong, funny. Doesn't take Mav's nonsense. She also isn't robotically immune to being charmed. Mav is a charismatic, handsome guy, and she does an excellent job of making it clear she's aware of that from the jump. And maybe she had her huge promotion in D.C. transferred to California to stay with Mav like a work from home gig, but probably not. And let's be honest, Mav ain't the most stable of tables. I do think we are supposed to understand that Mav's behavior toward Charlie early on is pretty inappropriate. But this is Top Gun. Nuance isn't exactly oozing from its pores. But look, all that aside, I love this movie. It's a love song to an era. The acting goes from impressive to bizarre to real to corny. And we love it. Don't change a thing. This movie is in some ways timeless despite being fully in the 80s. Present day really works. I mean, this movie is 36 years old and you can easily convince me that these conflicts don't look much different. I guess we'll all have to find out. Fingers crossed the locker room is still where all the heart of the hearts happen. And it's probably time to talk about these sweaty dudes. The homoerotic themes in this movie have been widely talked about since the film's release. Even Tarantino has a classic speech about it from the 90s film Sleep With Me. And while that interpretation is done somewhat for laughs, it also doesn't take a rocket scientist. That's right, a naval aviator. To notice. One of the writers, Jack Epps, said he understands why it could be interpreted that way. Also, Tony Scott was fresh off the hunger, so adding queer elements to his movies wasn't foreign to him. While it's technically not intentional, it's pretty undeniable, especially watching the film in 2022. I actually find it interesting how many 80s movies were all about these rough, rugged men pushing themselves to the limits, hitting on the ladies, being the best of the best, and then Rocky and Apollo frocked on the beach, hugging, splashing water at each other. And then we have these modern movies, which seem to be more inclusive and at least would have you believe they're more relaxed about gender norms, but instead they're constantly making sure we know our male leads are straight. I hate the you couldn't make that today thing, but I genuinely think that if they made this exact movie today, Iceman would be given way more than this disinterested moment with a female while biding his time to make his way to Mav, because they couldn't take the risk that he'd be accused of maybe not being straight by the third inning in Steve-Anne Pauly news. And I don't know, maybe I'll be eating my words and Rooster will be Enby and Aro and we'll all love them even more. But something tells me I'm not wrong. Bring back sweaty, shirtless dudes being comfortable with each other? I guess that's my point. Anyway, the rest of the cast is stellar. All of the hard-nosed authorities, Tolkien, Ironside, and Skerritt crush it. They each bring their own gravitas and skill to their performances. And despite all being smaller parts, each is a unique standout. Iceman encapsulates everything an 80s bad guy was. He was hot, buff, blonde, and made a few good points. Val Kilmer's contribution to film gets overlooked. I hope we can do Willow one day so I can talk about how Mad Martigan is the definition of sex, at least from my chins-and-tongues-make-babies nine-year-old perspective. And then Goose. He's the heart of this film and I will punch you in the face if you say otherwise. Anthony Edwards is fantastic in this. He's genuinely likable and funny. Goose is honestly the only character I care about other than Michael Ironside's hat. But he takes a sidekick role and makes it the backbone of the whole thing. And Tom Cruise does what a Tom Cruise does, moments of genuine brilliance. There are other moments where you can see he knows this is a Vroom Vroom movie. He's turned being an action star into a legitimately respectable thing. It's a classic role and he kills it. Top Gun is a time capsule of 80s fun and sometimes that's what we all need. I know I sure did this week. Next week, probably not a new EGA, but I'm going to shoot for a 60 second review if I can get out to see that movie everyone is talking about, but you probably haven't seen yet.