Tom Cruise, Kelly McGillis, Val Kilmer and the Tony Scott movie ‘Top Gun’

Better received by audiences than critics with its sequel due to be released on Tuesday, the Tony Scott movie Top Gun (1986) has entered our scopes and been picked up on our radar. This action drama of elite naval aviators brings us questions of love, loyalty and coming-of-age that make for some high-octane speed and aerial daring.

(John Stockwell as Lieutenant Bill ‘Cougar’ Cortell in the Tony Scott movie Top Gun).

Top Gun opens with United States Navy aviators Lieutenant Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell and Lieutenant Junior Grade Nick ‘Goose’ Bradshaw flying an F-14A Tomcat from the USS Enterprise above the Indian Ocean. The aviators engage two hostile (and fictional) MiG-28 aircraft, with Mitchell and Bradshaw gaining missile lock on one of the two combat aircraft. The other MiG-28 locks onto the F-14A Tomcat flown by wingmen Lieutenant Bill ‘Cougar’ Cortell and Lieutenant Junior Grade Sam ‘Merlin’ Wells, which scares Cortell into never flying again. Mitchell, Bradshaw, Cortell and Wells were portrayed, respectively, by Tom Cruise, Anthony Edwards, John Stockwell and Tim Robbins.

(Back row from left, Rick Rossovich as Lieutenant Junior Grade Ron ‘Slider’ Kerner and Anthony Edwards as Lieutenant Junior Grade Nick ‘Goose’ Bradshaw. Front row from left, Val Kilmer as Lieutenant Tom ‘Iceman’ Kazansky and Tom Cruise as Lieutenant Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell in the Tony Scott movie Top Gun).

The above incident follows Bradshaw and Mitchell to TOPGUN, aka Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor program, who get to attend the program for elite Naval combat airmen. It’s at a bar outside the TOPGUN facility before the training begins, Bradshaw helps Mitchell embarrassingly attempt to attract a woman at a bar. We later learn that the woman in question is civilian TOPGUN instructor Charlotte ‘Charlie’ Blackwood, as portrayed by Kelly McGillis. The awkwardness increases as it’s learned that Blackwood is investigating the incident from the Indian Ocean.

(Back row from left, Tom Cruise as Lieutenant Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell and Kelly McGillis as Charlotte ‘Charlie’ Blackwood. Front row from left, Meg Ryan as Carole Bradshaw and Anthony Edwards as Lieutenant Junior Grade Nick ‘Goose’ Bradshaw in the Tony Scott movie Top Gun).

The way TOPGUN works is that a class of elite naval aviators compete in increasingly difficult scenarios to train them to improve their tactics in combat. The teams are graded at each step in a competitive process that brings Bradshaw and Mitchell into conflict with Lieutenant Tom ‘Iceman’ Kazansky and Lieutenant Junior Grade Ron ‘Slider’ Kerner, portrayed by Val Kilmer and Rick Rossovich, respectively.

(From left, Michael Ironside as Lieutenant Commander Rick ‘Jester’ Heatherly and Tom Skerritt as Commander Mike ‘Viper’ Metcalf in the Tony Scott movie Top Gun).

Commander Mike ‘Viper’ Metcalf and Lieutenant Commander Rick ‘Jester’ Heatherly, as portrayed by Tom Skerritt and Michael Ironside, respectively, lead the TOPGUN program. It is Metcalf and Heatherly that combine to teach a lesson in teamwork over individual flying ability that develops into a lesson that truly hits home. As the tensions ratchet up from this lesson, back to the opening notion of a lack of teamwork with Lieutenant Cortell followed by another incident, questions of aerial grit, romantic grit and the question of who these aviators really are ruled the Tony Scott movie, Top Gun.

(From left, actor Tom Cruise and director Tony Scott in service of the Tony Scott movie Top Gun).

The action sequences definitely ruled the day with the initial movie installment of Top Gun. I give Top Gun as directed by Tony Scott 3.75-stars on a scale of 1-to-5.

Matt – Saturday, May 21, 2022

Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman and Bonnie Bedelia in the John McTiernan movie ‘Die Hard’

It’s not every day that an action and thriller movie is set against the backdrop of a holiday. It has become more common to see moves themed as romances or romantic comedies set against Christmas. The John McTiernan directed Die Hard (1988) managed to mix the action thriller against a Christmas gathering. Today, we look into the happenings at the fictional Nakatomi Plaza.

(Bruce Willis as John McClane, a New York City police detective in the John McTiernan movie Die Hard).

Die Hard is set in Los Angeles, where police officer John McClane hopes to reconcile with his wife during a holiday party hosted by the employer of his estranged wife, Holly Gennero-McClane. Bruce Willis portrayed John McClane opposite Bonnie Bedelia‘s portrayal of Holly Gennero-McClane. The employer is Nakatomi Corporation, which is due to be robbed during the very event where John hopes to reconcile with Holly.

(From left, Dennis Hayden as Eddie, Alan Rickman as Hans Gruber, the leader of the terrorists and Bonnie Bedelia as Holly Gennero-McClane, a Nakatomi executive and John’s estranged wife in the John McTiernan movie Die Hard).

The movie quickly turns from a from a romantic comedy staged against a Christmas backdrop when the robbers with a violent streak, led by Hans Gruber, present the Nakatomi Plaza with a terrorist plot to rob the Nakatomi Corporation at their plaza, triggering the action thriller that we come to see. Alan Rickman portrayed Hans Gruber. Dennis Hayden portrayed one of Gruber’s henchmen, Eddie.

(From left, Alexander Godunov as Karl, Gruber’s second-in-command and Clarence Gilyard Jr. as Theo, Gruber’s tech specialist in the John McTiernan movie Die Hard).

Clarence Gilyard Jr. and Alexander Godunov serve as a pair of Gruber’s henchmen, portrayed from early in the story of Die Hard in setting the thievery and underlying action in motion. The Los Angeles Police Department joins the response to the plot in motion, supported first by sergeant Al Powell and later by deputy chief Dwayne T. Robinson. Paul Gleason portrayed Robinson as Reginald VelJohnson portrayed Powell.

(From left, Reginald VelJohnson as Al Powell, an LAPD sergeant and Paul Gleason as Dwayne T. Robinson, the LAPD Deputy Chief in the John McTiernan movie Die Hard).

John McClane had arrived at Nakatomi Plaza in a limousine driven by a man named Argyle. Argyle, portrayed by De’voreaux White, agreed to wait for John as he went to reconcile with his wife Holly. He waits on scene as the events of the movie progress, offering humor through miscommunication with McClane accompanied by other opportunities to support the story.

(De’voreaux White as Argyle, John’s limousine driver in John McTiernan‘s Die Hard).

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) plays a part in seeking to respond to the terrorist robbery plot of the movie, offering a jurisdictional power play with the Los Angeles Police Department that was the first formally requested responding agency on scene. FBI actions geared at ending the plot actually advance the plot, with the actions of Argyle, Al Powell and John McClane each championing a decisive under current that is championed throughout Die Hard. Grand L. Bush portrayed FBI Special Agent Little Johnson as Robert Davi portrayed FBI Special Agent Big Johnson in the movie.

(From left, actor Grand L. Bush, Director John McTiernan and actor Robert Davi on the set of the John McTiernan movie Die Hard).

The central appeal for the movie Die Hard is first and foremost the action, intrigue and thriller qualities of the story. The compelling undercurrent of humor juxtaposed against incompetence as roadblocks to the central robbery succeeding or failing, both externally to stopping the robbery and internally to the stealing, add substantially to what works well. I grant Die Hard as directed by John McTiernan 4-stars on a scale of 1-to-5.

Matt – Wednesday, December 1, 2021