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

Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sharon Stone in the movie ‘Total Recall’

The Phillip K. Dick short story We Can Remember It for You Wholesale first appeared in the April 1966 edition of The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction. The story would go on to be adapted into two movies with the same title, the first starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sharon Stone. Total Recall (1990) was first released in the USA on June 1, 1990.

(From left, Arnold Schwarzenegger as Doug Quaid and Rachel Ticotin as Melina in the Paul Verhoeven directed film Total Recall).

The movie Total Recall follows the man we think is named Doug Quaid, played by Arnold Schwarzenegger. The character is named Douglas Quail in the short story We Can Remember It for You Wholesale. Set in the not too distant future, the notion of space tourism to Mars is a real but none too pleasant concept. Quaid wants to know more about it, and aims to overcome a reluctant wife and construction work that both seem set against the idea.

(From left, Michael Ironside as Richter and Sharon Stone as Lori in the Paul Verhoeven film Total Recall).

Lori, as portrayed by Sharon Stone, plays Quaid’s wife in the movie, and is initially jealous of the brunette Quaid has been seeing in his dreams. Melina, as portrayed by Rachel Ticotin, is the woman. After confiding in a coworker at the construction site that he has an interest in traveling to Mars, or at least having memories of a trip to Mars implanted in his mind, nonstop action takes off for Quaid in a mission that may or may not be a part of the underlying dream Quaid aimed to buy.

(From left, Ronny Cox as Cohaagen and Mel Johnson Jr. as Benny in the Paul Verhoeven movie Total Recall).

Richter, as portrayed by Michael Ironside, insinuates himself into capturing Quaid at the behest of Cohaagen, as portrayed by Ronny Cox. A number of steps follow, with a flurry of action landing some serious storytelling taken none too seriously. Benny, as portrayed by Mel Johnson Jr., hustles his way into taxi service on Mars. Meanwhile, we are introduced to George and Kuato, both portrayed by Marshall Bell. The beauty of the short story seemingly comes home in bringing the action of the movie back to an emotionally sincere place.

(Marshall Bell portrayed George and Kuato, with this image showing George, in the Paul Verhoeven movie Total Recall).

The first rendition of the movie Total Recall offered humor, action, a degree of undress, and sufficient quantities of silly entertainment to allow for a couple of hours of entertainment where the viewer didn’t need to think too hard in rooting for the good guys. That things turn out in ways that make you laugh and root for the underdogs are additional rewards that me to giving Total Recall starring Arnold Schwarzenegger 3.75-stars on a scale of one-to-five.

Matt – Wednesday, January 27, 2021

Timothy Olyphant, Walton Goggins and Season Three of ‘Justified’

We first introduced you to the FX television series Justified (2010-2015) with our look into the first season last July. We followed with a look into season two in September. The third 13-episode season of Justified brings an exiled Detroit mobster to Harlan through Lexington, Kentucky to establish the oxycontin trade. Meanwhile, a couple of other criminal feuds breakout with allegiances changing with rapid fire, ending up with Nobles Holler playing a decent part in the larger story.

(Natalie Zea as Winona Hawkins, left, and Timothy Olyphant as Raylan Givens in the television series Justified).

Timothy Olyphant continues to star in season three of Justified as the righteous yet rule-bending lawman morally mixed-up with his ex-wife Winona Hawkins, as portrayed by Natalie Zea. The story involving Gary Hawkins, as portrayed by William Ragsdale, is one worth keeping an eye on through the season.

(Left to right, Neal McDonough as Robert Quarles, William Ragsdale as Gary Hawkins and Jere Burns as Wynn Duffy in the television series Justified).

The exiled Detroit mobster Robert Quarles, portrayed by Neal McDonough, interplays with Dixie Mafia enforcer Wynn Duffy, as portrayed by Jere Burns. The banter among these characters highlights cultural differences between the Midwestern United States and Appalachia, aiming for humor in the approach.

(Left to right, Joelle Carter as Ava Crowder, Raymond J. Barry as Arlo Givens and Walton Goggins as Boyd Crowder in the television series Justified).

Old feuds surface in the telling of the story of introducing new players into the vacuum caused by the deaths of Mags Bennett and others in the second season of the series. The feud between Boyd Crowder, as portrayed by Walton Goggins, and Dickie Bennett, as portrayed by Jeremy Davies, is a central part of that tale. Ava Crowder remains in league with her former brother-in-law, Boyd, while Arlo Givens joins the Crowders, including wheel-chair bound Johnny Crowder, in that process. Joelle Carter plays Ava Crowder. Raymond J. Barry plays Arlo Givens, the father to Raylan. David Meunier plays Johnny Crowder.

(Todd Stashwick as Ash Murphy, left, and Jeremy Davies as Dickie Bennett in the television series Justified).

Almost everybody through the third season of Justified has an interest in the money that Mags Bennett has left in trust with the Ellstin Limehouse in Noble’s Holler. Dickie Bennett believes himself to be the rightful heir to the fortune, which in separate parts motivates behavior for Boyd, Johnny and Ava Crowder, Arlo Givens, Raylan Givens, Ash Murphy and Ellstin Limehouse. Ash Murphy, a Kentucky jailer, is portrayed by Todd Stashwick. Ellstin Limehouse is portrayed by Mykelti Williamson.

(Left to right, Mykelti Williamson as Ellstin Limehouse, Erica Tazel as Rachel Brooks and Timothy Olyphant as Raylan Givens in the television series Justified).

Law enforcement officers with the U.S. Marshals Service in Justified continue to include Rachel Brooks as portrayed by Erica Tazel, Art Mullen as portrayed by Nick Searcy and Tim Gutterson as portrayed by Jacob Pitts. A nebulous and entertaining fictional part of this series is the different degrees of gray that these characters, and all the characters to some degree, in this series occupy.

(Left to right, Nick Searcy as Art Mullen, Jacob Pitts as Tim Gutterson and Timothy Olyphant as Raylan Givens in the television series Justified).

The third season of this series hits another home run of entertaining for me, which allowed me to move quickly through the season. The emotional truths of different characters in the story, flaws and quirks right there for the telling, is part of what resonates in the storytelling of this season. The same has been true of the series overall, with payoffs among the different seasons as well. I grade for season three of Justified at 4.25-stars on a scale of one-to-five.

Matt – Saturday, January 18, 2020