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Top Gun

Top Gun

Action · Drama · Romance · 1986

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.

Movie details

Top Gun

“Up there with the best of the best.”

1986 Action · Drama · Romance 1h 50m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

7.1 / 10

Community rating

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.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Top Gun?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Tony Scott

Written by

Jim Cash · Jack Epps Jr.

Tom Cruise

Tom Cruise

Maverick

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

Court is in session

Put Top Gun on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Sentimental Softie

“Sincerity is not manipulation.”

The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.

The prosecution The Cool Ironist

“The strings are showing.”

Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.