Born the same year as the 1986 release of Top Gun, the author had long avoided the film due to a deep-seated scepticism of Tom Cruise's personal life, including his sofa-jumping antics and vocal Scientology beliefs. However, with the film's 40th anniversary approaching, he decided to set aside his preconceptions and give it a fair watch, admitting it was a gaping hole in his cinematic education.
What he found surprised him: rather than a brainless blockbuster about fighter jets, Top Gun was a surprisingly subversive take on the military machine with a resonant portrayal of complex male relationships. The homoerotic subtext, which was famously acknowledged by Val Kilmer as an '11 out of 10', added a cheeky layer that the author, a fan of similarly camp films, appreciated.
Cruise's performance as Maverick was a key part of the film's success. The author notes that the actor's all-consuming passion, whether dangling from planes or enforcing Covid restrictions, makes him the perfect fit for the character. He praises Cruise's dedication, calling it a once-in-a-career convergence of actor and role.
Critic Pauline Kael once described the film as 'a shiny homoerotic commercial', a description that fits the locker-room scenes and volleyball matches. Kilmer's Iceman, who evolves from rival to wingman, is hailed as one of cinema's finest character arcs. The author regrets his years of stubborn avoidance, now recognising Top Gun as a true classic of 80s maximalism.
