I sit myself down with bated breath after the national anthem has been played. At 9 o’clock there are a few people sitting, at three, there’s a couple. I only hope that the chirpy teenagers at five don’t continue with their garrulity. And then … then, Mayday Mayday, we are hit, we are hit. Ah, no distress, pure excitement and adrenaline rush as the original Top Gun anthem is being played. Every time I hear it, in my mind I see aviator sunglasses, patched leather jacket, a roaring Kawasaki, the hurried landing and take offs of sleek man-made birds, the trained and practiced gestures of men in uniform on a naval ship. Thank you Harold Faltermeyer and Steve Stevens for this piece of passionate riveting music causing the listener, even if for a few seconds to be possessed and think themselves to be charming striking handsome naval aviators.
Exactly identical to the original till the names of the actors and crew were being displayed, I would have been so delighted if the original had been played instead of the sequel. I’ve never had the opportunity to watch the original on a big screen. In fact, I had watched Top Gun much later than when it was released, and when I did, I instantly fell in love with everything about it – the adventure, the gear, the dashing confidence, the dialogues, the script, the discipline, the rebellion, the characters, the music, the every bloody thing.
Why then was a sequel required? Before the movie begins, Tom Cruise answers this by saying that for years fans have been asking him for a sequel. I wish he hadn’t listened to them. And I’m also glad that he did!
Maverick hasn’t changed. He still goes after what he sees; still rebellious, still buzzes towers, has taken a step ahead from his circus stunt fly-by’s. As Iceman had once said, he’s unsafe and dangerous every time he goes up there. He’s deliberately still a captain, soon to return as an instructor to Top Gun. Goose is dead; he was the only family he had. Maverick often reaches out to him though, “Talk to me Goose, talk to me.” However, you won’t miss Goose much as Rooster, his son, is a spitting image of him. Surprisingly, there’s no mention of Charlie; she’s disappeared and Penny Benjamin, who is only mentioned as a passing reference in the original one is brought to life and takes her place, played by my favourite, the beautiful Jennifer Connelly. Val ‘Iceman’ Kilmer, another favourite actor, is a pleasure to watch too.
It seems the movie makers wanted the viewers to feel nostalgic about every scene from the original. And in an attempt to do so, they’ve created an over the top, fanciful, larger than life, not so easy to believe movie and moments. Most of the scenes seem contrived, the characters - the way they speak and act portray a feigned attempt to be cool. They go out of the way to be Goose and Iceman and Slider, and hence to me it came across as not very natural. In fact, I found ‘Cyclone’ trying very hard to act like the austere ‘Viper’ was in the original. Overall, I felt, they’ve struggled extensively to be like the original and that struggle shows. So, there are the 4G inverted dives that had so much surprised Charlie in the original, Mav suddenly being called to Top Gun, introduction of Maverick as an instructor to his pilots is similar to Charlie’s introduction in the original, pilots not knowing of the instructor's identity as they play along with him, going below hard deck scenes with Viper and now with Cyclone, the ‘Talk to me’’s, the competition for who’s the best fighter pilot, the game on the beach, Rooster’s rendition of ‘Great balls of fire’ just like Goose’s and so on.
Am I complaining? No, no, no and even then just a little bit, yes. Give me the original any day. As I write this, I know I’m going to go and watch it a second time on the big screen. You should too – for Cruise, for Goose, for Tony Scott – as an ode to the original.
Alright gentlemen we have a hop to take!
Revvin' up your engine
Listen to her howlin' roar
Metal under tension
Beggin' you to touch and go
Highway to the Danger Zone
Ride into the Danger Zone
Headin' into twilight
Spreadin' out her wings tonight
She got you jumpin' off the deck
Shovin' into overdrive
Highway to the Danger Zone
I'll take you right into the Danger Zone
You'll never say hello to you
Until you get it on the red line overload
You'll never know what you can do
Until you get it up as high as you can go
Out along the edges
Always where I burn to be
The further on the edge
The hotter the intensity
Highway to the Danger Zone
Gonna take it right into the Danger Zone
Highway to the Danger Zone
Ride into, the Danger Zone
Highway to the
Danger Zone
Gonna take it right into the Danger Zone
Highway to the Danger Zone
Ride into the Danger Zone
Highway to the Danger Zone
Gonna take it right into the Danger Zone
Highway to the Danger Zone
Ride into the Danger Zone
Highway to the Danger Zone
Danger Zone –
Top Gun soundtrack
Songwriters:
Giorgio Moroder / Thomas Ross Whitlock
Danger Zone lyrics © Wb Music Corp.
Picture copyrights:
https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/361743-top-gun-maverick/images/posters
