Top Gun: A Tale of Two Mavericks

By Zach Smyers
HRNM Educator

The original Top Gun movie released by Paramount Pictures in 1986 was the highest-grossing film of that year with a domestic gross of $177 million. In addition, the song “Danger Zone” was a hit for musician Kenny Loggins, reaching number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. The film starred Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer, and Anthony Edwards and brought to movie audiences such memorable lines as, “I feel the need…the need for speed!” and “You can be my wingman!” The story focused on a group of young, cocky U.S. Navy aviators attending the Navy’s Fighter Weapons School, or “Top Gun,” during the Cold War. The Navy created the school during the Vietnam War to teach pilots how to dogfight properly. During the Vietnam War, the Navy’s aircraft kill ratio (the number of enemy aircraft shot down for each U.S. Navy aircraft lost) had declined in comparison to the kill ratio during the Korean War. The school, using instructors as aggressor force pilots, puts incoming student pilots to the test, pushing their aircraft to the limits. The school’s overall goal is to teach pilots survival and success in aerial combat.

Tom Cruise as LT Pete Mitchell in Top Gun

The producers of the original Top Gun film spared no expense in making the audience feel like they were part of the action taking place on the big screen. They used real U.S. Navy F-14 Tomcats, as well as many active duty Sailors as background extras. Several Top Gun instructors were film consultants and also flew many of the aircraft, which resulted in realistic flight scenes and praise from film critics. With the success of the first Top Gun film, a sequel was discussed with Tom Cruise returning as his character “Maverick” and Tony Scott as director. Unfortunately, the proposed sequel was put on hold when director Tony Scott committed suicide on August 19, 2012. This tragic event left fans of the original film wondering if there ever would be a sequel.

Maverick and Goose in the air during Top Gun school

Thirty-six years later, the wait was over. Top Gun: Maverick opened on May 27, 2022. The big question for most moviegoers was, “How will this film compare to the original?” Following the same formula as the first film, the opening scene is a montage of flight operations taking place on a real U.S. Navy aircraft carrier with the song “Danger Zone” playing in the background. Then the audience is transported to Modesto, California, where Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Tom Cruise) is still in the Navy. He now holds the rank of captain and is working as a test pilot. After an incident with the experimental aircraft that he’s flying, Maverick is standing tall before a two-star admiral (played by Ed Harris), who reviews Maverick’s service record, pointing out his many accomplishments as a naval aviator. The admiral also points out that at this point in his career, Maverick should also be an admiral, but he insists on continuing to fly and refusing to retire. Based on the admiral’s tone, things aren’t looking great for Maverick, but then instead of being punished for his latest antics, Maverick learns that he’s being recalled to Top Gun.

Tom Cruise as Captain Pete Mitchell

Maverick makes the journey to “Fighter Town USA” in San Diego, California (even though the real Top Gun school moved to Fallon, Nevada, many years ago). Upon checking into the command, he learns he’s been personally requested at Top Gun by his old rival and now good friend “Ice Man,” once again played by Val Kilmer. Maverick is informed that his objective is to teach a team of younger Top Gun graduates how to carry out a mission deemed nearly impossible. In this capacity, Maverick takes on a role similar to Tom Skerritt’s character, “Viper,” in the original film, as he becomes a teacher and mentor to the younger group of pilots. To add an additional level of drama to Maverick’s tasking, one of the pilots he’s being asked to train is the son of “Goose,” Maverick’s best friend, who was killed during training in the original film.

Jennifer Connelly as Penny, Maverick's love interest in Top Gun: Maverick

With the purpose of Maverick returning to the Top Gun school revealed and the younger generation of pilots introduced, the question remains…will this formula for the sequel work? The answer is yes! As one of the producers of the film and a pilot himself, Tom Cruise insisted on keeping things as realistic as possible regarding the flying sequences. This led to limited use of green screens. The actors playing the pilots went through a three-month course developed by Cruise to learn how to deal with G-forces while riding in the backseat of an F-18. One reason the flying scenes look so real is because the actors are actually flying. In addition to being in the back seat of a real Navy F-18, the actors also had to operate the camera that was mounted in the cockpit and check the lighting, their makeup, and the sound. The hard work and dedication of the actors results in realistic flight scenes.

Tom Cruise in the cockpit with special cameras designed by Sony

While the flight scenes are extremely well done, one of the most touching scenes in the film is when Maverick goes to visit Ice Man. Once his rival, Ice Man is now a three-star admiral. He summons Maverick to his home to discuss the pilots and their training for the upcoming mission. What makes this scene unique is the fact that Val Kilmer can no longer speak due to throat cancer, so the interaction has Maverick talking and Ice Man responding by typing on a computer screen. The chemistry between the two characters is what makes this interaction so powerful. Even with limited conversation, this scene demonstrates the strength of their friendship (in real life, Cruise and Kilmer have remained friends since 1986).

Val Kilmer and Tom Cruise in the original Top Gun 

With elements of a classic western (the old and wise gunslinger being asked for help one last time) and Star Wars (the mission and how Maverick teaches the young pilots to complete it), Top Gun: Maverick is an entertaining and well-made sequel. Aviation enthusiasts will appreciate the attention to detail that was put into the flight scenes, as well as Tom Cruise flying his personal P-51 Mustang. Much like the original, the film was well-received by audiences and film critics. Top Gun: Maverick ended up being a successful sequel and in the difficult time of the global pandemic, helped bring moviegoers back to theaters.

Tom Cruise's personal P-51 Mustang

Navy Video and Board Game Night: A (Retro)spective

Participants play "Top Gun" and "Super Battleship"

Over one hundred guests attended last week's "You Sank My Battleship: Navy Video and Board Game Night" event.  It was the first of two After Hours History programs sponsored by the Hampton Roads Naval Historical Foundation this year.  Unlike previous After Hours events, last Wednesday's game night was the first advertised as "family friendly."  Video game enthusiasts would say it was rated "E" for everyone.  Soda and popcorn replaced the standard assortment of wine and cheese on a night many will not soon forget.

Playing "1942: Joint Strike"

Video games.  Board Games.  Snacks.  Soda.  Where does the U.S. Navy fit in?

Whether we realized it or not, the U.S. Navy was there all along, hidden underneath the blinking lights and sounds of the games we know and love today.  Video games like "Silent Service" and board games like "Axis and Allies" included subtle hints and references to real event in American naval history.  Part of the event included a seven panel exhibit on the history of the U.S. Navy and video games.  We will post the panels shown during the event on this blog soon.

Who would have thought we were learning about key concepts of naval history and naval combat while mashing our thumbs and fingers on plastic controllers.  How to use sonar ("Silent Service").  Plotting enemy ship movements ("Battleship").  How to lead a target while in aerial combat ("Carrier Aces"). How to land on an aircraft carrier ("Top Gun").  The SNES role-playing game "Pacific Theater of Operations" bordered on real historic simulation.  Could you turn the tide and defeat the Japanese Navy at Pearl Harbor?  Even at the juvenile level, the principles were there.  For many young participants in last week's event, the games provided were their first taste of the Navy.

Mayo proudly shows off his contest-winning prize

Guests played a variety of video and board games from yesterday and today.  Titles from the 8-Bit  generation up to today's next-gen consoles ("Battlestations: Midway") were available to play.  Everybody from staff and volunteers to parents cheered on participants as they battled their way through the sky and seas of the digital Atlantic and Pacific.  The most popular game, however, was a retro-classic: "1942."  Nearly every guest ventured to the AEGIS Theater to try their hand at the high score contest for one of the most celebrated and best-selling franchises in video game history.  A special shout out goes to Mark Prinz and Mayo for achieving high scores on "1942."

HRNM Educators helped create several "Navy-centric" modifications of classic board games for the event.  "Human Battleship," a life-size recreation of the pencil and paper game where kids act as the ships on a 100-square foot game board, was a popular destination.  Staff members and volunteers also played "Civil War Blockade Strategy," a creative spin on the popular "Stratego" series of board games.

"1942" Perler Bead Craft Activity 

The most popular portion of the evening was for the 1942 perler bead craft activity.  Kids used perler beads to create gaming icons, or "sprites" from the popular NES/Arcade game.  A basic understanding of graphs and plotting were required to create a perfect product.  There is always a way to mix a little bit of learning with fun!

It was a treat to see parents watching their children play the same video games they used to play when they were kids.  In fact, one of the most interesting aspects of the event was the generation gap.  Many of the younger participants had a rude awakening when they realized that their controllers were not motion-controlled.  Technology is a great equalizer at times, and this event helped bridge the gap between previous generations to the present one.  

We hope everybody that attended had a wonderful time.  Special thanks go out to all the staff and volunteers who helped make this event possible.  For more information on our current 2013 programs, contact Lee Duckworth, Director of Education, at (757) 322-2992.