Top Gun Movie Reaction! (A few spoilers)

[K-9]

1 hour ago, sherpa said:

I saw it last night.

Disclaimer: As an ex Naval Aviator who attended Tog Gun in the 80's, and subsequently served in the Pacific Fleet Adversary Squadron, (the guys who run those training flights and serve as the bad guys),  I am very familiar with that culture.

 

Without a tactical or technical discussion of questionable things which would be spoilers, there are a few things that made my skin crawl that were in the first movie, and are still used to extreme in this one.

 

The first is this college sophomore-like character portrayal. People in that business are not like that at all. The level of maturity and professionalism far exceeds what is in these movies. I get that it's entertainment, but it's a bit embarrassing. 

For example, this absolutely crazy emphasis on call signs. Call signs have a real tactical benefit because of the need to get out very abrupt communications, but this extension of them into all realms of life is absurd.

The thought that a three star admiral, the Jon Hamm character would still be called "Cyclone" by other Naval Officers is just crazy.

I get that it is for character recognition, but it gets absurd. When we are treated to a radar like image that uses call signs on the screen, I squirmed in the seat.

 

The other thing is the way they portray the normal conversations between senior people locked up at attention portraying these conversations as if it was Marine boot camp. Officers don't talk to each other like that.

 

One thing they did better in this movie was to do much better in the fight scenes. The first one didn't show the often very violent nature of these things, though there seems to be a Hollywood obsession with "G's."  I get that it is something that the actors went through and was probably interesting, but in that world it's just part of the job and not constantly talked about.

 

Anyway, it's a movie, not a documentary.

Someday, when spoilers aren't an issue, there are a few things that are worth discussing/

Yours is a unique perspective to be sure and it’s much appreciated. I’m curious as to what aviation-centric movies you have found to be more true to form in your opinion. 

[sherpa]

3 hours ago, K-9 said:

Yours is a unique perspective to be sure and it’s much appreciated. I’m curious as to what aviation-centric movies you have found to be more true to form in your opinion. 

 

The ones that are historically accurate are more "true to form" than the made up fictional ones, but probably for the moviegoer, less entertaining.

Recently, Midway was accurate, but it's basically a retelling of the seven or so events that happened to decide the outcome of that battle.

This recent Top Gun movie is fictional, so it's for pure entertainment.

It just rubs me the wrong way when Hollywood suggests a culture that is not accurate, but I guess it makes for better entertainment.

Still, having flown the F-18, and fought it hundreds of times, it was nice to see it looking good, while being grossly abused by the characters flying it, something that would not happen.

[muppy]

I loved it 🙂 I waited for the end and did see my friends son listed at the very end of the credits with other Military consultants. That was really cool having a personal connection to the movie. (Roderick Borgie) 

 

Naval airstation Miramar where Top Gun used to be based  crosses the I-15 freeway here in san diego. Often we get buzzed by any number of different aircraft while on the freeway just driving about. North Island Naval air station is on Coronado Island across the Coronado bay bridge from san diego. Great beach  area VERY well kept expensive real estate area.  Ive never been on base.

Edited June 9, 2022 by muppy

[sherpa]

1 hour ago, muppy said:

I loved it 🙂 I waited for the end and did see my friends son listed at the very end of the credits with other Military consultants. That was really cool having a personal connection to the movie. (Roderick Borgie) 

 

Naval airstation Miramar where Top Gun used to be based  crosses the I-15 freeway here in san diego. Often we get buzzed by any number of different aircraft while on the freeway just driving about. North Island Naval air station is on Coronado Island across the Coronado bay bridge from san diego. Great beach  area VERY well kept expensive real estate area.  Ive never been on base.

 

You sure edited that one.

 

To your question, and having flown out of Miramar so many times, the departures are designed to avoid high real estate areas at Torrey Pines and La Jolla.

Putting the new movie at North Island makes no sense, other than including San Diego scenery.

As an aside, North Island is still my favorite Naval Officer's Club Sunday Brunch.

 

Top Gun has been drastically changed, and moved to Fallon, Nevada.

[muppy]

5 minutes ago, sherpa said:

 

You sure edited that one.

 

To your question, and having flown out of Miramar so many times, the departures are designed to avoid high real estate areas at Torrey Pines and La Jolla.

Putting the new movie at North Island makes no sense, other than including San Diego scenery.

As an aside, North Island is still my favorite Naval Officer's Club Sunday Brunch.

 

Top Gun has been drastically changed, and moved to Fallon, Nevada.

lol blush Yeah I did edit my OP.   It's just a movie it was a silly comment.

 

I've lived within 10 miles of Miramar since 1988. There is the constant Air Show that hubby attends religiously at that base on Miramar Road.

[LeGOATski]

On 6/9/2022 at 3:04 AM, sherpa said:

I saw it last night.

Disclaimer: As an ex Naval Aviator who attended Tog Gun in the 80's, and subsequently served in the Pacific Fleet Adversary Squadron, (the guys who run those training flights and serve as the bad guys),  I am very familiar with that culture.

 

Without a tactical or technical discussion of questionable things which would be spoilers, there are a few things that made my skin crawl that were in the first movie, and are still used to extreme in this one.

 

The first is this college sophomore-like character portrayal. People in that business are not like that at all. The level of maturity and professionalism far exceeds what is in these movies. I get that it's entertainment, but it's a bit embarrassing. 

For example, this absolutely crazy emphasis on call signs. Call signs have a real tactical benefit because of the need to get out very abrupt communications, but this extension of them into all realms of life is absurd.

The thought that a three star admiral, the Jon Hamm character would still be called "Cyclone" by other Naval Officers is just crazy.

I get that it is for character recognition, but it gets absurd. When we are treated to a radar like image that uses call signs on the screen, I squirmed in the seat.

 

The other thing is the way they portray the normal conversations between senior people locked up at attention portraying these conversations as if it was Marine boot camp. Officers don't talk to each other like that.

 

One thing they did better in this movie was to do much better in the fight scenes. The first one didn't show the often very violent nature of these things, though there seems to be a Hollywood obsession with "G's."  I get that it is something that the actors went through and was probably interesting, but in that world it's just part of the job and not constantly talked about.

 

Anyway, it's a movie, not a documentary.

Someday, when spoilers aren't an issue, there are a few things that are worth discussing/

You just can't help yourself. Holy *****.

[muppy]

@sherpa Greetings from socal. I read your posts verbatim to hubby last night and we discussed my edit. Now I kn ow you are indeed an expert so I can ask YOU and not feel inane about it.

 

Okay so in the movie in miracle 3 fashion the ace pilot shows iafter having been scrambled from the carrier arrives  on the scene and BLAM saves Maverick and his back seater.

 

My edit question was why would the carrier brass send only 1 plane to save Maverick, where is saviors wingman?

 

lol oh Sherpa trust me. If you were so inclined mr muppy and you could gab alllll day and all night LOL

 

Thanks for sharing your background. Thank you for your service. 

 

 

one last thing: I have a very good friend who graduated in 1977 USAFA went on to fly jets and eventually the KC-135 fuel tanker at Edwards amongst other places.

He flew in desert storm and retired a major after a 20 year service. Guy went on to get an MBA....my point is I have the utmost respect for pilots oh he used to tell me some stories of being on the ground and literally kissing it. Lord have mercy. I know a lot of smart individuals. This guy had an IQ that was so high I have no idea the number lets say Brilliant X 10 and with it the nicest Christian man you would ever meet. If there is ANY chance you know him I would be blown away. His name was Steve Grogan. (No NOT the patsies ex qb) I used to razz him about That.

 

[sherpa]

33 minutes ago, muppy said:

@sherpa Greetings from socal. I read your posts verbatim to hubby last night and we discussed my edit. Now I kn ow you are indeed an expert so I can ask YOU and not feel inane about it.

 

Okay so in the movie in miracle 3 fashion the ace pilot shows iafter having been scrambled from the carrier arrives  on the scene and BLAM saves Maverick and his back seater.

 

My edit question was why would the carrier brass send only 1 plane to save Maverick, where is saviors wingman?

 

one last thing: I have a very good friend who graduated in 1977 USAFA went on to fly jets and eventually the KC-135 fuel tanker at Edwards amongst other places.

He flew in desert storm and retired a major after a 20 year service. Guy went on to get an MBA....my point is I have the utmost respect for pilots oh he used to tell me some stories of being on the ground and literally kissing it. Lord have mercy. I know a lot of smart individuals. This guy had an IQ that was so high I have no idea the number lets say Brilliant X 10 and with it the nicest Christian man you would ever meet. If there is ANY chance you know him I would be blown away. His name was Steve Grogan. (No NOT the patsies ex qb) I used to razz him about That.

 

 

Don't know the guy. We had no contact with Air Force KC-35's.

Regarding the question about why only one guy, it might not be necessary to send two, but they probably would have.

Other things missing were the lack of jammer airplanes, which would be clearly involved in a muti SAM environment, and no air to air refueling, though I guess it is just assumed. There is no way that the carrier task force would be close enough to a target place like that to have the F-18's do that thing without tanking.

Good to see they used the E-2 though.

[GETTOTHE50]

Loved the film. So what it had cheesy moments, hollywood is at its best when it doesn’t take itself so seriously. 
 

tom cruise delivered another classic summer hit.