I saw it for the first time when I was quite young and considered
buying a Top Gun cap and jacket (though fashion is really not my domain.. to say the least).For the next, atleast 6 months my answer to the cliche’d question in social parties ” What do you wanna be ? ” , remained the same.. “I will fly F-14 Tomcats.I will be a fighter pilot”..though that did change soon after I learnt there was something called a quiz and being a quizmaster looked very cool on TV (The only one I knew then was derek o’ brien) Only I know how many times that answer has changed since then, over my childhood years.. But all said and done, I remained an ardent fan of the movie Top Gun.
About fifteen years later,when I was hunting for movies on the Insti Lan, I suddenly stumbled upon the same familiar name… “TOP GUN”… and all the childhood memories came “flying” back.This was about a month earlier and now, within a month, despite the boring and hectic class schedule of the ece department, I have watched that movie again and again, (atleast 15 times now) and have loved it more everytime I watched it.To heck with all the oscars and imdb listings.. For me, Top Gun definitely ranks highly among the best movies ever made.It is one movie that has literally “Taken my breath away”.
It is strange how a movie or a song becomes a part of your memories and you start associating your life and the events thereof with the movie that released in the same period. Top Gun is the movie of my childhood…
If I had to pick two words to describe this movie, they would be Passion and Attitude… The following dialogue from the movie says it all… (Maverick, Goose and Iceman are attending a class being taken by Charlie, Maverick’s lady love)
Charlie: Excuse me, Lieutenant. Is there something wrong?
Maverick: Yes ma’am, the data on the MiG is inaccurate.
Charlie: How’s that, Lieutenant?
Maverick: Well, I just happened to see a MiG 28 do a…
Goose: We!
Maverick: Uh, sorry Goose. WE happened to see a MiG 28 do a 4G negative dive.
Charlie: Where did you see this?
Maverick: Uh, that’s classified.
Charlie: It’s what?
Maverick: It’s classified. I could tell you, but then I’d have to kill you.
Charlie: So, lieutenant, where exactly were you?
Maverick: Well, we…
Goose: Thank you.
Maverick: Started up on his six, when he pulled in through the clouds, and then I moved in above him.
Charlie: Well, if you were directly above him, how could you see him?
Maverick: Because I was inverted.
Iceman: [coughs whilst saying] Bullshit.
Goose: No, he was, man, it was a really great move.
Charlie: You were in a 4G inverted dive with a Mig 28?
Maverick: Yes ma’am.
Charlie: At what range?
Maverick: Um, about two meters.
Goose: It was actually about one and a half I think. It was one and a half. I’ve got a great Polaroid of it, and he’s right there, must be one and a half.
Maverick: It was a nice picture.
Goose: Thanks.
Charlie: Eh, lieutenant, what were you doing there?
Goose: Communicating.
Maverick: Communicating. Keeping up foreign relations. You know, giving him the bird?
Goose: [Extending his middle finger] You know, the finger!
Charlie: Yes, I know the finger, Goose.
Goose: Sorry. I hate when it does that.
Charlie: [to Maverick] So you’re the one.
Maverick: Yes ma’am.
Now, Isnt that cool…In fact there are innumerable such cool dialogues which just make my day everytime i hear them… Man, I love that movie.
The dogfights picturised are the most incredible stunts ever shown on the silverscreen and the F-14 tomcats,A-4 skyhawks, F-5E and F-5F Tiger 2s, and the Migs made such cool viewing for the wannabe fighter pilot kid.Tom Cruise is at his brimmin-with-attitude best. The music too is extremely sweet and the tunes are so catchy that you can go on humming and listening to “take my breath away”,”danger zone” and “great balls of fire” for hours together and never feel that you have had enough.
All in all, a great movie, a movie that I would be willing to watch over and over again. “Lt Pete Mitchell” was my childhood hero and Top Gun is my addiction.. As it is said “You can take away the booze, but you cant take away the crazy”…
Poetic Injustice 