One of my all time favorite action packed movies is Top Gun, produced by director Tony Scott. The theme of the movie is speed, and everything moves fast including the plot. The plot is very clear and easy to understand as an audience member. This movie is enjoyable to watch because of the internal consistency it posses, it will not leave you scratching your head as you are watching the credits role by.

Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, played by Tom Cruise, is the epitome of fast and likes doing things his way without regard for rules, or what other people think. In my opinion, Mr. Cruise is the perfect actor for this movie and fills the lead role of his character beautifully. The supporting cast members also provide an above average movie experience. This movie is an adrenaline rush for guys and girls of all ages, who are looking to enjoy a good classic movie that will keep them entertained throughout. Be warned that after watching this movie, you will want to move at a much faster pace than normal.

At the beginning of the movie Maverick, who already has a huge ego, has been promoted to a position in the Navy’s elite Top Gun fighter pilot school, inflating his ego even further. This ego that Maverick carries around appeals to the audiences; it is sometimes found humorous, because of how full Maverick is of himself. The school is located near San Diego at the Miramar Navel Air Station, a perfect location for a hot shot like Maverick to have a good time. The setting of this movie is easily relatable to its viewing members, keeping them engaged in the film.

The Naval program is supposed to make the best pilots even better, and this is where the special effects come into play. Maverick is cocky and knows his skills are already exceptional. This causes fellow students and teachers to question his ability as a pilot, but he soon will be provided the chance to prove himself a worthy dog fighting pilot. The special effects are evident when the missiles shot by the pilots hit opposing targets, which are called MIGs. Even though on the big screen it may look shockingly real, one can assume it is computer animated or shot on a green screen. This movie was produced in 1987 and the special effects are not up to today’s standards, but they perform sufficiently well for this film.

When a training accident sends his F-14 into the deadly flat spin, Maverick is unable to save it. As the plane goes down over the water, Maverick safely ejects but his best friend Goose is killed. I thought this scene, even though very touching, seemed to be a little too much Hollywood for me. For one, the accident occurred during a simple and routine training exercise, I would have liked to see Goose die a more heroic death in a battle scene. This is one of the few complaints I have for an overall good movie. After Goose’s death, even Maverick’s current romance with Charlie, a civilian aeronautics expert, doesn’t console him. At this point in the movie, the tone really starts to show through; you can feel the sorrow not only the family goes through, but also Maverick. Tone is important in this movie because it is constantly shifting, and can toy with the audience’s feelings.

Maverick begins to question his ability as a fighter pilot, his confidence has been lost. He is forced to fly when the Russians reappear on the scene with a new co-pilot. This is the point in the movie where the entertainment value reaches its peak. You experience an abundant amount of emotions, ranging from fear that Maverick might die to a pure adrenaline rush when they are in the middle of a dog fight. The movie’s originality is what will always make it a classic, I personally have not seen anyone come close to recreating the emotions and intensity that I feel while watching this film. When people ask me to recommend a good movie to watch, I will always highly recommend Top Gun.