I was never a fan of Top Gun, or for that matter Tom Cruise back in the 80s. Even though I grew up in that prime time, somehow I missed that ride myself. Not to say I disliked either, but I never really felt immersed in the craze around any of it.
On that background, fast forward thirty some years and arrives this movie that I don’t know why I was all keen to see.
Even as the lights dimmed in the theater and the familiar music started I felt like I came to the right place, already feeling, younger, lighter … ready to take on the world… never realizing that I needed to feel that.
I will not detail how the movie, its story, its execution, music, photography… everything… is outstanding. What I will point out is this – the movie not only traces the arc of Maverick, Rooster, Hangman and others, but most importantly, it traces the arc of its audience… allowing us to live our youth…celebrate our growth, tempered with experience. It shows how to be tolerant and forgiving of a younger generation – not with benign benevolence, but by pushing them to their limits as we demonstrate and defy ours. That’s the attraction of this movie, and that is its star power.
PS: why am I writing about this more than six months after the movie’s release? Well, I watched it first in the theater, then became relatively speechless for a few weeks, then watched some more and thought and thought… and finally… here it is… my noble declaration!
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