I gave in and took my wife to see Top Gun last Wed night at a prescreening that a friend hooked me up with.

[Nefarious]

I'm not saying anything...... but I did see the original on the big screen!

My uncle flew the F4 before he moved up to a tanker then "management" with a couple of **'s...to operate a desk and a phone..... If you have ever seen an F4 in person it is more of a rocket with some little stubby arms than a plane. It's hard to believe it would even fly.... As a youngster I loved to hear his flight stories, his son went on to pilot the F14.... It was even cooler to hear them talk together....

That's an interesting story. I was an F4 ground crew while in the AF. We had like 140 of them on base. Every quarter or so we had to run a drill. How many planes can you get off the ground and how fast, what if we were attacked. For hours we would marshal the F4s to the runway and watch/hear them take off. I will never forget that, especially on Sat morning with a massive hangover.

 

[Apparition]

Thoroughly enjoyed the movie. Great flight scenes and great job tying it back to the original. Need to see in a theater with a big screen and good sound although my theater room has better sound.

 

[civilsmoker]

That's an interesting story. I was an F4 ground crew while in the AF. We had like 140 of them on base. Every quarter or so we had to run a drill. How many planes can you get off the ground and how fast, what if we were attacked. For hours we would marshal the F4s to the runway and watch/hear them take off. I will never forget that, especially on Sat morning with a massive hangover.

That awesome, I actually remember my uncle talking about those drills, just cool and not hangover friendly at all!

 

[Plinsc]

That's an interesting story. I was an F4 ground crew while in the AF. We had like 140 of them on base. Every quarter or so we had to run a drill. How many planes can you get off the ground and how fast, what if we were attacked. For hours we would marshal the F4s to the runway and watch/hear them take off. I will never forget that, especially on Sat morning with a massive hangover.

Haha! Old AGE guy here! Loved those jets! If I had a guy hungover I’d make sure to get into a little jet wash to watch them turn green!

 

[xray]

My wife wanted to see the movie, so we went on Sunday evening, I must say we enjoyed it much more than the original. The flight scenes are great, and from what I’ve read, it’s the actors being filmed up there in the f18s. Apparently Tom Cruise hates the use of CGI.

It’s a good movie made for the big screen. It reminds me of a time when movies were actually enjoyable without all the woke crap being rammed down your throat.

I’m not big on movie theaters nowadays but I make exceptions for military and war movies. I wanted to see Dunkirk on the big screen…and this movie as well.

 

[civilsmoker]

Just got back and I think it was better than the original as well! Just big screen entertainment that one can enjoy. xray i watched a how they made it bit and yup many of the scenes are the actors in the plane feeling a little bit of g’s. I would go to more movies if they made them like this one!

 

[civilsmoker]

My wife wanted to see the movie, so we went on Sunday evening, I must say we enjoyed it much more than the original. The flight scenes are great, and from what I’ve read, it’s the actors being filmed up there in the f18s. Apparently Tom Cruise hates the use of CGI.

It’s a good movie made for the big screen. It reminds me of a time when movies were actually enjoyable without all the woke crap being rammed down your throat.

I’m not big on movie theaters nowadays but I make exceptions for military and war movies. I wanted to see Dunkirk on the big screen…and this movie as well.

If you liked Dunkirk I think you would enjoy “The Darkest Hour”. The actor playing Churchill was awesome!

 

[SmokinEdge]

I have a ton of original Top Gun stories because an F-14 RIO (backseater) and I saw the original script in late 1984. At the time I was working shore duty out of the Navy recruiting district headquarters on Wilshire Blvd in Los Angeles (no longer on Wilshire. That's another story entirely). It wasn't unusual for scriptwriters to bring Navy-related work to the office to get feedback. The script totally sucked. Very unreal opening.

We put the guy in touch with the LA area PAO (Public Affairs Officer) Lt. Sandy Stairs who worked out of the Federal Building on the opposite end of Wilshire Blvd (see end credits). That led to him being referred to Top Gun at NAS Miramar in San Diego (not there anymore. Now in Fallon, NV).

My brother-in-law, an F-14 fighter puke (that's an Attack pilot's nickname for guys who flew the aluminum overcast F-14), was training in Top Gun at the time the movie was filmed. His callsign is actually seen in the movie in the classroom scene. He has stories of the cast I will not repeat here because I don't want to get sued.

The storyline of the guy turning in his wings actually happened. The PAO of NAS Miramar was an F-14 pilot I flew with off the Enterprise. He is in the movie twice (bar scene and grad ceremony) and his real name is used toward the end of the movie when an alert plane goes down on deck when they want to launch help against the bogeys.

A guy my then-girlfriend-now-wife and I used to drink and party with is in the opening scenes. The blonde LSO (Landing Safety Officer) watching planes trap holding the radio phone to his ear is that guy. I was in a packed theater opening weekend after working a Navy recruiting booth. When I saw him, I automatically screamed his name in surprise when he appeared on the screen.

Guys I trained to fly basic jets who became F-14 pilots are some of the pilots credited at the end. Fun movie. Some major flaws, but it still pops into the player now and again. The original is on Netflix right now.

We'll go see the new one once things settle down.

Nice story, much appreciated.
The F-14 is special in our home. My wife (25 years this month) was an AO on NAS Miramar 1991-95 she served with VF-124. She too was told the stories of TC and the crew from that time. Not a big fan of TC but the original movie hits home in many ways. Thanks again for sharing the experience.

 

[BGKYSmoker]

Yup. Same with my days in West Germany. Fun. Yes?

Big fun.

I miss it being on the ground with the aircraft.

 

[Bearcarver]

The talking heads on TV are also saying "You have to see this movie at a Theater".
LOL---The last time I was at a theater was when we 4 siblings & our spouses went out to Dinner & a Movie, 40 years ago. We saw Paul Newman, in "The Verdict".
I think I'll "Rough-it" and watch this one on my Big TV, when I'm able. At this stage, everything in my life doesn't have to be Perfect.

Bear

 

[negolien]

a crap missed this thread when i just made mine. Oh well mine ws more about the theater vs imax though so :<)

 

[civilsmoker]

a crap missed this thread when i just made mine. Oh well mine ws more about the theater vs imax though so :<)

I would do the IMAX if you can.... It was filmed in IMAX but we saw it in a Big D Digital and that was awesome!!!

 

[negolien]

I did a sperate thread for the theater tech itself.

I liked the movie. There wasn't much down time I thought and it kinda had a great flow. Movie went pretty fast and was exciting. I give it an A. It wasn't so over the top it made me puke like 95% of the other movies like fast and furious mission impossible ect ect.

I watched some trailers and other media before the movie so I knew who penny was and stuff like that you know little easter eggs to the old movie. Stuff like the opening scene being almost sequence for sequence with the original but with modern aircraft.

I only saw 1 tom cruise movie I didn't like it was legend otherwise he's been Steller and he produces and stuff so /shrug. My all time favorite movie is Taps with George C. Scott, Cruise, Hutton and others about the military academy. it was his second movie he ever made and he nialed it.

The haters are gonna hate . A lot of haters are anti scientologist lefties so no shocker. Not pointing fingers about our guys just a generalization I saw. I may not agree with scientologists and Morman's and many others but /shrug long as they don't break the law their free to practice whatever religion they want. It's what America is all about. I never saw any me too stuff or anything about him other than accusations against him when he split up with the younger chick.

 

[civilsmoker]

I'm kicking myself as I didn't snap a pic of the guts and such....was just just enjoying.....

I spent a bunch of time today crawling all over this F-14. This aircraft and its pilot is what the opening scene of the first Top Gun was based on. He encountered a mig and on investigation it was two mig's and he chased them down 6 times....IE they couldn't get away...as the migs were leaving he snuck up again and took a pic at 25 feet away and they didn't even know he was there after a second F-14 was sent to help out.....This aircraft was in the original movie. Only 3 of the 12 aircraft from the first movie exist, the others have destroyed.....IE they didn't want parts going to the bad guys.....

 

[noboundaries]

I'll pass on the theater viewing. My wife gets tired of hearing me say, "Oh, that bull dung," or something similar. At home, I can get up and leave her to enjoy the movie without spending $40-$60.

 

[normanaj]

Can't do it. Tom Cruise makes me sick to my stomach. He's right up there with the equally cringeworthy Richard Gere.

 

[negolien]

Can't do it. Tom Cruise makes me sick to my stomach. He's right up there with the equally cringeworthy Richard Gere.

of course, he's never actually don't anything wrong but be a scientologist right? Who's your fav De Niro or Whoopie Goldberg?? lol

 

[SmokinEdge]

I'm kicking myself as I didn't snap a pic of the guts and such....was just just enjoying.....

I spent a bunch of time today crawling all over this F-14. This aircraft and its pilot is what the opening scene of the first Top Gun was based on. He encountered a mig and on investigation it was two mig's and he chased them down 6 times....IE they couldn't get away...as the migs were leaving he snuck up again and took a pic at 25 feet away and they didn't even know he was there after a second F-14 was sent to help out.....This aircraft was in the original movie. Only 3 of the 12 aircraft from the first movie exist, the others have destroyed.....IE they didn't want parts going to the bad guys.....
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This is in an air museum in Denver, CO. pretty much the F-14 was first of its kind and revolutionary for it’s day. Truly an iconic fighter and symbol of Americana. RIP F-14 Tomcat.

 

[normanaj]

of course, he's never actually don't anything wrong but be a scientologist right? Who's your fav De Niro or Whoopie Goldberg?? lol

Really?Exactly what are you implying?

I just think Tom Cruise sucks as an actor.

 

[civilsmoker]

This is in an air museum in Denver, CO. pretty much the F-14 was first of its kind and revolutionary for it’s day. Truly an iconic fighter and symbol of Americana. RIP F-14 Tomcat.

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Very cool! The aircraft above was in the Tillamook Air Field Museum... the hanger was one of the WWII blimp sites... the hanger is just incredible! I’ve been in the air museum in Seattle had the F4, F14, and a SR-71. None of the this compares to a special exhibit at the Smithsonian some 25 years ago.... they had the Enola Gay, we got to walk up to the bombing sight area and all..... before going into the plane there was lots of talking.... once in.....you could hear a hair hit the floor. I will NEVER forget that feeling!