It was awesome !

Bunk Moreland said:

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How about the scene with the tomahawks passing over the Jets. Just so much good stuff.

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as a former Air Force Intel officer- I would be directing those T-LAMs towards the SAM batteries rather than the airfield (considering there were 3 bogeys in the air at the time anyway!!)

then you don't have to do so many crazy maneuvers just to get to the target and dodge them on the way up and out.

LMCane said:

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Bunk Moreland said:

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How about the scene with the tomahawks passing over the Jets. Just so much good stuff.

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as a former Air Force Intel officer- I would be directing those T-LAMs towards the SAM batteries rather than the airfield (considering there were 3 bogeys in the air at the time anyway!!)

then you don't have to do so many crazy maneuvers just to get to the target and dodge them on the way up and out.

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That would make boring ass movie.

CoachRTM said:

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Miles Teller was phenomenal. Perfect casting

I thought the fan service/ callbacks were perfect. Heavy at the beginning, then settled in and became its own movie with a touch here or there.

I had a hard time imagining this Maverick as an older Pete Mitchell. He almost felt like an extension of his Mission Impossible character more than Maverick sometimes, but that was only moments here or there.

I would legit watch a 6 part documentary on how they filmed the flying sequences. Did they really have the actors go under the bridge? Etc. There were some scenes where you could see both pilots at the same time, but looking back I think they were very tame parts of flying, so they could have filmed that on the ground

I thought Penny and the daughter were completely unnecessary, but that might be a minority opinion.

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I am betting a large sum the bridge scene was CGI.

also all of the scenes where Mav is screaming upwards through a two ship training flight and splits them within 50 feet are CGI as that is inside the 500 foot safety bubble.

the actors were in the backseat while the real Navy pilots were at the controls. except for when Cruise flew HIS OWN P-51 Mustang.

LMCane said:

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jr15aggie said:

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Really liked it. My only complaint is I saw too much footage that would have been best saved for the movie. But I'm glad I didn't know hardly anything about the plot ahead of time.

H_ngman actor did an incredible job of capturing the spirit of the Ice Man role. Just nailed it.

They did a great job with Val and I was surprised Meg Ryan wasn't brought in... but I suppose it made more sense that Mav and Rooster were the only family they had left.

And it's really incredible that Maverick and Penny Benjamin not only found each other 30+ years later, but are the 2 best looking 50 year olds of all time. What a deal!

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Tom Cruise will be 60 soon

what's the back story on Penny Benjamin? I don't remember her from the first movie

is the black XO with John Hamm from the first movie? It doesn't look like Ice Man's WIZO

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Basically opening scene, as they are getting railed for not landing after saving their wingman. Goose whisper penny banjamin to maverick just before getting chewed out for being a comic.

LMCane said:

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what's the back story on Penny Benjamin? I don't remember her from the first movie

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you serious?

LandArchSA said:

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Family outing last night and we absolutely loved it! When the first notes of the opening music hit my teenaged kids had to make sure I was going to be okay. Felt like I was 12 again. Maybe had to suspend reality here and there, but I don't care...that's what movies are for.

Felt like the Ice/Mav scene brought out some real emotion for Tom Cruise. It seemed like genuine sadness for a friend. But maybe I'm overthinking it and that's just what a really good actor can do. Or maybe it's the scientology...

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when is the last time anyone saw Tom Cruise cry?

Opening, just like the original.

jr15aggie said:

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One thing that was very apparent... they took extreme care in doing some things exactly like the oroginal.

For example, the camera heights and angles at the end carrier scene with all the high-fives and hugs was practically the same scene from '86. Same for the opening carrier shots. That can't be easy to do, but they got it perfect.... felt like home for us older guys.

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Well said

They did such a good job of putting in a lot of nods to the original without getting cheesy.

I loved it when Rooster kept calling him 'Mav' at the end, when they were in the F-14

Loved it. Great call backs. Great opener and third act. I felt like that movie flew by (pun intended). Jennifer Connelly is a babe. Lots of clapping but the biggest applause was when Hangman saved the day. This was what movie theaters were intended for and I hope this movie makes a boat load of money.

Damn. That's a movie experience that a home theater just can't ever match. See it in IMAX if you haven't already.

The callbacks were perfect. The IMAX scenes were jaw-dropping.

Only a little "Oh this is ridiculous..." in the third act. Mainly with Mav and Rooster all being within a short hike / run of each other and the base. But whatever.

Gonna see it again. Several times.

IMAX experience was exceptional. Will be watching again.

Also, sad reminder of how good Hollywood can be if they wanted to.

Jon Hamm as Cyclone was pitch perfect as "pr i ck of a commanding officer", and the two-star Warlock was spot on as the comedic mediator between Cyclone and Mav. If either of those roles miss by even a bit, the movie doesn't work.

I saw it again this afternoon in IMAX since yesterday was on a regular screen. You absolutely need to see this in IMAX.

For those talking about the CGI in this movie, this is from imdb

Quote:

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At the insistence of Tom Cruise, there are no green screen or CGI aerial shots in the film, and even the close up cockpit shots are taken during real in-flight sequences. This meant that much of the cast had to undergo extensive G-force training sessions, to withstand the physical demands of the G-force pressures during flights.

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SoulSlaveAG2005 said:

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LMCane said:

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jr15aggie said:

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Really liked it. My only complaint is I saw too much footage that would have been best saved for the movie. But I'm glad I didn't know hardly anything about the plot ahead of time.

H_ngman actor did an incredible job of capturing the spirit of the Ice Man role. Just nailed it.

They did a great job with Val and I was surprised Meg Ryan wasn't brought in... but I suppose it made more sense that Mav and Rooster were the only family they had left.

And it's really incredible that Maverick and Penny Benjamin not only found each other 30+ years later, but are the 2 best looking 50 year olds of all time. What a deal!

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Tom Cruise will be 60 soon

what's the back story on Penny Benjamin? I don't remember her from the first movie

is the black XO with John Hamm from the first movie? It doesn't look like Ice Man's WIZO

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Basically opening scene, as they are getting railed for not landing after saving their wingman. Goose whisper penny banjamin to maverick just before getting chewed out for being a comic.

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how pissed must Anthony Edwards be that they killed him off and he doesn't get residuals from TG II?

TexAgs91 said:

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For those talking about the CGI in this movie, this is from imdb

Quote:

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At the insistence of Tom Cruise, there are no green screen or CGI aerial shots in the film, and even the close up cockpit shots are taken during real in-flight sequences. This meant that much of the cast had to undergo extensive G-force training sessions, to withstand the physical demands of the G-force pressures during flights.

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that's not accurate. there are a bunch of Navy and USAF pilots analyzing the trailers of TGII and they discuss all the shots that were illegal to conduct under military training (the barrel rolls within 500 feet, Cruise splitting the formation from below, S scissors turns within 50 feet)

so there was CGI.
The SAM batteries were also CGI

what Cruise is specifically discussing is the shots of the pilots faces are really in the cockpit- unlike in TGI where they were on green screen

Meg Ryan also mentions the encounter with Penny when they are all together in the restaurant, but not by name. Just recalls Pete, "going ballistic with the Admiral's daughter".

LMCane said:

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TexAgs91 said:

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For those talking about the CGI in this movie, this is from imdb

Quote:

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At the insistence of Tom Cruise, there are no green screen or CGI aerial shots in the film, and even the close up cockpit shots are taken during real in-flight sequences. This meant that much of the cast had to undergo extensive G-force training sessions, to withstand the physical demands of the G-force pressures during flights.

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that's not accurate. there are a bunch of Navy and USAF pilots analyzing the trailers of TGII and they discuss all the shots that were illegal to conduct under military training (the barrel rolls within 500 feet, Cruise splitting the formation from below, S scissors turns within 50 feet)

so there was CGI.
The SAM batteries were also CGI

what Cruise is specifically discussing is the shots of the pilots faces are really in the cockpit- unlike in TGI where they were on green screen

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A lot of that can be shot in real life then stitched together.

12th Man Ag said:

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Meg Ryan also mentions the encounter with Penny when they are all together in the restaurant, but not by name. Just recalls Pete, "going ballistic with the Admiral's daughter".

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She does mention her specifically by name. She and Goose are the only two who do so.

LMCane said:

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SoulSlaveAG2005 said:

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LMCane said:

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jr15aggie said:

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Really liked it. My only complaint is I saw too much footage that would have been best saved for the movie. But I'm glad I didn't know hardly anything about the plot ahead of time.

H_ngman actor did an incredible job of capturing the spirit of the Ice Man role. Just nailed it.

They did a great job with Val and I was surprised Meg Ryan wasn't brought in... but I suppose it made more sense that Mav and Rooster were the only family they had left.

And it's really incredible that Maverick and Penny Benjamin not only found each other 30+ years later, but are the 2 best looking 50 year olds of all time. What a deal!

---

Tom Cruise will be 60 soon

what's the back story on Penny Benjamin? I don't remember her from the first movie

is the black XO with John Hamm from the first movie? It doesn't look like Ice Man's WIZO

---

Basically opening scene, as they are getting railed for not landing after saving their wingman. Goose whisper penny banjamin to maverick just before getting chewed out for being a comic.

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how pissed must Anthony Edwards be that they killed him off and he doesn't get residuals from TG II?

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It's weird because of Goose and Dr Green dying, in my head Anthony Edwards is dead. When he pooped up in We Crashed recently it shocked me a bit reminding me that he was alive.

Having slept on this one, I still loved this movie. I'm not likely to see it again right away, but eventually I will.

We saw it at the Regal Grand Parkway theater on the IMAX screen, which (a) I didn't know existed even though it's fairly close to my house and (b) was the absolute perfect choice for viewing this movie. My wife and I have both seen Top Gun separately, but watched it together Thursday night in preparation for seeing TG Maverick. TG Maverick blows away the original in every aspect. Unlike the original, this one has some real world stakes, and it is an examination of one man's life who lost someone quite close to him when he was younger.

The casting was great. I don't think I've ever not liked Jennifer Connelly, going back to The Rocketeer. She's just a beautiful woman. I initially thought it felt forced that Goose's son, Rooster, was in this, but as it played out, they did a great job of explaining why he was angry at Maverick. Loved seeing Iceman, but that was one of the three biggest emotional scenes in the movie. I know Val Kilmer has been sick, but was that acting or was that really what he is suffering from? I thought many of the supporting characters - Hondo, H_ngman, Warlock, Bob, Cyclone, and Phoenix were strong. I especially thought Hondo had a lot of fun with the pushups sequences.

As a lifelong Star Wars nut, it was impossible for me to overlook the obvious comparison to the Death Star trench run. But when I heard my wife (who enjoys Star Wars but is hardly a nut about it) saying, "stay on target" and "use the Force" I just about lost it. I'm thinking I have a keeper here.

So to my one and only nitpick. I'm hoping I just missed some line of dialogue explaining this. How in the f*** does Captain Pete Mitchell have access to a P-51 Mustang? On his salary, there is no freaking way he owns that aircraft. (I do know that in fact that Mustang does belong to Tom Cruise, who obviously is wealthy enough to own such an expensive and rare warbird). When he takes off in the P-51, I was thinking, Cadillac of the Skies.

After one of the numerous delays, I remember being pissed off and thinking they should just release it on streaming and then re-release in theaters.

I was quite wrong and would be pretty upset if my first viewing was at home.

Glad they were able to deliver despite huge expectations