It made you dream of flying, of looking dashing in a uniform, of joining the air force and, of course, having a blast romancing your lady instructor! Whether you watched it in the 80s or on cable recently, it hardly matters. Top Gun, which turned 25 earlier this week, is one film that can make a mark on anyone, anytime. And though its stars are edging 50, this iconic film remains young at heart — an endless thrill ride to take your breath away. On its silver anniversary, t2 lists a few reasons why we still love Top Gun.

The Man:

Before there was Jerry Maguire and Ethan Hunt, there was Pete “Maverick” Mitchell — a man who single-handedly transformed a young, trouser-less “risky” wonder into a star, overnight. With more than 34 films to his credit, and 30 years in the film industry, Tom Cruise is still remembered fondly for his innocent yet brash, sensitive-stud routine in Top Gun. Scientology, crazy jumping-on-couch, controversial pre-nups notwithstanding, we still love the adorable high-fiving, back-slapping jock that he was in the 80s.

The look:

Men want to ape it, women want to get their hands on it…. The patched, leather bomber jacket, classic gold-rimmed Aviators, those dog tags and that cheeky smile, made for a heady combo that still sends our hearts aflutter. Cruise’s Top Gun-look has inspired countless men over the decades, including our own Salman Khan’s Maine Pyar Kiya. It is spunky yet classic enough to never go out of fashion.        

The song:

Berlin’s Take My Breath Away became the anthem for a generation of lovers and youngsters, thanks to the film. Think Top Gun, and the image of Maverick riding his bike at sunset with the strains of the song playing, surfaces before anything else. The song still has instant recall though the singers are now out of sight, out of mind.

The romance:

Beautiful Kelly McGillis as Charlotte Blackwood wearing nothing but a man’s white shirt, golden light filtering through window blinds and a dashing Tom Cruise with eyes only on her… sexy! Older hot woman, young hot bachelor… sexier! Mysterious, in-control, lady instructor and know-it-all, cocky student… sexiest! Romance Top Gun-style became a dream for millions, and made Tom Cruise every girl’s notion of a dreamboat and every guy’s ‘it-can-happen-to-me’ fantasy.

The machines:

The film had enough of everything — action, romance and thrill rides. The girls could be busy ogling the hotties playing beach ball, but the men had plenty of F-14A Tomcats, MIGs and of course the bike (with Charlie on it!) to satisfy their testosterone-driven needs… a rare balance few films get to achieve!

The wingman routine:

Top Gun came along and changed a whole lot in our lives, but nothing as much as the dating game. Where would Maverick be without Goose? The wingman-routine, which started with the film, went on to become a part of popular culture. Flying without a wingman, when scouting for dates, can cause you to “crash and burn”, taught Top Gun…. Don’t believe us? Watch and learn from How I Met Your Mother. Then again it also taught you not to sing You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling to impress your lady-love and definitely not follow her into the women’s washroom!

The nicknames:

“What’s in a name?” they ask. Everything, we say! The concept of giving each other cool, slick, nicknames, which define who you are, was Top Gun’s legacy for a generation and more. Iceman, Hollywood, Cougar, Viper, Maverick and Merlin… didn’t you ever have a code name your friends knew you by? Or wished you had one?

The little-known faces:

The success of Top Gun paved the way for many a star in Hollywood. Many of the fresh faces then went on to become worth millions of dollars. Val Kilmer, Meg Ryan, Tim Robbins, to name a few, might be top guns in the world of cinema now, but they only had two-bit roles then. It’s always fun spotting them amongst a host of actors, as they battle it out for screen space in the skies and at sea level.

The director:

Tony Scott, the man behind Top Gun and hits like Crimson Tide, Enemy of the State, Spy Game, Man on Fire... was once the “real Scott” in Hollywood, before elder brother Ridley came along with Thelma & Louise, Alien, Gladiator and Robin Hood. Known for his thrillers and action-packed films, Tony will always be remembered for his first box-office blockbuster, which inspired from Manhattan to Maniktala.

The rush:

“I feel the need... the need for speed,” says Maverick in the film. And nothing could have defined the spirit of the film better. What’s more, that one statement went on to become the inspiration for the Need For Speed franchise, which continues to sweep gamers away on an adrenaline high!

Need we say more?

TRIVIA

☻ Top Gun was such a roaring success after its release that the US Marine erected booths outside movie-halls hoping to recruit youngsters; 1986 also had the highest number of air force sign-ups and applications submitted, thanks to the film.

☻ Tom Cruise’s lovemaking scene with Kelly McGillis was initially not there in the film. But Maverick and Charlie became such a rage that the audience were outraged after finding out there was no intimate scene between the two. It was subsequently added, giving into audience pressure. The scene, now famous for being shot in a blue tint, was in fact, done so to hide Kelly’s change of hair colour!

☻ During filming, the crew was forbidden by the navy from firing more than two missiles for the entire movie. As a result, the main flight attack sequence was done using those two missile shots but from many different angles. The rest of the missile shots were filmed using miniature jets and missiles. Also, Tony Scott was fired three times during the whole production process.

☻ The hero being considerably shorter than the heroine — Tom’s 5’7” to Kelly’s 5’10” — he was forced to wear lifts in his scenes with her.

☻ The list of actors and actresses who turned down both Maverick and Charlie’s role is endless. Everyone from Patrick Swayze, Nicolas Cage, John Cusack, Sean Penn to Matthew Broderick, Michael J. Fox and Tom Hanks, made way for Tom Cruise to shine. Michelle Pfeiffer, Jodie Foster, Daryl Hannah, Brooke Shields, Diane Lane, Sarah Jessica Parker and Linda Hamilton turned down Charlie’s role!