Top Gun: Maverick

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Wait what?? I thought you said you were going a week ago (though now I assume surgery had something to do with it.) Either way go see it asap before JW bumps it out of all the good auditoriums!

This is like the new Batmobile all over again where it demands to be experienced in a Dolby Cinema!
Yeah I wasn’t feeling good so the family stayed home and got a refund.

We’re trying to go before the Dolby bump for Jurassic Poop.
 
There are NO green screen cockpit shots. :thud: Literally every shot is the actors really flying in F-18's while a real Top Gun pilot in the other seat does all the maneuvering.

The stealth fighter that blows the roof off the building really did that and wasn't planned. It was the first take so they were all okay I guess we're done, lol.
 
There are NO green screen cockpit shots. :thud: Literally every shot is the actors really flying in F-18's while a real Top Gun pilot in the other seat does all the maneuvering.

The stealth fighter that blows the roof off the building really did that and wasn't planned. It was the first take so they were all okay I guess we're done, lol.
That's really cool to hear, I could tell Ed Harris was trying to stay standing but the shockwave made him stumble back a little
 
It's been a while since I last left a summer-blockbuster-type of movie feeling so satisfied.
Really well done, and it's so refreshing to have a blockbuster that doesn't include superheroes or aliens. I love both, but it was high time we got a respite from the "genre" movies.
Tom Cruise is the true Last Action Hero.
It is our nature to do one thing correctly. Before him, we rightly tremble.
I like how one reviewer put it when he said that it's the rare modern blockbuster that places a greater emphasis on satisfying rather than surprising the audience.
 
The stealth fighter that blows the roof off the building really did that and wasn't planned. It was the first take so they were all okay I guess we're done, lol.

That's awesome!

I hope this kicks green screen back a few notches as far as filmmakers reliance on it. Practical always rules.
 
James Cameron: "Not if anything to say about it, I have."

James is too far ahead of himself. Avatar would be an amazing world to visit as a vacation destination when the "Meta-verse" is actually a functioning thing you can do and experience. It's beautiful, exotic, and little boys could get off on their lanky blue femme cats.

But who knows. Avatar is so old now perhaps it has nostalgia built-in that we didn't even know was there. Like Top Gun.
 
So the guy who flew Tom's plane was Frank Weisser, a veteran Blue Angels flying ace who often performed stunts close to the ground or next to other planes.

F-18's come in one and two seat configurations so they pretended that Maverick's fighter was a one-seater and the shots capturing him head on gave the illusion of it being a one-seater and then when they'd show over the shoulder shots with the camera facing forward it was actually the Blue Angels pilot wearing Tom's helmet. Perfect in-camera illusions from both angles inside an actual flying fighter jet! :rock

The Navy told them that if the mission they did in the movie happened in real life that they'd send the far more advanced F-35's but since there are no two-seater F-35's Cruise insisted that they use F-18's so that the actors could ride piggyback and be filmed up in the sky.

If Maverick gets nominated for Best Cinematography I wonder if the actors playing the pilots will get to join the director of photography on stage if they win since they had to actually operate all four cameras that were installed in the cockpits, lol.
 
If Maverick gets nominated for Best Cinematography I wonder if the actors playing the pilots will get to join the director of photography on stage if they win since they had to actually operate all four cameras that were installed in the cockpits, lol.

Probably not. The cinematographer isn't always the camera operator. Not sure if operators always go onstage with their DP. The over-the-shoulder stuff was likely considered 2nd unit.
 
Probably not. The cinematographer isn't always the camera operator. Not sure if operators always go onstage with their DP. The over-the-shoulder stuff was likely considered 2nd unit.
Oh I know, I was joking. Being taught how to turn fixed cameras on and off is assumedly a far cry from being named Best DP. ;)

But the director said it was weird sending the actors up to do all these important scenes that he couldn't watch or comment on until they landed and showed him the footage, lol.
 
I have never been in a theater for a movie filled with over 70 white boomers…..

Quite the demographic…

I doubt some of these folks have been to a theater in 15 years…..
 
Ok FINALLY got some “me” time and more importantly enough disposable income to take my son to TGM today of course in a non premium screen :gah:

I have a big L on my forehead lol

But no way in hell am I seeing JWD i’m lucky I have the money to go see TGM what with gas being $75 a gallon, bread $25 a slice, my medical bills and of course all of my Hot Toys lol (War Machine Mark 1 almost the price of a PS5 sheesh :slap)

We are both excited but he said the first movie was super cheesy lol

He’s not wrong but that’s what makes it a classic lol
 
I have never been in a theater for a movie filled with over 70 white boomers…..

Quite the demographic…

I doubt some of these folks have been to a theater in 15 years…..
Over 70s white boomers drove a $160m opening four-day and a $90m second wkd?:horror

I want Committee Hearings into how they gained entry to those theaters and what it means for the social media truths we hold to be self-evident.
 
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Better late than never I guess.

Earlier today I experienced the perfect marriage of nostalgia moving forward.

The first one has huge levels of cheese and charm which is unique and hard to beat and it doesn’t have to be topped for the new one to be as good because modern times dictates that the new one be way more serious in tone and it worked perfectly.

For being 3 weeks out the screen was actually normal size not one of those real small screens the size of my tv so it was still worth it and discounted no less!

OK so I went into this already knowing the main spoiler, that Kilmer was back, but I didn’t know how and I also didn’t know if Mav was going to die at the end or not.

BUT what I didn’t know was that the freaking Tomcat was making not just an appearance but also be flown by Mav and Rooster…..holy crap what a spectacular goosebump ending (get it lol)!

That Miles actor actually carried himself in a goofy at times manner like Anthony Edwards did which was perfect!

Holy crap one of my favorite scenes was was when Mav shot the missile at that bogey and he pulled that crazy maneuver and then he blew by their window and they said WTF holy crap not only was I laughing but I liked it that they gave these unknown enemies an extra layer of character and menace that was missing from the first one.

I went in with moderate expectations on the new crew and yeah while they could never replace the chemistry from the original it didn’t hurt the movie either.

The movie is definitely made whole by that 3rd act and obviously also Kilmer’s heart tugging cameo and perfectly written into the story I might add!

I guess I wish there was some air vs tank combat but i’m being picky here now.

Oh and it made 400 million domestic in 3 weeks which is HALF the time DS2 needed to arrive at 400 million domestic which was 6 weeks! :thud:

Don’t feel bad for DS2 it made nearly 1,000,000,000 lol

My wife sat this one out it was just my son and I and he loved it. He watched the original and said it was cool which means just OK in his vernacular lol

I need this movie in my collection ASAP at 16k 3D!
 
Better late than never I guess.

Earlier today I experienced the perfect marriage of nostalgia moving forward.

The first one has huge levels of cheese and charm which is unique and hard to beat and it doesn’t have to be topped for the new one to be as good because modern times dictates that the new one be way more serious in tone and it worked perfectly.

For being 3 weeks out the screen was actually normal size not one of those real small screens the size of my tv so it was still worth it and discounted no less!

OK so I went into this already knowing the main spoiler, that Kilmer was back, but I didn’t know how and I also didn’t know if Mav was going to die at the end or not.

BUT what I didn’t know was that the freaking Tomcat was making not just an appearance but also be flown by Mav and Rooster…..holy crap what a spectacular goosebump ending (get it lol)!

That Miles actor actually carried himself in a goofy at times manner like Anthony Edwards did which was perfect!

Holy crap one of my favorite scenes was was when Mav shot the missile at that bogey and he pulled that crazy maneuver and then he blew by their window and they said WTF holy crap not only was I laughing but I liked it that they gave these unknown enemies an extra layer of character and menace that was missing from the first one.

I went in with moderate expectations on the new crew and yeah while they could never replace the chemistry from the original it didn’t hurt the movie either.

The movie is definitely made whole by that 3rd act and obviously also Kilmer’s heart tugging cameo and perfectly written into the story I might add!

I guess I wish there was some air vs tank combat but i’m being picky here now.

Oh and it made 400 million domestic in 3 weeks which is HALF the time DS2 needed to arrive at 400 million domestic which was 6 weeks! :thud:

Don’t feel bad for DS2 it made nearly 1,000,000,000 lol

My wife sat this one out it was just my son and I and he loved it. He watched the original and said it was cool which means just OK in his vernacular lol

I need this movie in my collection ASAP at 16k 3D!
:clap :clap :clap

Okay I'd say we're now officially past spoiler tags so just let me say DUDE I'M SO FREAKING GLAD THE TOMCAT DIDN'T GET SPOILED FOR YOU!!!! :yess:

I was freaking blown away by that! :thud:

When they were being briefed on the mission and told them that the enemy was in possession of some Tomcats my mind made a quick note of "ah so that one shot from the trailer was an enemy craft, got it" and then totally put it out of my mind and by the time the real mission began I had totally forgotten that they'd even been mentioned at all.

Then when both Mav and Goose got shot down I was sitting there thinking well that's that and figured that the trainees would engage the 5th gen fighters in heroic fashion to clear a way for the rescue choppers. I was anticipating some cool dogfighting but deep down was bummed that Maverick was going to sit it out. Then when they spied the airfield and the one lone Tomcat I was all "holy crap, holy crap, holy crap, HOLY CRAP!!!!" :panic:

And a finale that was already an "in the park" homerun became a "bases loaded grand slam" from that point on.

The movie delivered on all levels, it understood and honored the past characters while matching current day audience expectations and seamlessly blended the old generation with the new and elevated both in a way that felt organic and respectful to both. It had the feels, excitement, what we might call "fan service" but somehow in a way that you aren't expecting and then are just blown away when it happens. I was like damn why couldn't they have introduced the Falcon or Luke's X-Wing in a way that matched the Iranian (oops I mean "enemy") Tomcat, lol.
 
:clap :clap :clap

Okay I'd say we're now officially past spoiler tags so just let me say DUDE I'M SO FREAKING GLAD THE TOMCAT DIDN'T GET SPOILED FOR YOU!!!! :yess:

I was freaking blown away by that! :thud:

When they were being briefed on the mission and told them that the enemy was in possession of some Tomcats my mind made a quick note of "ah so that one shot from the trailer was an enemy craft, got it" and then totally put it out of my mind and by the time the real mission began I had totally forgotten that they'd even been mentioned at all.

Then when both Mav and Goose got shot down I was sitting there thinking well that's that and figured that the trainees would engage the 5th gen fighters in heroic fashion to clear a way for the rescue choppers. I was anticipating some cool dogfighting but deep down was bummed that Maverick was going to sit it out. Then when they spied the airfield and the one lone Tomcat I was all "holy crap, holy crap, holy crap, HOLY CRAP!!!!" :panic:

And a finale that was already an "in the park" homerun became a "bases loaded grand slam" from that point on.

The movie delivered on all levels, it understood and honored the past characters while matching current day audience expectations and seamlessly blended the old generation with the new and elevated both in a way that felt organic and respectful to both. It had the feels, excitement, what we might call "fan service" but somehow in a way that you aren't expecting and then are just blown away when it happens. I was like **** why couldn't they have introduced the Falcon or Luke's X-Wing in a way that matched the Iranian (oops I mean "enemy") Tomcat, lol.
Yeah dude as much as I give the ST a pass, I will never speak ill of Han, Luke and Leia, I am jealous they didn’t get this level of treatment.

I did stay away from trailers!

I also appreciated that as cool as the Tomcat was it wasn’t going to survive a modern engagement.

I like it that it kept things real.

Yup those were sooooo Iranian fighters lol

Would’ve been crazy had they made Russia the enemy:horror

Hey Top Gun 1 came out during the cold war so why not.
 
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I did keep smiling at how similar the mission in this is to the ANH Death Star mission. I was waiting for someone to mention how it'll be like shooting rats in the swamp back home in Florida. :lol

The mission was fun as hell but it felt less real world and more like writers saying "how can we jam the coolest flying **** you've ever seen into a mission .... narrow canyons, tiny target needing TWO runs of bombs, vertical climb, mega-g-force blackout moment, killzone of missiles, shootdown sequence, man-vs-gunship face off...."

Yet the movie pulls even this aspect off brilliantly - it's a fascinating example of a movie having a contract with the audience to deliver the goods.
 
I did keep smiling at how similar the mission in this is to the ANH Death Star mission. I was waiting for someone to mention how it'll be like shooting rats in the swamp back home in Florida. :lol

The mission was fun as hell but it felt less real world and more like writers saying "how can we jam the coolest flying **** you've ever seen into a mission .... narrow canyons, tiny target needing TWO runs of bombs, vertical climb, mega-g-force blackout moment, killzone of missiles, shootdown sequence, man-vs-gunship face off...."

Yet the movie pulls even this aspect off brilliantly - it's a fascinating example of a movie having a contract with the audience to deliver the goods.
It went a tad too far with the animated planes flying through the animated canyon lol

That computer was running DOS AS400 lol
 
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