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Top Gun is a classic Tom Cruise film in every way possible. The impossible action, the raunchy one-liners, and endless cinematic moments, make it one of Cruise’s best films as well as Hollywood’s finest. Every dialogue that he says in the film is carefully crafted to bring out the kind of attitude and calm that you would want in an action film star.
It only makes sense that the 80s blockbuster is now getting a sequel, for it defined aviation films for a generation to come. Top Gun’s most iconic moments are not limited to the action sequences alone and are spread across dialogue, action, and silences.
Here are seven quotes from the film that have stayed with us for long owing to the wit and meaning with which they were written.
7 Top Gun quotes that still have a hold on fans
1) "You don't have time to think up there. You think, you're dead."
Impulses control Maverick more than he controls them. Cruise plays a young, typically impulsive guy in Top Gun, and this quote defines his behavior. As he describes his techniques to Charlie, Maverick says:
“You don’t have time to think up there. You think, you’re dead.”
This doesn’t just give us a deep dive into why Maverick is the way he is but also provides a heads up for the crazy ride that we’re in for.
2) “Talk to me Goose.”
Goose’s character is central to the emotion of the film. He makes the perfect sidekick for an action movie hero and becomes an essential support system for Maverick. Goose is also Maverick’s partner in flying, which is why Maverick often says, “Talk to me, Goose”, as an indication of their symbiotic relationship.
However, the line assumes new meaning when Maverick loses Goose to an accident, and it becomes a quote that is more melancholic than affectionate.
3) “I am dangerous.”
The chemistry between Iceman and Maverick is probably some of the best we’ve seen from the 80s. The two rivals are the polar opposites of each other and barely match in any way.
When Iceman criticizes Maverick’s impulsive nature by calling him dangerous, Maverick responds by saying:
"That's right, Ice...man. I am dangerous."
This is another proof of the arrogance Maverick as a character radiates.
4) "Son, your ego is writing checks your body can't cash.”
Some of the most iconic scenes in the movie come out of the friction between Maverick and Stinger, his superior. Being a much more experienced professional, he often criticizes Maverick for his reckless behavior.
As a reminder to Maverick to get his attitude in check, Stinger says:
“Son, your ego is writing checks your body can’t cash.”
There isn’t a line that better describes Tom Cruise’s character. It’s almost funny because Stinger is indeed fairly impressed by Maverick’s achievements, but his experience knows better than to let Maverick go on an ego trip.
5) "Because I was inverted.”
Another iconic line from the film comes when Maverick, in class, disagrees with something that Charlie is explaining. He tells the class that the official data on the MiG is inaccurate. When Charlie asks him how he got the data to support his claims despite being directly above the aircraft in question, Maverick, in true Top Gun fashion and boasting his fearlessness, says:
"Because I was inverted."
The actual scene with Maverick's plane being "inverted" over another is also truly representative of his daring nature.
He's sent to fight enemy planes, but he remains cool as a cucumber even when things get heated up and goes on to do what he does best when up in the air - have some fun. He inverts the plane he is in and takes a picture of the enemy.
The whole scene brilliantly exposes the kind of hero Maverick is and establishes him as the “cool guy.”
6) “You can be my wingman anytime.”
This line comes right after Maverick saves Iceman and has inspired the trope of two competing professionals being enemies and coming to each other’s rescue when in need.
One of the most redeeming and heartwarming moments in the movie is when Iceman, Maverick’s foe, tells him:
"You are still dangerous... You can be my wingman anytime."
The dialogue communicates the kind of trust Maverick and Iceman have in each other despite their differences. It is also the narrative’s acknowledgement of the fact that Iceman and Maverick are both very skilled pilots after all.
7) “I feel the need…the need for speed.”
This line alone has probably inspired a generation of screenwriters to make the films they want. It may sound cheesy after all these years, but when in that moment Maverick and Goose hype themselves up with this phrase, the audience is just as hyped. The dialogue sets the tone for Top Gun and is also essential in establishing the kind of love Maverick feels for flying.
It feels as though there is nothing that Maverick would rather do than fly, and that really comes across in his recklessness and his disregard for the rules that come with it.
Although the film came out back in 1986, there are very few action films that can still match up to what Top Gun did with the genre. Everything about the film, along with the actors, stays in sync to bring out what is arguably the finest action film in the genre even today.
It’s almost an impossible feat that Tom Cruise achieved when he got the sequel of Top Gun to invoke as much hype and excitement as the original. Although the newer addition remains a top-notch action film, hardly anything matches up to Top Gun for all the tropes it created and inspired.
