Top Gun (1986)

Most people think so. 79% of audiences gave it a thumbs up, by Google's archived audience score. Critics scored it lower at 54%, but audiences disagreed.

For Lieutenant Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell and his friend and co-pilot Nick 'Goose' Bradshaw, being accepted into an elite training school for fighter pilots is a dream come true. But a tragedy, as well as personal demons, will threaten Pete's dreams of becoming an ace pilot. Wikipedia ↗

Top Gun is a 1986 American action drama film directed by Tony Scott, produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer. Tom Cruise stars as Lieutenant Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, a hotshot Navy fighter pilot whose reckless but brilliant flying earns him a spot at the elite Fighter Weapons School at Naval Air Station Miramar — known as Top Gun — where the best pilots in the Navy compete to be the best of the best. There, Maverick's cocky attitude clashes with his rivals, particularly the by-the-book Iceman played by Val Kilmer, while a romance develops with his civilian instructor Charlie, played by Kelly McGillis.

Top Gun was a defining cultural artifact of the 1980s, capturing the decade's fascination with military hardware, physical perfection, competitive individualism, and synth-pop anthems. The aerial combat sequences, filmed with real Navy F-14 Tomcats in cooperation with the U.S. military, were revolutionary in their visceral impact — audiences could feel the G-forces and hear the roar of afterburners in a way no previous aviation film had achieved. Harold Faltermeyer's synthesizer theme "Top Gun Anthem" and Berlin's Oscar-winning ballad "Take My Breath Away" became era-defining songs.

Tom Cruise's star-making performance as Maverick — all cocky grins, mirrored aviators, and leather jackets — established the persona that would define his career. Top Gun earned $357 million worldwide on a $15 million budget and was credited with boosting Navy recruitment by 500 percent.