Maverick

[Pinecone]

One word: Haircuts. Obvious actors if they've got their hair too long.

Oh, and a second word: Salutes. Any CAP cadet knows how to salute, Hollywood should be hiring them to teach actors.

Agreed.

But, each service does salute differently.

And CAP is USAF based drill, and Maverick is Navy. Also differences on when to salute. Navy does not salute indoors, unless under arms. Army and AF do salute indoors.

 

[Pinecone]

I would have gotten immersed more, if it was not replaying Luke and the Death Star.

Oh, and one SIMPLE change. Just say the missiles are IR instead of Radar, so it actually makes SENSE to fire flares.

 

[wanttaja]

Agreed.

But, each service does salute differently.

And CAP is USAF based drill, and Maverick is Navy. Also differences on when to salute. Navy does not salute indoors, unless under arms. Army and AF do salute indoors.

I was referring more to the physical aspects, as in what part of the hand goes where and where the other parts of the arm go. Biggest offense by the actors, of course, is putting the palm above the eyebrows like they're staring off at the far horizon.

Recently wrote a book set in WWII, in a Luftwaffe prison camp in Germany. Lots of fun getting when/how to salute right, between Army Air Force, US Navy, RAF, Royal Navy, and German officers. Paul Brickhill even talked about it, in "The Great Escape." Military courtesy required that the Luftwaffe officers salute the British ones, but the British couldn't salute without hats. So they'd just nod in return, with Brickhill point out that often the British officer's clothing was so bad his rear end was sticking out.

Here's King Charles and Prince William saluting at the Queen's funeral. Both saluting correctly, based on the uniforms they're wearing. Legend has it that the RN salutes palm downward (like the US) to hide the tar that got ground into the palms....

Figure the US got the flat-hand style of saluting from the French during the Revolution, same reason we say "Lew-tenant" instead of "Left-tenant."

Ron Wanttaja

 

[Half Fast]

...if it was not replaying Luke and the Death Star.

And y'know, through that entire scene I kept thinking, "Why didn't they just fire a JASSM at it?"

 

[Sac Arrow]

The thing about this movie vs the original, is that Tom Cruise is such a big name now. In the original, I felt like I was watching a cocky 24 year old fighter pilot. In this movie, in the back of my mind I’m thinking, that’s not Maverick, it’s Tom Cruise and he’s a huge star.

To me this movie just felt contrived. In the first, it seemed unique, spontaneous. I could imagine pilots and RIOs bonding and playing volleyball. In Maverick, it was more like, let’s create a scene so that the actors can show off their abs. The whole thing just seemed predicable to me. Entertaining but predicable.

Agree completely, but for me, the one, redeeming moment of the entire movie was near the end when Val Kilmer, now debilitated by throat cancer (both in the movie and in real life) offered encouragement to Tom Cruise to continue in his mission.

 

[Zeldman]

Oh, and a second word: Salutes. Any CAP cadet knows how to salute, Hollywood should be hiring them to teach actors.

That has always been my pet peeve. I remember a Tv show many years ago. They had some sort of military awards act, and the leading star was getting the golden silver medal of bravery and honor award for single handedly lifting a battle ship out of the water so the torpedo would pass harmlessly under the ship and explode out in open, non-congested waters, and when he saluted the 12 star general, he had his hand above his eyebrows like he was blocking the sun from his eyes, with thumb pointed straight down.

For cryin' out loud, spend 60 seconds to teach someone how to salute...

 

[Half Fast]

For cryin' out loud, spend 60 seconds to teach someone how to salute...

 

[nauga]

The whole Darkstar thing was pretty silly.

"pretty silly" might be the understatement of the year, but we've still got almost 2 months to go. I suppose it all depends on your perspective but I thought the flight test segment was a "Battlefield Earth" kind of bad. I enjoyed the rest of the movie in spite of it.

Every flight sequence was performed with a real fighter (F-18? 22? 35?) and reskinned...

There's a little more than 'reskinning' going on here...

Nauga,
and his bubble

 

[Salty]

"pretty silly" might be the understatement of the year, but we've still got almost 2 months to go. I suppose it all depends on your perspective but I thought the flight test segment was a "Battlefield Earth" kind of bad. I enjoyed the rest of the movie in spite of it.


View attachment 112054
There's a little more than 'reskinning' going on here...

Nauga,
and his bubble

I'm also baffled as to why "reskinning" is suddenly not CGI. “Reskinning” is generally the most annoying part of cgi. Your brain can tell something’s off, but not what.

 

[ateamer]

I would have gotten immersed more, if it was not replaying Luke and the Death Star.

Oh, and one SIMPLE change. Just say the missiles are IR instead of Radar, so it actually makes SENSE to fire flares.

And the attack in Star Wars was an almost verbatim copy of The Dam Busters.

 

[Pinecone]

I did not realize that. Pretty cool.

Hmm, also 633 Squadron

 

[Country Flier]

And the attack in Star Wars was an almost verbatim copy of The Dam Busters.

Wow! I've watched both movies, but never realized the similarities!

Its kind of like Airplane and Zero Hour (although Airplane is a %100 copy, with jokes added):

 

[Racerx]

Agree completely, but for me, the one, redeeming moment of the entire movie was near the end when Val Kilmer, now debilitated by throat cancer (both in the movie and in real life) offered encouragement to Tom Cruise to continue in his mission.

Unrelated and really sad...but Val Kilmer today looks like Vigo the Carpathian from Ghostbusters

 

[Pugs]

This is an hour long but pretty interesting. In particular the “blue angel mod” to the stick and how they alter their seat position to accommodate. The hollyweird haircut stuff is funny.

 

[Velocity173]

“Walleye” picked a good spot for retirement. Heaven’s Landing is a beautiful Airpark.

 

[drummer4468]

Idunno. I really loved it as a whole. As many have said, it's a movie, not a documentary. I found it had a near-perfect mix of plane porn, entertaining throwbacks, fan service, and an actual plot arc(something the original was severely lacking). Something to sit back, suspend your disbelief, and enjoy the show.

-The Darkstar sequence..yeah it was cartoony and sci-fi. But as a Blackbird fanboy I found it thoroughly entertaining.
-The CGI...yeah, the flight sequences may have been "unrealistic" but again, they were unadulterated plane porn. Porn isn't realistic, but carnally fulfilling. No one wants to watch a couple black dots circling each other on the big screen for "realism". CGI or not, it was awesome seeing the Tomcat doing its Tomcat things.
-The beach football scene...i mean they HAD to throw back to that volleyball scene. It made me laugh and I liked that they didn't take themselves so painfully seriously that they couldn't poke some fun at the original. Hell, I'm surprised they didn't reprise "Take My Breath Away" for comedic homage to the worst/weirdest sex scene in the history of cinema, haha.

If I had to single out ONE gripe I had, it was that they really wore out the "Talk to me, Goose". First one or two occurences, all for it. But the "Talk to me, Dad" kinda killed it.

 

[Bell206]

Maverick may have had some moments, but one scene is simply a brilliant reminder of other true cinema classic... Long live Top Gun.

 

[Llewtrah381]

As said - not a documentary.

And neither are Bond films. Do people feel as crotchety about them?

A good willful suspension of disbelief every now and then is good for the soul. I just choose not to overthink them…

 

[RudyP]

Kind of surprised to find myself in the minority here but my wife and I both loved it. Neither of us had set foot in a theater in 5+ years (she saw something about 5 years ago, it's been at least 8 years for me), but we got a babysitter and went to see it together and had a great time. I also bought it on AppleTV and have now also watched it at home - although not in one continuous viewing due to little kids not leaving their parents alone for that long. I will say that none of the previews for other movies that we saw in the theater did anything for me at all. I may not be as much of a curmudgeon as some of you but I still mostly am...

 

[Salty]

Kind of surprised to find myself in the minority here but my wife and I both loved it. Neither of us had set foot in a theater in 5+ years (she saw something about 5 years ago, it's been at least 8 years for me), but we got a babysitter and went to see it together and had a great time. I also bought it on AppleTV and have now also watched it at home - although not in one continuous viewing due to little kids not leaving their parents alone for that long. I will say that none of the previews for other movies that we saw in the theater did anything for me at all. I may not be as much of a curmudgeon as some of you but I still mostly am...

I don't think you're in the minority at all

 

[texasclouds]

I don't think you're in the minority at all

I used to be an avid movie watcher, but like mentioned don't go anymore. Did see Maverick and loved it. I don’t want to see the other movies packed full of left wing agenda. Most movies I watch are on Roku device and filmed pre-2010.

 

[Mutts]

First movie sucked, eager to see back then and walked out WTF was that mess? So no interest in this. Too damn much revisiting the eighties anyways. Plus Crooze is part of a very evil money cult and at the top of it. I think in time he will be exposed as people like Cosby was. People think the movie characters are really them. They aren't. Never would support that guy with my dollar. Upcoming "Devotion". I'll see that.

 

[Pugs]

First movie sucked, eager to see back then and walked out WTF was that mess? So no interest in this. Too damn much revisiting the eighties anyways. Plus Crooze is part of a very evil money cult and at the top of it. I think in time he will be exposed as people like Cosby was. People think the movie characters are really them. They aren't. Never would support that guy with my dollar. Upcoming "Devotion". I'll see that.

Other than that Mrs Lincoln how was the play?

I'm always mystified by those that have such an all encompassing condemnation of anything.

 

[Velocity173]

For such a bad movie, the first one sure did spur recruitment. Even in the vid above “Walleye” talked about how most of his comrades joined the Navy to be fighter pilots specifically because of the movie. I’ve read that a lot.

Style, music, love story, realistic plot (unlike Maverick), great aerial photography with Tomcats was a winning recipe.

 

[steingar]

Hmm, also 633 Squadron

This wonderfully illustrates the idiocy of a thread like this. Fictional operation using the wrong airplanes (the damnbusters were all Lancasters). Yes, you get long gorgeous shots of those Mosquitos. But as soon as they go into a fight, it's plastic models and firecracker explosions. Doesn't hold a candle to a movie like Maverick. They say hindsight it always 20:20, but I think there are some folks here for whom it is somewhat myopic.

 

[RussR]

Another point--this guy is an O-6 when all his pals are Flag rank. What happened to up or out? Passed over twice and you're gone.
And what kind of juice does he drink that gives old guys lightening fast reflexes? I'd like some.

I know it's a movie--get over it.

I love how the Navy Personnel office actually took time to answer this question - how it is "possible" for the timeline to work out:

https://news.usni.org/2019/07/22/na...-maverick-could-still-feel-the-need-for-speed

 

[Pinecone]

For such a bad movie, the first one sure did spur recruitment. Even in the vid above “Walkeye” talked about how most of his comrades joined the Navy to be fighter pilots specifically because of the movie. I’ve read that a lot.

Style, music, love story, realistic plot (unlike Maverick), great aerial photography with Tomcats was a winning recipe.

Remember, people who are recruited, by definition have NO idea what they are really getting into. I wonder how many of them that actually made it to a cockpit thought later.

 

[Velocity173]

Well I caved and bought TG Maverick on 4K today. The display at Walmart was too good to pass up. For some reason the format goes from wide screen to near full screen at random times. Kinda annoying. Didn't catch it the first time in the theater but Rooster says “c’mon Mav do some of that pilot ****!” Kinda cool. Still had Huey sounds for a Seahawk.

 

[Albany Tom]

I watched it in the theater. I liked it! To me, more realistic in many ways than the original, in that I couldn't get past the Russian's flying F-5's.

Over the weekend, I visited friends and watched a couple of episodes of Gunsmoke. Hadn't seen it since I was a kid. James Arness is a legitimate tough guy, as was pretty much everyone that was on the beaches of Anzio. On the show he could always hit the bad guys first shot from a quick draw at 25+ yards. Yet somehow, he'd routinely miss the same bad guys with aimed rifle fire at 50.

There's always a suspension of belief involved in tv or movies. I'm good with it unless for some weird reason it jumps out as impossible.

 

[Pinecone]

I watched it in the theater. I liked it! To me, more realistic in many ways than the original, in that I couldn't get past the Russian's flying F-5's.

1) At the time the aggressors at Red Flag and Top Gun WERE flying F-5s.

2) At least they were flying real airplanes, not a collection of pixels.

 

[SoonerAviator]

1) At the time the aggressors at Red Flag and Top Gun WERE flying F-5s.

2) At least they were flying real airplanes, not a collection of pixels.

What does that have to do with the actual engagements at the end, not part of the Top Gun school?

 

[Pinecone]

Just saying the F-5 makes a reasonable plane to fly against. It is not like there are a lot of Migs available to rent.

 

[Jim K]

To most people a jet is a jet is a jet. That includes many (most?) pilots. If you gave me a lineup of every fighter jet built I could maybe pick out the F35, F4 and F14. Don't get started on the migs; I have NO idea what they look like. Seems like they usually look pretty similar to whatever the US was fielding at the time; pointy at the front, swept wings, engines out back.

 

[Hang 4]

I suspect lawyers watching legal dramas, doctors watching medical dramas etc roll their eyes at some of the same stuff. As many have said, "It's not a documentary"

 

[Velocity173]

They could’ve approached the air to air stuff in one of two ways. They could do like the original and use American jets like Top Gun F-16s and paint them up like the enemy. Or, use CGI and have them go against a fifth Gen fighter (SU-57). The ending was obviously hokey but I think it made for a more interesting story. The odds of coming across an F-14 that just happens to be fully loaded with ordnance is slim but it brought up an interesting premise of old vs new. The CGI was done well but could’ve left out “Hangman” flying through the explosion.

 

[SoonerAviator]

I suspect lawyers watching legal dramas, doctors watching medical dramas etc roll their eyes at some of the same stuff. As many have said, "It's not a documentary"

Most medical professionals will tell that working in medicine, especially a hospital, is more like the tv show Scrubs than it is Grey's Anatomy.

 

[ateamer]

I suspect lawyers watching legal dramas, doctors watching medical dramas etc roll their eyes at some of the same stuff. As many have said, "It's not a documentary"

Retired deputy sheriff here…I am certain that Reno 911 had real-life officers as technical advisors. That was the most realistic cop show ever, much more so than Cops.

 

[Half Fast]

I suspect lawyers watching legal dramas, doctors watching medical dramas etc roll their eyes at some of the same stuff. As many have said, "It's not a documentary"

True of movies in virtually every field. One of LockMart's test pilots once said to me, "If flying were anything like the movies I'd never get into an airplane." I replied, "Yeah, but if the movies were anything like real life I'd never see a film." He laughed and agreed.

For anyone who's actually driven a race car, racing movies are almost all terrible, and "Days of Thunder" was one of the hokiest. In fact, there have only been two good ones in the history of cinema: "Grand Prix" and "LeMans." "Grand Prix" had a silly plot and "LeMans" didn't have any plot at all, but the racing was depicted quite well in both.

OTOH, "Spinal Tap" was one of the most realistic movies ever made, as anyone who's spent any time in a rock & roll band will attest.

 

[Pugs]

For anyone who's actually driven a race car, racing movies are almost all terrible, and "Days of Thunder" was one of the hokiest. In fact, there have only been two good ones in the history of cinema: "Grand Prix" and "LeMans." "Grand Prix" had a silly plot and "LeMans" didn't have any plot at all, but the racing was depicted quite well in both.

If you're talking pure fiction racing films I agree but there are so many great racing documentaries and quasi-documentaries (like Rush) that are well done that I don't think the subject is underserved. Flying seems to have a lack of that.

 

[Half Fast]

If you're talking pure fiction racing films I agree but there are so many great racing documentaries and quasi-documentaries (like Rush) that are well done that I don't think the subject is underserved. Flying seems to have a lack of that.

Agreed. I was only considering fiction. There have been a few good documentaries.

I wish someone would make a really good Wright brothers movie.