Dissecting the “TOP GUN” Film Franchise

gregorymaness
20 hours ago
2 min read

I have mentioned my love for the film, TOP GUN, a handful of times on this blog and I thoroughly enjoyed the sequel, TOP GUN: Maverick. When you enjoy a film it isn’t uncommon to want to dig into the details to learn more about the film, to learn more about the making of the film, and to get an idea about the reality, if any, that inspired it and how the film compares to that reality.

Well, as you may have already known or guessed, TOP GUN and its sequel are based on a very real United States Navy school for its elite naval aviators and naval flight officers. But, as with many Hollywood films, some inaccuracies find their way into the films. After all, Hollywood is in the entertainment business and the films are not documentaries. The people involved were primarily concerned with telling an entertaining story. I would argue that they succeeded.

Below I have posted links to a number of videos relating to the films where people from the real worlds of naval aviation and the legal profession give their perspectives. They are educational and entertaining videos and I encourage you to watch them all. With that being said, knowledge can break the immersion and make it difficult to suspend disbelief. One consequence of learning more about real-world science is that it has made it more challenging for me to enjoy a science fiction film or television show with obvious scientific inaccuracies. So watch the videos with that potential “risk” in mind.

The videos are from the Ward Carroll YouTube channel (@WardCarrol) and the LegalEagle YouTube channel (@LegalEagle). Both channels are fun and informative and you might want to check out their other videos. I have also included a link to an article that I read some time ago on the real-life TOPGUN. Enjoy.