Top Gun

This paean to hotshot Navy fighter pilots and high technology attracted mass audiences despite its familiar plot and characters so vapid they vanish from memory as soon as the house lights come up. Brash young pilot Lt. Pete Mitchell (Tom Cruise), nicknamed "Maverick" for his individualistic flying style, is sent to Miramar Naval Air Station, where he trains with the country's best fighter pilots. The best student from each class wins the prized "Top Gun" award, and the privilege of remaining at Miramar as an instructor. Maverick's chief competition is Tom Kasanzky (Val Kilmer), nicknamed "Ice Man," and eventually an international incident arises that allows the pi...