Top Gun(1986)

Paramount Pictures

1h 50m
- Action
- Drama

Release Date: May 16, 1986 | Wide

77%
82%
A
7

The Top Gun Naval Fighter Weapons School is where the best of the best train to refine their elite flying skills. When hotshot fighter pilot Maverick is sent to the school, his reckless attitude and cocky demeanor put him at odds with the other pilots, especially the cool and col... Read all

Releases

Original Release | May 16, 1986

2013 3D Release | Feb 8, 2013

2021 Re-release | May 14, 2021

2026 Re-release (Paramount Pictures International) | May 13, 2026

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Box Office Results

Updated as of Mar 10, 2026 11:50 AM ET

All Releases (4)
Total US & Canada:
$180,258,178
Total International
$177,030,000
Total Worldwide:
$357,288,178

Total US & Canada:
$168,040,072
Total International
$130,056
Total Worldwide:
$168,170,128

Current Showtimes

orround

Mon May 4
Tue May 5
Wed May 6
Thu May 7
Fri May 8
Sat May 9
Sun May 10

Director & Top Cast

Tony Scott
Director

Tom Cruise
Maverick

Tim Robbins
Merlin

Kelly McGillis
Charlie

Val Kilmer
Ice

Anthony Edwards
Goose

Tom Skerritt

Viper

Michael Ironside

Jester

John Stockwell

Cougar

Barry Tubb

Wolfman

Rick Rossovich

Slider

Clarence Gilyard Jr.

Sundown

Whip Hubley

Hollywood

James Tolkan

Stinger

Meg Ryan

Carole

Adrian Pasdar

Chipper

Randall Brady

Lt. Davis

Duke Stroud

Air Boss Johnson

Technical Specifications

Sound Mix: Dolby Stereo,Dolby Digital,DTS-ES,Dolby Digital EX,Dolby Atmos

Aspect Ratio: 2.39 : 1

Other Details

Country of Origin: United States

Language: English

Summaries

Plot Summary

The aircraft carrier Enterprise is on patrol near the Persian Gulf when radar contact is made with a MiG fighter. The Combat Air Patrol of the Enterprise is vectored to meet the incoming aircraft, and the fighters involved are F-14 Tomcat interceptors, each manned by a pilot and a Radar Intercept Officer. The pilot of the lead ship is Lt. Peter Mitchell (Tom Cruise), going by the call-sign Maverick, a call-sign appropriate for his arrogant rule-bending attitude; his RIO is Lt. Nicholas Bradshaw, call-signed Goose. Their wing-mate goes by the call-sign Cougar with his RIO call-signed Merlin. The two F14s split up and are surprised when a second MiG, shielded from radar by riding within feet of its leader, appears. Cougar is outmaneuvered by MiG One while Maverick locks his missile radar on MiG Two, who promptly disengages. MiG One stays on Cougar and is only chased off when Maverick flies upside down, closes up on the MiG, and flashes an obscene gesture to the enemy pilot. The MiG disengages and the two Tomcats fly to the Enterprise, but Cougar is so rattled he cannot land, forcing Maverick, low on fuel and against orders, to abort his own landing and talk Cougar to the deck.Cougar sees the captain of the Enterprise, known as Stinger, and turns in his wings. This forces Stinger to change his intended disciplinary action against Maverick, for he must send a Tomcat tandem for additional combat training at the Navy's Fighter Weapons School in Miramar, CA, near San Diego, and the Captain is disgusted that Maverick is the only qualified candidate for the assignment.Maverick, however, is quietly overjoyed as he regards the assignment as an opportunity, and upon arrival begins to build a rivalry with a fellow Tomcat pilot, Lt. Tom Kazansky, call-signed Iceman (Val Kilmer), and his RIO, call-signed Slider. At a bar the night after their first day at the School Maverick notices a pretty young blonde in jeans, and hits on her by following her into the ladies room. It seems not to work until the next day she appears at the School, for she is a DoD instructor on enemy aircraft, known as Charlie (Kelly McGillis). She begins to become smitten with Maverick before the official competition begins.In his first exercise Maverick takes on the School's resident "enemy" pilot, call-signed Jester, and succeeds in outmaneuvering him and "shooting" him down, but in so doing he flies below a set minimum engagement altitude - a hard-deck - and then compounds this faux Pax by overflying a flight tower at absurdly low altitude just to show himself off. Iceman chews out Maverick for his "unsafe" attitude and Maverick refuses to have any of it, even after the School's leader, Commander Michael Metcalf - call-signed Viper - summons him to his office and threatens to expel him should he continue this way. Metcalf, however, knows Maverick, for Maverick's father flew with him in Vietnam and was shot down when he engaged the enemy in "neutral" airspace.The contest between Maverick and Iceman continues; in a later exercise Viper and Jester team up against Maverick and fellow F14 pilot Hollywood. Maverick breaks a cardinal rule by abandoning his wing-man to go after Viper, and in so doing Hollywood is "shot down" and then the same fate befalls Maverick.But the worst is yet to come, for Maverick is teamed with Iceman and Maverick, determined to win the School contest, angrily chews out Iceman for taking too long to attack an enemy craft; Maverick takes the shot, but when the two aircraft get close, the backwash from Iceman's Thrusters cripple Maverick's engines and the F14 plunges toward the sea. Goose barely succeeds in yanking open the emergency ejection handles, but when the fighter's canopy pops open, the two pilots eject and Goose crashes into the canopy, killing him.Maverick is devastated by Goose's death, and though an inquiry clears him of wrongdoing, his confidence is destroyed. He nonetheless graduates from the class and is reassigned to the Enterprise, where an incident with enemy MiGs leads to a fateful battle involving Iceman as well as Maverick. Iceman and Hollywood are launched to intercept a pair of MiGs, but are jumped by four additional enemies. Hollywood is shot down and Iceman hopelessly surrounded when Maverick is launched, now with Merlin as his RIO. Maverick quickly arrives at the scene of battle, but is surrounded by enemies, and when he flies into one ship's jet-wash, his own fighter briefly stalls out - and though he regains control, he flashes back to Goose's death and breaks off, leaving Iceman (who has long doubted Maverick's courage after Goose's death) trapped as Merlin desperately and furiously yells at Maverick to get back into battle.Maverick is haunted by memories of his dead father & the loss of Goose. He is unable to shake this off, but Viper talks to Maverick & suddenly Maverick begins to engage the enemy. He shoots down four enemy MIGs. The remaining MiGs abandon their chase of Iceman. Both land back on the Enterprise. Maverick is the hero.

Storyline

US Navy Lieutenant Pete Mitchell, call sign Maverick--an impetuous, daredevil pilot ace--is accepted into Top Gun, Miramar's elite Fighter School. But there, the impulsive young pilot will have to compete with the best of the best, including Iceman, a brilliant and highly competitive fellow student. Now, Mitchell must give his all; however, his father's mysterious and untimely demise still haunts him. Can Maverick prove his worth to Charlie, the flying school's no-nonsense astrophysics instructor? Will he be able to suppress his wild nature to win the prestigious Top Gun Trophy? — Nick Riganas Devil-may-care navy pilot Pete Mitchell (Tom Cruise) is sent to Miramar Naval Air Station for advanced training. Here he vies with Tom Kasansky (Val Kilmer) for the coveted "Top Gun" award. When not so occupied, Mitchell carries on a romance with civilian consultant Charlotte Blackwood (Kelly McGillis). Shaken up by the death of a friend, Mitchell loses the Top Gun honor to Kasansky. Worried that he may have lost his nerve, Mitchell is given a chance to redeem himself during a tense international crisis involving a crippled US vessel and a flock of predatory enemy planes. The Top Gun Naval Fighter Weapons School is where the best of the best train to refine their elite flying skills. When hotshot fighter pilot Maverick (Tom Cruise) is sent to the school, his reckless attitude and cocky demeanor put him at odds with the other pilots, especially the cool and collected Iceman (Val Kilmer). But Maverick isn't only competing to be the top fighter pilot, he's also fighting for the attention of his beautiful flight instructor, Charlotte Blackwood (Kelly McGillis). — maschzentertainment Lieutenant Pete "Maverick" Mitchell is an expert United States Naval Aviator. When he encounters a pair of MiGs over the Persian Gulf, his wingman is clearly outflown and freaks. On almost no fuel, Maverick is able to talk him back down to the carrier. When his wingman turns in his wings, Maverick is moved up in the standings and sent to the Top Gun Naval Flying School. There he fights the attitudes of the other pilots and an old story of his father's death in combat that killed others due to his father's error. Maverick struggles to be the best pilot, stepping on the toes of his other students. — John Vogel <jlvogel@comcast.net>

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