7. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)

Code-name: Fag & NYer
(btw, this is not meant offensively. It's actual dialogue from the movie's gay private investigator
"This isn't good cop and bad cop. This is fag and New Yorker.")

Based on the novel "Bodies Are Where You Find Them" by Brett Halliday
Writer/Director: Shane Black

Type: film noir spoof dramedy

Cast:
Harry Lockhart (lead/narrator)- Robert Downey Jr.
Perry VanStryk "aka Gay Perry" (The Consultant)- Val Kilmer
Harmony Faith Lane (THE girl)- Michelle Monaghan
Harlan Dexter (The Movie Star)- Corbin Bernsen
Dabney Shaw ("He discovered me")- Larry Miller
Mr. Frying Pan- Dash Mihok
Mr. Fire ("I'm Mustard, baby")- Rockmond Dunbar
Girl in the pink wig- Shannyn Sossamon
[Honorable Mentions]
Young Harry Lockhart- Indio Downey [Robert's son]
Young Harmony- Ariel Winter [of "Modern Family" fame]
Laurence Fishburne as the voice of the Bear in the Generos commercials

Write-up:

"Origin" Story

The day I became a die-hard fangirl of Robert Downey Jr., I threw myself into research about him and his films. Based on accolades, characterization, storytelling and so on, I had a list of roughly 10 films I HAD to see.
Right behind "Chaplin" (which I saw the very next day), there was "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang."
I'm pretty sure what sold me on it was the scene they showed on his "Inside the Actor's Studio" appearance... search "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang audition scene" on YouTube

I wanted to see this movie so bad :P wherever I found it online a week later had obviously posted it illegally. [Ironically, I not found the DVD with no problem but HBO/Cinemax started playing it a couple years later]

Because I had seen it recently, I was immediately reminded of Andrew Dice Clay's film "The Adventures of Ford Farlaine"... it was another film-noir type spoof that happened to feature protagonist narration.
Had WB continued on with Johnny Knoxville in the lead role, KKBB could have become a carbon copy of that movie... instead, they played smart and went with a real actor with a considerable amount of talent for drama and comedy.It's highly unlikely I'll ever promote any other Downey film as much as this one [except come Oscar time]. Not only because it's an indie film that needs the exposure and word-of-mouth, but it was so funny, so unique and cutting-edge... it felt like one of the best movies I'd seen in a LONG time.
It has gotten a little traction as a possible sleeper/underground classic in recent years.
* Nostalgia Chick had it on her list of top 11 movies (also at #7).
http://thatguywiththeglasses.com/videolinks/team-nchick/nostalgia-chick/35918-lindsays-top-eleven-favorite-movies-of-all-time-this-week
*When I bought the DVD at FYE, the cashier said how much he enjoyed it.

I'm just hoping Shane Black directing "Iron-Man 3" helped attract more viewers. Almost a decade later, Robert still believes only a dozen or so people saw this movie. :P

Narration, Characters and Story

First of all, the fact that Robert narrates this movie is one of my favorite highlights. He tells it like it is, but brings forth a great sense of humor when it's called for. Early on, he freezes the pictures a couple times, keeping us on our toes and often is good for laughs.

We begin with a flashback where it kinda helps to pay attention because, believe it or not, it features younger versions of our male and female leads.
This also happens to be the film debut [and so far only acting credit] of Robert's son, Indio.

Then our main story, which is being recalled, narratively, a year after it happened.
Harry Lockhart was a common thief from New York. He pulls a job that goes array, his partner gets killed and he stumbles into a film audition to escape the cops. [Helluv an audition too!!]. He impresses Dabney Shaw so much he gets flown to LA for a screen test.
Aspiring actress Harmony Faith Lane moved to LA to earn enough money to help get her sister into foster care away from their abusive father. Her biggest break was a spot on a Generos beer commercial.
Like a poor man's "Dos Equis"
"I prefer Genoros. But what do I know? I'm a bear. I suck the heads off fish."

After going out to LA, Harry gets assigned to P.I. Gay Perry (described as the "most butch gay detective") for detective lessons for this movie he's doing the screen test for.

During one of these "lessons," they accidentally stumble into a murder plot. The victim is the formerly estranged daughter of actor Harlan Dexter (who hosted the party where we meet our three main characters).

There's also a storyline involving Harmony's sister, Jenna and her apparent suicide. Because they were old friends, Harry agrees to help her with the case.
Supposedly, Harmony once told Jenna that their dad wasn't her father and that her real father was a movie star that came to their town to shoot a movie.

What ties it all together: Jonny Gossamer. *Harmony grew up on the books
*Harlan Dexter starred in the movie based on them (along with, as Gay Perry points out, Michael Beck from "Xanadu")
*Harry says at one point that in each book, this detective takes on two seemingly unrelated cases, but almost always, they're connected in some unexpected way.
=The movie winds up following this formula and we're all led to believe Jenna was directly involved in the murder plot that killed Veronica Dexter.
"And Hilarity Ensues..."

While "selling soap" for his movies, Robert also uses this phrase a lot. In the case of this movie, it is so true.

Sadly, some of it is at HIS expense.

On the Sherlock 2 commentary, he name-drops this movie and goes on to say since its release, people seem to love seeing him get his ass handed to him. An odd comment to make as someone who believes NO ONE saw this movie. It's also inaccurate. I freaking hate seeing him get beat up and/or tortured on screen.

We start with him trying to protect Harmony at the party, delivering some tough dialogue and the following scene immediately discredits him. Just so sad :P I know he can defend himself in real life [practitioner of Wing Chun kung fu]We get one really long, bad, day where his finger gets broken, stitched up, broken again by thugs, and ends with his first homicide (of one of said thugs).
What wound up happening with his finger after that... I was screaming at my computer and just short of dying of asphyxiation, I was laughing SO hard... I can't even give it away.Then there's the infamous [or would be if more people saw this movie] torture scene involving electrocution in a very *sensitive* place.
Probably the most method Robert would ever put into his acting [aside from living and breathing an iconic role like Chaplin or Sherlock], he had his then-fiancée Susan pinch his back near one of his floating ribs to elicit the appropriate "painful" reaction.

He and Michelle Monaghan have great chemistry in this (probably the reason why they were cast together again as a couple in "Due Date") and results in more great funny moments.
One involves a spider, which she claims he was more afraid of than she was. And it was crawling on her.
The same goes with him and Val Kilmer as well. I believe I heard somewhere that Val Kilmer decided to make his character gay so he'd have an excuse to kiss Robert. Not as good as the RDJudsie Sherlock/Watson bromance, but still good.

The dialogue overall is so witty in a very self-aware fashion. A lot of the clips can be found on YouTube, but I'd still suggest watching the whole movie.
One has the line "look up the word 'idiot' in the dictionary" and another "I want you to picture a bullet inside your head."
The Rest of the Main Cast 
Anyone who read my "Batman Forever" review would remember Val Kilmer was my favorite Batman... it had been several years since I'd seen him in anything, so to me, he didn't appear to age well. But gotta love his sense of humor in this character.
Because of an interview the two of them did where they were comparing "Weird Science" to "Real Genius," I had to see the latter because I hadn't heard of it before that.
Both kinda stretch the limits of believability, but I still opt for "Weird Science" because it seemed way too far fetched that whatever Val Kilmer and the other characters were up to got the interest of the U.S. military.

This was my first experience with Michelle Monaghan, who I later saw in "Due Date" and that unbelievable sci-fi film "Source Code"... I still haven't been as impressed with her as I was in this particular movie. Harmony Faith Lane has more than enough sass to keep up with both of these guys.

It was also an interesting experience seeing Corbin Bernsen in this role. Up until this point, I'd known him as Shawn Spencer's dad in the TV show "Psych." We see some younger footage of him that was segued into a fake Jonny Gossamer movie, but let's just say he plays a completely different kind of character in KKBB.
Additional Comments

Granted, Harry Lockhart isn't perfect, but he's still one of my favorite Downey characters. Taking out of the equation the dumbass moments of jealousy and drunkenness [we only hear of this incident 2nd hand], his attitude towards women was refreshing.
There's a moment where he's with the body, sees that she's not wearing underwear and discretely covers her up with her dress.
His attitude with Harmony (outside those 3 jerkish lapses) is also respectful and protective. Back when they were growing up, he was her best friend that always listened to her, but she didn't seem to want anything to do with him beside friendship. Since she never asked him out.
When they share a room for the night, he doesn't immediately crawl into bed with her until she invites him in. It doesn't lead to sex and he's okay with that. Even though she subtly offers to "help him out" when he appears uncomfortable being in bed with her, he talks her out of it unless she really wants to.

I credit the "Girl in the Pink Wig" with part of the reason why I wound up liking "Scott Pilgrim" (Ramona Flowers has pink hair when we first meet her). This character has a small role, still important to the plot and one of the more tragic deaths [2nd only to Jenna and the rest being bad guys] we have.

It's also another credit to why I had this "hostile" attitude towards Colin Farrell. In addition to the episode of "In the Land of Women," this movie carries another strike against him in the following line of dialogue from Gay Perry."Harry, you're not getting the part... Colin Farrell wants too much money."
Supposedly the only reason Harry was given the screen test was to convince Colin Farrell to lower his "price tag" to be in this new movie.
I'll still take Robert over Colin any day, but since seeing him in "In Bruges" and "Seven Psychopaths" (in both, he gets to KEEP his Irish accent), my hostility has lessened considerably.

For whatever reason, Shane Black seems to have a thing for Christmas movies... Lethal Weapon takes place around that time, so did the latest "Iron-Man" and this movie too.
I also found a hint of irony in the setting- it being Christmas with him being in LA, found him in "Less than Zero" in that same capacity with pretty depressing results.The opening credits are orchestrated with various illustrations, really well done.It also pays to stick through the credits because we get to hear him sing. He wrote "Broken" (track 2 of his album The Futurist) about his first wife, Deborah Falconer, but because of this movie, I always imagine Michelle Monaghan singing the female vocals. 

I have one final Downey film on this countdown that has a higher spot because it was my first movie of his. But KKBB has a great story with a lot of unexpected quirks, hilarious moments and twists. It also features some of his best acting. I wouldn't give it an Oscar necessarily, but he gives so much to this role and it really shows. Not in a big flashy blockbuster way, but in a bare-bones way with humanity and emotion in all the right capacities and places.
 

# 73. Batman Forever (1995)

Code-name: Riddler

Director: Joel Schumacher
Type: Superhero, Action/Adventure, Comedy, Drama

Notable Nominations:
OSCAR- Best Sound Editing
OSCAR- Best Sound
OSCAR- Best Cinematography
Golden Globe- Best Original Song- "Hold me, thrill me, kiss me, kill me" by U2
Grammy- Best Instrumental Composition written for Movie/TV- Elliot Goldenthal

Cast:
Bruce Wayne/Batman- Val Kilmer
Dick Grayson/Robin- Chris O'Donnell
Alfred Pennyworth- Michael Gough
Dr. Chase Meridian- Nicole Kidman
Harvey Dent/Two-Face- Tommy Lee Jones
Edward Nigma/The Riddler- Jim Carrey
Sugar- Drew Barrymore
Spice- Debi Mazar
Commissioner Gordon- Pat Hingle

Write-up: 

Once upon a time, in the mid-90's, Jim Carrey was my favorite actor. Probably the first I singled out by name as a person whose films I gravitated towards. 
Apparently WB had the same idea because after the success of "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective," they tapped him to play the part of The Riddler.
Seriously, Jim Carrey was never funnier than he was in this point in time, between Ace Ventura and "The Mask." And since then, he hadn't captured that essence. Whenever he went into dramatic territory, I haven't been quite as impressed (with the exception of "The Truman Show," which we saw in 10th grade in reference to Plato's "The Cave"... interesting movie).

And it was for this reason I didn't warm up to the original Batman (ala Tim Burton) right away. I enjoyed this movie because it was insanely funny with a lot of great quotes (Jim Carrey won that department hands down).

I also liked it because how they portrayed Bruce Wayne (Val Kilmer). He was seeing a therapist (Nicole Kidman), with whom he delved into his past in an attempt to accept the tragedy of it. At the tender age of 10-11-12, I don't know why this intrigued me so much, but I ate it up.

A red rose served as a "trigger," a reminder of that event, ultimately leading to his decision to become Batman. It also resulted in the theme "Kiss From a Rose" by Seal, which plays in the ending credits.
Why that wasn't the song nominated for those awards, I have no idea. I don't remember the one by U2 at all. It resonates with me for the same reasons the psychological aspect of Bruce Wayne did... what reason is, I'm not quite sure. It just does.

Supposing you were to analyze the movie from a psychological standpoint, it's rather interesting when you think about the comparisons that could be drawn between Bruce Wayne and Edward Nigma. One is tortured by his past, but because of it, made a decision to raise above and serve mankind to prevent the repetition. The other eventually dissolves in the face of psychosis.

Aside from that, my favorite part of the movie were the riddles and how they were eventually solved... almost like my daily word puzzle where you unscramble words and using circled letters from those words, you answer the main question- often times a REALLY bad pun, but it's fun...

if u look at the numbers on my face, u won't find 13 any place
rip 1 off and scratch my head, what once was red is black instead
[had to look up the rest I don't remember as well]
we're 5 little items of an everyday sort, you'll find us all at a tennis court

...and the other one is something to effect of...
8 go forward, never back, to defend the king from foe's attack

even more interesting is that the solution is about what the answers to the riddles are, it's about the numbers in each riddle...
eventually they figure out to the identity of The Riddler...

His backstory was that he worked for Wayne Industries, came up with the idea for "The Box," and was told that it "raised too many questions"... and a result, he wants revenge on Bruce Wayne for denying his invention.
After seeing Two-Face make quick work of the Flying Graysons at the circus, he offers his services to become his partner as well as his ingenius idea. 

To my recollection, "The Box" is an hourglass-shaped device that goes on all the TV's, projects 3D images, but also ensnares the brainwaves of the people watching... oh, the evils of television, lol
The grand scheme of it is to find out Batman's secret identity, which they eventually do. 

Meanwhile, we have Robin's storyline. Dick Grayson wants nothing more than to get revenge on Two-Face. Bruce Wayne tries to talk him out of it, but to no avail. His childhood continues to haunt him, but in the process, he gets close with Dr. Meridian.
In essence, all the actors give great performances- the first time I saw all of them and every now and then, I catch some of their other work. If there are any shortcomings, it's that Dick Grayson is very two-dimensional and gets a little repetitive in his desire for revenge (although nowhere near as bad as he is in the sequel).

Let's Talk: The Batman Franchise

This also happens to be my first ever superhero film.
It would be ages before I went from fan to fangirl, but I always look at this film beaming with nostalgia because it sticks with me, no matter how much time elapses between viewing. 
Such is my age of innocence.

As for the rest of the movies and the brand itself:

• When it comes to the way I perceive Batman and the adjoining cast, I go to the little I'd seen of the animated series. Bruce Wayne isn't explained quite as much as in the films, but primarily, my impression of the character of The Joker draws from there.

• Batman (1989) is the best conceived version of the brand in live-action form. In recent years, I've come to revel in Tim Burton's imagining of it... and the fact Prince wrote the soundtrack helped immensely in convincing me to give it another chance- leading me to feel as I do about the film.

• I really did not like "Batman Returns"... I only saw it once and it was before I had that change of heart about the original... just didn't do it for me.

• You'd think George Clooney would be a great Bruce Wayne, but "Batman & Robin" suffered for more than simply that. At first glance, I thought it was so-so.  Bane's origin sequence kinda freaked me out, something I never looked forward to rewatching. But after seeing Nostalgia Critic rip it apart, I kinda came to realize just what a collosal disaster it was.

• I had not seen "Batman Begins" since seeing "The Dark Knight"... it's been years, so I don't remember much about it. At the time, I think I accepted it better as a reimagining of a franchise

• just as often as I have movies I applaud that others hate, there are universally-loved movies I believe to be SEVERELY overrated... that describes my opinon of "The Dark Knight" in a nutshell. 
• The short version: I found it LONG and drawn out; I hate Christian Bale's phony Batman voice; Katie Holmes> Maggie Gyllenhaal as Rachel; Two-Face was introduced in the last 20 minutes, only to get killed off; The Joker (Heath Ledger), while not my personal view of the character, was the only thing I found good about the movie...
• ...don't get me started on the Oscars cuz that's an entry onto itself...

• saw "The Dark Knight Rises" a week ago... while it was LONG (Christopher Nolan, would editing it down by 10-20 minutes kill you? seriously?), I liked it more than "The Dark Knight" by quite a bit. The story was well-done, it felt like it had nice resonance, given the state the world is in right now... but it would probably could have been done as a movie without the Batman franchise attached... 
• considering my previous discussion, I think I pinpointed what I liked about it... it explored the character of Bruce Wayne without the suit for a good part of the movie... and it's a nice bonus that it eliminates screentime with the phony Batman voice... I gotta ask: what is the point of keeping the phony pretense when you're talking to people who KNOW who you are? :-P

# 75. The Prince of Egypt (1998)

Code-name: Deliverer

Directors: Brenda Chapman, Steve Hickner, Simon Wells
Type: Animated/History

Notable Cast:
Moses/God- Val Kilmer
Ramses- Ralph Fiennes
Tzipporah (Moses's wife)- Michelle Pfieffer
Miriam- Sandra Bullock
Aaron- Jeff Goldblum
The Queen- Helen Mirren
Hotep- Steve Martin
Huy- Martin Short

Notable Awards & Nominations:
OSCAR- Best Original Song- Stephen Schwartz ("When You Believe")
Nomination- OSCAR- Best Original Score- Stephen Schwartz & Hans Zimmer
Nomination- Golden Globe- Best Original Song ("When You Believe")
Nomination- Golden Globe- Best Original Score
Nomination- Grammy- Best Song from a Movie or TV series ("When You Believe")

[Program Notes]

Again, this will be one of two reviews I'll be posting this week.
Both are movies geared towards kids, but cater to adults as well.
Both also happen to be based on written source material.

"The Prince of Egypt" being based on one of the greatest stories ever told, but also one of the oldest.

[Personal Notes]

Disclaimer: I am not Jewish
(although the fact I wrote an entry about Christmas memories kinda gave that away ages ago)
so don't sue me if my details aren't exactly right on.

I did not grow up with this movie (first time I saw it was in my teens) like many of my other favorites. It's here because it is probably one of the best executed animated movies you'll ever see. Granted, it's not as memorable or as quotable as the animated features further up the list, but I respect the degree of animation involved and how well the story is told. 

I've seen "The Ten Commandments," but even though it's literally on ABC every Easter, it runs way too long to keep my attention (never mind all the commercials in between).
"The Prince of Egypt" simplifies the story of Moses well enough and takes some nice pieces of poetic license along the way.
Nostalgia Critic did a great webcast where he was comparing the two movies in his "Old vs. New" series... something else he did for the next movie on my list.
http://thatguywiththeglasses.com/videolinks/thatguywiththeglasses/nostalgia-critic/28622-old-vs-new-the-10-commandments-vs-the-prince-of-egypt [it's also #8 on his list of top 11 underrated nostalgia classics]

It was actually through "Rugrats" I first learned about Passover, which is part of the story of Moses.
The Pickles' clan (Stu, Didi and Tommy, plus Drew, Charlotte and Angelica) as well as Chuckie and his dad, are visiting Didi's parents, Minka and Boris. Unfortunately, they arrive just after Minka and Boris had a fight. Boris is believed to have run away, leaving Minka heartbroken and sobbing hysterically whenever someone mentions his name. Stu has to step up and, begrudgingly, he performs the Seder. Every now and then, Didi stops him when he's either not putting enough heart into it or he mispronounces a word. Great for comedy, of course, but we know the better story is being told elsewhere.

Boris is actually in the attic, looking for some old glasses Minka wanted at the Seder (the source of their fight), but has been unable to get out because the door won't open from the inside. Again, great for a running gag.
He's telling the story of Passover to Tommy (Moses in the retelling), Chuckie, and Angelica (who insists on playing the Pharaoh) and throughout this telling, people come to the attic to get away from the boring Seder and they unknowingly close the door so they can't get out. Eventually everyone finds their way up to the attic, they get trapped inside, and Boris tells another story... I assume about how he and Minka first met... as it fades to black.

[Write-up]

"The Prince of Egypt" comes right down the middle between the "Rugrats" retelling and "The Ten Commandments." They don't condescend or sugar-coat anything and balances the aspects of comedy and drama. 

This was DreamWorks before they changed over to computerized animation in an attempt to keep up with Pixar... for me, it's a give and take as to who did the better version of [insert storyline here]. Excellent animation, again, and amazingly, Disney wanted nothing to do with it (or at least Michael Eisner didn't when Jeffrey Katzenberg first pitched the idea to him).

Everyone knows the basic story, so there's no need to go into it.

As for the poetic license taken, two things come to mind.

Twist #1: Moses is adopted by The Queen (opposed to her daughter, as IMDB points out) and he and Ramses are raised as brothers. There's a great chemistry between the two actors here and it adds another element to the drama propelling the movie forward

Twist #2: [This comes from the Nostalgia Critic review as well] "The Ten Commandments" portrays God in a very fearful way, probably more true to His portrayal in Old Testament. But here, He is a loving God who is there for Moses and gently guides him to fulfill his destiny.
(In both versions, Moses and God are portrayed by the same actor. But I must give props to Val  Kilmer in this other role because I never would have figured that out if nobody told me).

To be fair, though, this movie isn't really about the A-list actors behind the voices.
It's always nice when we do GET recognizable names in an animated feature, but whenever I watch this one, that's not the aspect that sticks with me after it ends. Like I said before, it's about the big picture more than the pieces involved.

Ramses wants to believe the best in Moses because he was like a brother to him, but the straw that breaks the camel's back is when the night of Passover happens.
It isn't as scary as "The Ten Commandments," but it isn't taken lightly either. It's a very dark moment in the film where Ramses is leaning over his dead son and orders Moses to take the Hebrews out of Egypt.

But as they're heading towards the Red Sea, Ramses and his troops appear out of nowhere and begin the chase... why this occurs is never explained in the movie, mainly because it shows things from Moses's perspective.
At least with the "Rugrats" version they brought up this change of heart... after Angelica the Pharaoh finally agrees to let the Hebrews go (supposedly because she could fall victim to the "Passover" plague taking away the first-born child of every house), she realizes that she can't do anything without her Hebrews. The final straw is when she realizes she can't take a bath and groans "you mean I threw out the baby with the bath-water, too?".

The movie also ends on a happier note than "The Ten Commandments." The older film ends with the actual commandments being handed down- another encounter with the angry God. "The Prince of Egypt" ends when the Hebrews and Moses make it to the other end of the Red Sea and celebrate their newfound freedom.

A nod must also be given to the award-winning song (also the only one I have any recollection of), especially the popular release where divas Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston unite... the power of them combined still doesn't compare to how power the song is... always gives me chills.

76. Top Gun (1986)

Code-name: Loggins theme

Director: Tony Scott (may he rest in peace)
Type: Action, Comedy, Drama

Cast:
Pete Mitchell/"Maverick"- Tom Cruise
"Goose"- Anthony Edwards
Charlie- Kelly McGillis
"Ice-Man"- Val Kilmer
"Viper"-Tom Skerritt
"Jester"-Michael Ironside
"Merlin"- Tim Robbins
"Stinger"- James Tolkan

[Personal Notations]

When it comes to my favorite movies that came out during my year, this is probably at the top of that particular list... with the exception of one other, I believe, in my top 10, if not the top 20.

We go way back... I first saw this when I was at least ten...
and it all started with the soundtrack.

It was either in 1995 or 1996 when I got into Power Rangers. Loved the show and the martial arts that came with it. On that basis alone, I wanted to take karate. When I told my dad, he said that if this was something I wanted to commit to, it had to be for more than that. 
It had to be about what I wanted for myself, to make myself better.
Something to that effect...

Anyway, long story short, I got my black belt in Tang Soo Do in 1998. 
About a year later, I had to "retire" because I needed surgery to take care of the scoliosis I had no idea I had until that particular summer...
I use quotes for "retire" because I had had enough around that point. It didn't excite me nearly as much as it used to.

But one time during every class session, we would set up a relay where we did a number of various exercises up and down the floor. Everything from rolling into a kick to punching targets being held by junior instructors or doing push-ups.
My instructor always played the "Top Gun" soundtrack, so we did punches, kicks and so on to "Danger Zone" and "Mighty Wings", sometimes we'd go a little beyond that.

Eventually, I got my own copy for my birthday. And truthfully, I had not listened to it in AGES.

[A nod to Kenny Loggins and Harold Faltermeyer]

Both of whom are responsible for the awesome soundtrack...
Other artists included Miami Sound Machine, Cheap Trick and the infamous Berlin hit "Take my breathe away."

Interesting bit of trivia I just found:
"Danger Zone" was originally considered for Toto and REO Speedwagon, but I guess someone figured Kenny Loggins was the king of 80's soundtracks.
"Caddyshack" and "Footloose" come to mind.

And supposedly a lot of artists were either tapped to record for the movie or be part of the soundtrack, a lot of whom turned it down because they didn't agree with something the film stood for. 
Such a polarizing time, the 80's, what with the Cold War looming and such.

Of course, 80's fans know that Harold Faltermeyer is awesome for his various contributions to musical scores... this is a taste of what's to come further down this list.

[The Cast]

Amazingly a lot of people were considered for the role of Maverick... a larger number turned it down including "Outsiders" castmates Swayze and Emilio Estavez... a lot of strange, nerdy choices like Sean Penn, Nicolas Cage and John Cusack as well.
Also considered were "outer" members of the Brat Pack including Rob Lowe, Eric Stoltz, and Charlie Sheen... even Robert Downey... I'm not sure how seriously they considered him for this role with him fresh off the set of "Weird Science"... for the dramatic parts of the movie, I'm sure he would have been excellent, but in the wide scope of things, I just don't see it.
John Travolta was also considered, but supposedly they decided against it because they didn't have a check big enough to cash in response to his massive price tag.

When I think of Maverick, I think of someone that's a bit of a rouge, reckless in everything they do, but Tom Cruise fits the part to a T because he just had the right look for that character.
The first movie I saw him in and I'd always kinda had a soft spot for his work since then.

Except for "Rain Man," I'm not as impressed with the rest of his work in the 80's.
Just one of those actors who got better with age.
I just prefer to reflect on him through his work rather than what he does with his personal life (Scientology and otherwise).

Anthony Edwards is one of my mom's favorite actors. She loved Goose.
Now that's the dude all of those nerdy actors should have been considered for, the name is just goofy enough to fit their descriptions.
He's a great character, though, with a lot of range. He knows when to keep it serious, to reel Maverick in when he needs to be, and the two of them together make a good comedy team. Not the greatest... but good enough for constant entertainment during the lighter moments.

We have Val Kilmer in his first big role. 
It'd be a couple years before I appreciated his actor, although I hadn't seen much of him.
Ice-Man is very similiar to Maverick with their cockyness and their hot physiques, but, as his call sign implies, his flying style is clean, cut and smooth. He's not a huge risk-taker. 

Shawshank fans will recognize Tim Robbins, although you see very little of his face. Most of the time, he's up in the air wearing his designated flight helmet.

Kelly McGillis, as Maverick's flight instructor, and Tom Skerritt as the top commander of the Top Gun flight school, I can't help but identify with their given roles.
But I hadn't seen much them since this movie either.
A lot of people were kinda shocked when she came out of the closet a while back, especially after she did those steamy scenes with Tom Cruise. 
You just never know sometimes, but it really makes no difference. What matters is that people give their best to their roles.

[Plot points]

ample spoilers from here on out

Our story begins with a typical mission.

Maverick and Goose are in the air with ace flyer Cougar and Merlin, taking care of a couple bogeys.
In one bit of hilarity, Maverick inverts his plane to look down on one of his foes, Goose takes a picture with a Polarid and the dude, rolling his eyes, leaves the airspace. 
But because this bogey had given Cougar a lot of trouble, he has a panic attack so bad that Maverick, defying his orders to return to base,  coachs him back to the aircraft carrier. With his wife and new baby in mind, Cougar decides that the best thing for him is to quit, having lost the edge he needs to be a part of this.

A lot of great lines in this movie.

Even when it isn't meant to be funny, I love this next scene where Stinger (who played the principal in "Back to the Future") tears into Maverick and Goose for disobeying orders. But despite all the stuff he says, he confessed to them that they are now #1 (with Cougar's exit) in his division and they're getting his spot at the Top Gun flight school.

Most of the plot is generated from Maverick, somewhat of a polarizing personality with the way he handles things, and how he makes it through the training at this school. 
He's not well-liked by many of his peers, so luckily, he has Goose to back him up.

Then we have the subplot of the romance blossoming between Maverick and Charlie.
He first meets her at a bar where his pick-up-line is to sing "You've lost that loving feeling."
(Why is that not on the soundtrack, people?! I still haven't figured that out yet).

There are literally too many good quotes to name all at once during the first 20 minutes of this movie, but each one is worth coming back to with each viewing. The bar scene is the first time many of them crop up in one place.

Next is the exercise where Maverick and Goose are in a training exercise with Jester. The instrumental for "Mighty Wings" plays in the background. He proves to be a slick adversary and they do beat him... but again, bending the rules ever so slightly, by crossing below the minimum altitude for just a few seconds.
Maverick goes on to celebrate this victory by "buzzing the tower"... speeding by the flight tower, something he has a reputation for doing. 
Only this time, a dude in the tower happens to have hot coffee in hand and in his surprise, promptly spills it all over himself.

Not even two minutes after this incident, he runs out of the office after reporting this incident to "Viper", only to run into this poor intern wearing a sailor outfit (these pilots are part of the Navy, so I guess that explains things a bit) holding a tray of coffee cups.

"Damn it! That's twice! (off screen) I want some butts!"
ah, the coffee guy

"Viper" gives Maverick a stern talking to, explaining that the rules exist for their safety and aren't made to be broken. 

Regarding the relationship with Charlie, she arrives on site as an astrophysicist, a guest from D.C., to lend her expertise.
She and Maverick see each other off-site because a student-teacher relationship would be highly unprofessional. 
Naturally there's a little tension when their personal and professional lives clash.

My memory isn't as great as it could be, but if I remember right, it kinda feels like their relationship disappears for a while and really isn't mentioned until the latter portions of the movie. 

As was the case with "Trading Places," this movie tanks a little bit after the climax of the plot. 
Here, we have the clichéd third act... where the hero is plagued by self-doubt in response to some great awakening or tragedy and he must rise to the occasion or else risk oblivion, whether it's in the figurative or literal sense. 

I forget what I was watching recently, but someone in a show or movie was talking about seeing "Top Gun" for the first time and someone accidentally blabs that Goose dies. 

Maverick and Goose are doing another exercise when, all of the sudden, the plane goes out of control. They eject, but Goose hits the ejected plane canopy (Wikipedia says he broke his neck  and died instantly).
It is ruled that Goose's death was not Maverick's fault, but the fault of the plane itself.

This breaks him so bad that he decides, after one failed mission with his new co-pilot Hollywood, never to fly again.
No matter who tries to console him, it's to no avail.

What does help him come out of it is when he sees Viper at his house, where he tells him about flying with Maverick's father- someone who'd been alluded to a couple times, but we don't hear much about. 
Again, my memory is lacking around this point, so I can't go too into it. But in my defense, it's a great bit of dialogue from Tom Skerritt.

The following scene is Graduation, where "Ice-Man" awarded the trophy for being the "best of the best." Then an emergency situation is at hand and all of the pilots need to go in the air to take care of the enemy. 
Maverick gets back in the saddle and even though "Viper" himself offers to be his co-pilot, he decides to pick "Merlin," who we really haven't seen since the opening parts of the movie.

Long story short, the good guys win.
Maverick tells "Stinger" he plans on becoming a Top Gun instructor (to which he says "God help us"... laughing it off meaningfully.
And he and Charlie are back together, if they were ever apart to begin with... again, they don't go into detail about it.