What if every moment was a sunset in San Diego? What if you entered every room to a guitar solo? What if your abs were immaculate? What if you still had all your hair? What if your dad was proud of you after all? What if your movie had three different climaxes? What if your Kawasaki had a full tank of gas and you were always a little tan? What if you were playing something on the piano and the whole bar knew the chorus? What if you flew so fast you were briefly beyond the grip of the universe?
The original Top Gun, released in 1986, was a mood board of Reagan-era excess for aspiring hunks and delinquent hotshots. Directed by Tony Scott, it is part music video, part denim brand commercial. It is a jackpot of screeching montages, Kenny Loggins and The Righteous Brothers in equal measure, both a lust for danger and the comfort of nostalgia and never having to pick up the tab for anything at all.
