The 3 Guys Podcast
Recorded on 6/23/2022
I feel the need, the need for speed. In this podcast, we review Tony Scott’s action movie, the original Top Gun (released 1986) starring Tom Cruise, Kelly McGillis, Val Kilmer, Anthony Edwards and Tom Skerritt. WARNING: There will be SPOILERS!
The 3 Guys Rating
Notes From The Show
About The Movie From IMDB
Photos
See all photos >>
Videos
See all videos >>
Cast
See full cast >>
Countries: United StatesLanguages: EnglishBudget: $15,000,000 (estimated)
Note: All images are property of their respected owners and used for editorial purposes.
Quotes
Iceman: You! You are still dangerous. But you can be my wingman any time.
Maverick: Bullshit! You can be mine.
Carole: Hey, Goose, you big stud!
Goose: That's me, honey.
Carole: Take me to bed or lose me forever.
Goose: Show me the way home, honey.
Charlie: Excuse me, Lieutenant. Is there something wrong?
Maverick: Yes ma'am, the data on the MiG is inaccurate.
Charlie: How's that, Lieutenant?
Maverick: Well, I just happened to see a MiG-28...
Goose: We!
Maverick: ...do a... Sorry, Goose. *We* happened to see a MiG-28 do a 4G negative dive.
Charlie: Where did you see this?
Maverick: Uh, that's classified.
Charlie: It's what?
Maverick: It's classified. I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you.
Charlie: Lieutenant, I have Top Secret clearance. The Pentagon sees to it that I know more than you.
Maverick: Well, ma'am, it doesn't seem so in this case, now, does it?
Charlie: So, Lieutenant, where exactly were you?
Maverick: Well, we...
Goose: Thank you.
Maverick: Started up on a 6, when he pulled from the clouds, and then I moved in above him.
Charlie: Well, if you were directly above him, how could you see him?
Maverick: Because I was inverted.
Iceman: [coughs] Bullshit.
Goose: No, he was, man. It was a really great move. He was inverted.
Charlie: You were in a 4G inverted dive with a MiG-28?
Maverick: Yes, ma'am.
Charlie: At what range?
Maverick: About two meters?
Goose: Well, it's actually about one and a half, I think. It was one and a half. I've got a great Polaroid of it, and he's right there, must be one and a half.
Maverick: Was a nice picture.
Goose: Thanks.
Charlie: Eh, Lieutenant, what were you doing there?
Goose: Communicating.
Maverick: Communicating. Keeping up foreign relations. I was, you know, giving him the bird.
Goose: You know, the finger.
[holds up his middle finger to demonstrate]
Charlie: Yes, I know the finger, Goose.
Goose: I'm sorry. I hate it when it does that. I'm sorry. Excuse me.
Charlie: So you're the one?
Maverick: Yes, ma'am.
Maverick: Tower, this is Ghost Rider requesting a flyby.
Air Boss Johnson: Negative, Ghost Rider, the pattern is full.
Goose: The defense department regrets to inform you that your sons are dead because they were stupid.
Stinger: They gave you your choice of duty, son. Anything, anywhere. Do you believe that shit? Where do you think you wanna go?
Maverick: I thought of being an instructor, sir.
Stinger: Top Gun?
Maverick: Yes, sir.
Stinger: God help us.
[first title card]
Title Card: On March 3, 1969 the United States Navy established an elite school for the top one percent of its pilots. Its purpose was to teach the lost art of aerial combat and to insure that the handful of men who graduated were the best fighter pilots in the world. They succeeded. Today, the Navy calls it Fighter Weapons School. The flyers call it: TOP GUN.
Charlie: [Maverick and Goose have just successfully serenaded Charlie with their rendition of "You've Lost That Loving Feeling."] Sit down! I love that song! How long have you two been doing this act?
Maverick: Oh, since uh...
Charlie: Puberty?
Maverick: Right, puberty.
Stinger: And if you screw up just this much, you'll be flying a cargo plane full of rubber dog shit out of Hong Kong!
Maverick: Yes, sir!
Charlie: Listen, can I ask you a personal question?
Maverick: That depends.
Charlie: Are you a good pilot?
Maverick: I can hold my own.
Charlie: Great, then I won't have to worry about you making your living as a singer.
Maverick: I'm going to need a beer to put these flames out. Yo! Great Mav, real slick.
Goose: Hey, hey, Slider. Thought you wanted to be a pilot, man what happened?
Slider: Goose, you're such a dickhead. Whose butt did you kiss to get in here anyway?
Goose: The list is long, but distinguished.
Slider: Yeah, well so is my Johnson.
Goose: So you're flying with Iceman, huh?
Slider: It's Mr. Iceman to you.
Iceman: Hey, Mother Goose, how's it going?
Goose: Good, Tom. This is Pete Mitchell. Tom Kazansky.
Iceman: Congratulations on Top Gun.
Maverick: Thank you.
Iceman: Sorry to hear about Cougar. He and I were like brothers in flight school. He was a good man.
Maverick: Still is a good man.
Iceman: Yeah, that's what I meant.
Iceman: You need any help?
Maverick: With what?
Iceman: You figured it out yet?
Maverick: What's that?
Iceman: Who's the best pilot.
Maverick: You know, I think I can figure that one out on my own.
Iceman: I heard that about you. You like to work alone.
Slider: Mav, you must've sold under a lucky star, huh? I mean, first the MiG, and then you guys slide into Cougar's spot.
Goose: We didn't slide into Cougar's spot. It was ours, okay?
Slider: Yeah, well, some pilots wait their whole career just to see a MiG up close. Guess you guys are lucky and famous, huh?
Iceman: No, you mean notorious. See you later.
Maverick: You can count on it.
Maverick: Talk to me, Goose.
Viper: Good morning, gentlemen, the temperature is 110 degrees.
Wolfman: Holy shit, it's Viper!
Goose: Viper's up here, great... oh shit...
Maverick: Great, he's probably saying, "Holy shit, it's Maverick and Goose."
Goose: Yeah, I'm sure he's saying that.
Goose: No, no, no, no. There's two "Os" in Goose, boys.
Maverick: Jesus Christ, and you think I'm reckless? When I fly, I'll have you know that my crew and my plane come first.
Charlie: Well, I am going to finish my sentence, Lieutenant. My review of your flight performance was right on.
Maverick: Is that right?
Charlie: That is right, but I held something back. I see some real genius in your flying, Maverick, but I can't say that in there. I was afraid that everyone in the TACTS trailer would see right through me, and I just don't want anyone to know that I've fallen for you.
[last lines]
Charlie: Hello, Pete Mitchell. I heard the best of the best were going to be back here, so uh...
Maverick: This could be complicated. You know on the first one I crashed and burned.
Charlie: And the second?
Maverick: I don't know, but uh, it's looking good so far.
Stinger: Maverick, you just did an incredibly brave thing. What you should have done was land your plane! You don't own that plane, the tax payers do! Son, your ego is writing checks your body can't cash. You've been busted, you lost your qualifications as section leader three times, put in hack twice by me, with a history of high speed passes over five air control towers, and one admiral's daughter!
Goose: Penny Benjamin?
[Maverick shrugs]
Stinger: And you asshole, you're lucky to be here!
Goose: Thank you, sir.
Stinger: And let's not bullshit Maverick. Your family name ain't the best in the Navy. You need to be doing it better, and cleaner than the other guy. Now what is it with you?
Maverick: Just want to serve my country, be the best pilot in the Navy, sir.
Stinger: Don't screw around with me Maverick. You're a hell of an instinctive pilot. Maybe too good. I'd like to bust your butt but I can't. I got another problem here. I gotta send somebody from this squadron to Miramar. I gotta do something here, I still can't believe it. I gotta give you your dream shot! I'm gonna send you up against the best. You two characters are going to Top Gun.
Viper: I flew with your old man. VF-51, the Oriskany. You're a lot like he was. Only better... and worse. He was a natural heroic son of a bitch that one.
Maverick: So he did do it right.
Viper: Yeah, he did it right... Is that why you fly the way you do? Trying to prove something? Yeah, your old man did it right. What I'm about to tell you is classified. It could end my career. We were in the worst dogfight I ever dreamed of. There were bogeys like fireflies all over the sky. His F-4 was hit, and he was wounded, but he could've made it back. He stayed in it, saved three planes before he bought it.
Maverick: How come I never heard that before?
Viper: Well, that's not something the State Department tells dependents when the battle occurred over the wrong line on some map.
Maverick: So you were there?
Viper: I was there. What's on your mind?
Maverick: My options, sir.
Viper: Simple. First you've acquired enough points to show up tomorrow and graduate with your Top Gun class, or you can quit. There'd be no disgrace. That spin was hell, it would've shook me up.
Maverick: So you think I should quit?
Viper: I didn't say that. The simple fact is you feel responsible for Goose and you have a confidence problem. Now I'm not gonna sit here and blow sunshine up your ass, Lieutenant. A good pilot is compelled to evaluate what's happened, so he can apply what he's learned. Up there, we gotta push it. That's our job. It's your option, Lieutenant. All yours.
Maverick: Sorry to bother you on a Sunday, sir, but thank you very much for your time.
Viper: No problem. Good luck.
Jester: That was some of the best flying I've seen yet. Right up to the part where you got killed. You never, never leave your wing man.
Air Boss Johnson: Two of your snot-nose jockeys did a fly-by on my tower at over 400 KNOTS! I want somebody's butt, I want it now, I've HAD IT!
[storm out, then bumps into a Yeoman and spills coffee all over his pants]
Air Boss Johnson: DAMN! That's TWICE! I WANT SOME BUTTS!
Viper: [to Maverick] You'll pick up your RIO when you get to the ship, and if you don't, give me a call. I'll fly with you.
Goose: [flying above MiG upside down] Is this your idea of fun, Mav?
Maverick: [spots Charlie for the first time] She's lost that loving feeling.
Goose: She's lo... No she hasn't.
Maverick: Yes, she has.
Goose: She's not lost that lo...
Maverick: Goose, she's lost it, man.
Goose: Come on!
Goose: [to himself] Aw sh... I hate it when she does that.
Goose: No. No, Mav, this is not a good idea.
Maverick: Sorry, Goose, but it's time to buzz the tower.
Maverick: I think I'll go embarrass myself with Goose.
Viper: How ya doin'?
Maverick: I'm all right.
Viper: Goose is dead.
Maverick: I know.
Viper: You fly jets long enough, something like this happens.
Maverick: He was my R.I.O., my responsibility.
Viper: My squadron, we lost 8 of 18 aircraft. 10 men. First one dies, you die too. But there will be others. You can count it. You gotta let him go. You gotta let him go.
Iceman: Maverick, it's not your flying, it's your attitude. The enemy's dangerous, but right now you're worse. Dangerous and foolish. You may not like who's flying with you, but whose side are you on?
Iceman: You two really are cowboys.
Maverick: What's your problem, Kazansky?
Iceman: You're everyone's problem. That's because every time you go up in the air, you're unsafe. I don't like you because you're dangerous.
Maverick: That's right! Ice... man. I am dangerous.
Maverick: That son of a bitch cut me off!
Hollywood: Gutsiest move I ever saw, Mav.
[Charlie has just given Maverick her address while pretending to turn down his date offer]
Slider: Crashed and burned! Huh, Mav?
Maverick: Slider...
[sniffs]
Maverick: You stink!
Maverick: [to Cougar and Merlin while up in the air] Any of you boys seen an aircraft-carrier around here?
Officer: [in the midst of the MIG battle] Both Catapults are broken, sir.
Stinger: How long will it take?
Officer: It'll take ten minutes.
Stinger: Bullshit ten minutes! This thing will be over in two minutes! Get on it!
[after the final dogfight]
Maverick: Mustang, this is Maverick, requesting fly-by.
Air Boss Johnson: Negative, Ghost Rider. The Pattern is full.
Merlin: Uh, excuse me, something I should know about?
Air Boss Johnson: [gets his coffee] Thank you.
[Maverick does a fly-by past the Enterprise, causing the Air Boss to spill his coffee]
Air Boss Johnson: Goddamn that guy.
Maverick: This is what I call a target-rich environment.
Goose: You live your life between your legs, Mav.
Maverick: Goose, even you could get laid in a place like this.
Goose: Hell, I'd be happy to just find a girl that would talk dirty to me.
Goose: Come on, Mav, do some of that pilot shit!
Merlin: What are you doing? You're slowing down, you're slowing down!
Maverick: I'm bringing him in closer, Merlin.
Merlin: You're gonna do what?
Viper: Top Gun rules of engagement are written for your safety and for that of your team. They are not flexible, nor am I. Either obey them or you are history. Is that clear?
Goose: Yeeha, Jester's dead!
Wolfman: Won this bullshit?
Goose: Didn't everybody?
Hollywood: Hell no, man. We got our butts kicked.
Wolfman: Thirty seconds. We went like this, he went like that. I said to Hollywood, "Where'd he go?" Hollywood says, "Where'd who go?"
Hollywood: Yeah, and he's laughing at us, right on the radio, he's laughing at us.
Slider: That was me laughing, dickhead. We won.
Charlie: You're not going to be happy unless you're going Mach 2 with your hair on fire.
Maverick: You don't have time to think up there. If you think, you're dead.
Wolfman: [watching a video of planes being shot down] This gives me a hard on.
Hollywood: Don't tease me.
Carole: God, he loved flying with you Maverick. But he would've done it anyway... without you. He'd have hated it, but he would've done it.
[Maverick is in a dogfight with a MiG and is down to one missile left]
Merlin: This is it, Maverick!
Maverick: I'm gonna hit the brakes, he'll fly right by.
Merlin: Shit! He's gonna get a lock on us!
Maverick: [the MiG eventually gets a lock onto Maverick] NOW!
[Maverick slams the breaks and the MiG passes by, then Maverick locks onto the MiG]
Maverick: Got a good lock, firing.
[the MiG is then destroyed by the missile]
Maverick: Whoo! Scratch four!
Iceman: The plaque for the alternates is down in the ladies room.
Goose: It's the bottom of the 9th, the score is tied. It's time for the big one.
Iceman: You up for this one, Maverick?
Maverick: Just a walk in the park, Kazansky.
Radio Operator: Maverick, you're at 3/4 of a mile. Call the ball.
Maverick: Roger. Maverick has the ball.
[after Maverick decides not to shoot down Jester during a training exercise]
Sundown: Hey, man, we could have had him. Hey, we could have had him, man!
Maverick: [grabs Sundown] I will fire when I am goddamn good and ready! You got that?
[continues walking away]
Charlie: What do you wanna do? Just drop down on the tile and go for it?
Maverick: No, actually I had this counter in mind.
Charlie: Great, that would be very, very comfortable, yeah.
Maverick: It could be.
[Merlin sees the last two MiGs flying away at the end of the dogfight]
Merlin: Mustang, this is Voodoo 3. Remaining MiGs are bugging out.
Viper: In case some of you are wondering who the best is, they are up here on this plaque.
[turns to Maverick]
Viper: Do you think your name will be on that plaque?
Maverick: Yes, sir.
Viper: That's pretty arrogant, considering the company you're in.
Maverick: Yes, sir.
Viper: I like that in a pilot.
Viper: [discussing Maverick] Let me ask you something. If you had to go into battle, would you want him with you?
Jester: I don't know, I just don't know
Iceman: Mitchell, I'm sorry about Goose. Everybody liked him. I'm sorry.
Charlie: Maverick, you big stud... Take me to bed or lose me forever.
Stinger: [to Maverick, with Goose to his right] Maverick, you just did an incredibly brave thing.
[Long pause]
Stinger: What you should have done was land your plane! You don't own that plane! The taxpayers do! Son, your ego is writing checks your body can't cash!
Viper: [after the first hop with Jester ends with Maverick shooting down Jester at the hard deck and Maverick doing a fly-by near a tower] Gentlemen... You had a hell of a first day. The hard deck for this hop was 10,000 feet. You knew it, you broke it. You followed Commander Heatherly below after he lost sight of you and called no joy. Why?
Maverick: Sir! I had Commander Heatherly in my sights, he saw me move in for the kill. He then proceeded below the hard deck. We weren't below 10,000 for more than a few seconds. I had the shot, there was no danger, so I took it.
Viper: You took it... AND BROKE A MAJOR RULE OF ENGAGEMENT. Then you broke another one with that, uh, circus stunt fly-by.
[Viper sighs]
Viper: Lieutenant Mitchell... Top Gun rules of engagement exists for your safety and for that of your team. They are not flexible, nor am I. Either obey them, or you're history. Is that clear?
Stinger: [to Maverick after the last dogfight] How's it feel to be on the front page of every newspaper in the English-speaking world, even though the other side denies the incident? Congratulations.
Stinger: They gave you your choice of duty, son. Where do you think you want to go?
Maverick: I thought of being an instructor, sir.
Stinger: Top Gun?
Maverick: Yes, sir.
Stinger: God help us.
Maverick: Standby, Viper's coming down.
Jester: His fitness report says it all. Flies by the seat of his pants. Completely unpredictable.
Viper: He got you, didn't he?
Jester: [pauses] Yeah.
Iceman: [as Maverick's F-14 suffers a flameout caused by Iceman's jet wash] Mayday, mayday, Mav's in trouble. He's in a flat spin, he's heading out to sea.
Goose: [after Goose and Maverick get chewed out by Viper] Thanks, Mav, that was really great. Oh, shit! Maybe I should become a truck driver. Mav, do you remember the number of that truck driving school that was on TV the other night, Truck America or something like that?
Cougar: God dammit, Mustang! This is Ghost Rider 117. This bogey is all over me. He's got missile lock on me. Do I have permission to fire?
Stinger: Do not fire until fired upon...
Cougar: I'm gonna break high and right, see if he's really alone.
Iceman: You can be my wingman anytime.
Maverick: I can see it's dangerous for you, but if the government trusts me, maybe you could.
Charlie: It takes a lot more than just fancy flying.
Goose: Great balls of fire!
Maverick: I'll hit the brakes, he'll fly right by.
Maverick: Too close for missles, I'm switching to guns.
Viper: Maverick, I flew with his old man. Tell me one thing, if you had to go into battle would you want him with you?
Jester: I don't know, I just don't know.
Jester: Maverick, you and Goose get your butts outta that flight gear and up to Viper's office now.
Slider: Remember, boys, no points for second place.
Goose: You're a lot brighter than you look.
Slider: Oh, you shut up.
Wolfman: [watches Maverick leave the locker room and is talking on the phone] Hey, it's Wolfman. Yeah, Maverick just quit.
Maverick: Jesus, this guy's good!
[first lines]
Flight Captain: Good morning, Scott.
Slider: [Iceman shoots down a MiG] Splash that sucker, yeah!
Viper: Damn, this kid is good!
Viper: [after the dogfight with Viper] Okay, knock it off, gentlemen. Let's go home, Viper has the lead.
[Jester and Viper watch a frustrated Maverick walk off after having a falling out with Sundown]
Jester: He can't get back in the saddle, won't engage.
Viper: It's only been a few days.
Jester: You know, he just might not make it back.
Viper: Keep sending him up.
Sundown: [Maverick suddenly flies off after refusing an easy shot on Jester] Hey, where the hell are you going?
Maverick: Uh... It's not good. It doesn't look good.
Sundown: What do you mean, "it doesn't look good"? It doesn't get to look any better than that.
Maverick: There's Viper.
Goose: Hey Mav, stay with Hollywood.
Hollywood: Yeah Mav, stay with me.
Maverick: Hollywood, you look good. I'm going after Viper.
Hollywood: God dammit, Maverick.
Charlie: [Looking over Maverick's shoulder in the classroom] A rolling reversal would work well in that situation.
Maverick: [Motions with his hands] If I reverse on a hard cross I could immediately go to guns on him.
Charlie: Yeah, but at that speed it's too fast... a little bit too aggressive.
Maverick: Too aggressive.
Charlie: [Smiling, says nothing]
Maverick: Well, I guess when I see something I go right after it!