Name: Top Gun: Maverick
Genre: Drama, Action
Released: 2022-05-27
Duration: 131 min
Rating: 8.2
Cast: Tom Cruise, Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly, Bashir Salahuddin, Jon Hamm

10 quotes

Top Gun: Maverick

Teamwork in High-Pressure Situations

Rooster Mav tally two, five o'clock low! What do we do?

[Looking below at 5th Gen fighters]

Maverick Okay listen. Just be cool. If they knew who we were we'd be dead already.

Rooster Well, here they come. What's your plan?

Maverick Just put your mask on. Remember, we're on the same team. Just waive and smile. Just wave and smile.

Rooster What's that signal, what's he saying?

[watching fighter pilot's hand signals]

Maverick No idea. I have no idea what he's saying.

Rooster What about that one, any idea?

Maverick Nope, never seen that one either.

Rooster Shit. His wingman is moving into weapons envelope.

Maverick Alright, listen up. When I tell you, you grab those rigs above your head. That's the ejection handle.

Rooster Mav, can we outrun these guys?

Maverick Not their missiles and guns.

Rooster Then it's a dogfight.

Maverick In an F-14? Against fifth-gen fighters?

Rooster It's not the plane, it's the pilot. You'd go after em if I wasn't here.

Maverick But you are here.

Rooster Come on, Mav. Don't think. Just do.

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Top Gun: Maverick

A Call for Communication and Connection

Capt. Pete Maverick Mitchell Talk to me, Goose.

[Repeated line]

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Top Gun: Maverick

Confident Exchange Before Landing

Hangman Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, this is your savior speaking. Please fasten your seat belts, return the tray tables to their locked and upright positions and prepare for landing.

[on radio]

Rooster Hey, Hangman, you look good.

Hangman I am good, Rooster. I'm very good. I'll see you back on deck.

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Top Gun: Maverick

Different Approaches to a Critical Mission

Rooster There's more than one way to fly this mission.

Hangman You really don't get it. On this mission, a man flies like Maverick here, or a man does not come back. No offense, Lieutenant.

[to Phoenix]

Bob But somehow, you always manage.

Hangman Hey, I don't mean to criticize, you're conservative, that's all.

Maverick Lieutenant...

Hangman We're going into combat, son, on a level no living pilot's ever seen. Not even him. That's no time to be thinking about the past.

[referring to Maverick]

Rooster What's that supposed to mean?

Maverick Rooster...

Hangman I can't be the only one that knows that Maverick flew with his old man.

Maverick Lieutenant, that's enough.

Hangman Or that Maverick was flying when his old man-

Maverick That's enough!

Rooster You son of a bitch!

Hangman Hey, I'm cool, I'm cool. Hey.

Maverick That's enough!

Hangman He's not cut out for this mission.

Maverick That's enough.

Hangman You know it. You know I'm right.

[to Maverick, leaving the room]

Maverick You're all dismissed.

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Top Gun: Maverick

Confronting Authority and Ethical Dilemmas in Aviation

Cyclone You have put me in a difficult position, Captain. On the one hand, you have demonstrated that this mission can be flown, perhaps the only way it can be survived. On the other hand, you did it by stealing a multi-million dollar military aircraft and flying it in such a manner that it may never be airworthy again. Iceman is no longer here to protect you. I have everything I need to have you court-martialed and dishonorably discharged. So what do I do? Risk the lives of my pilots and perhaps the success of this mission? Or, risk my career by appointing you team leader?

Maverick Sir...

[tries to approach Cyclone]

Warlock I think the Admiral is asking a rhetorical question, Captain.

[holds him back]

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Top Gun: Maverick

A Conversation on Forgiveness and Time

Maverick Admiral. How's my wingman?

[sits down]

Iceman I want to talk about work.

[types on his computer]

Maverick Please. Don't worry about me. What can I do for you? All right...well, Rooster is still angry with me about what I did. I thought eventually he would understand why. I hoped he'd forgive me.

[Iceman looks at Maverick and points at the typed words.]

Iceman There's still time.

[typing]

Maverick The mission is less than three weeks away. The kid's not ready.

Iceman Then teach him.

[typing]

Maverick He doesn't want what I have to give. Ice, please. Don't ask me to send someone else to die, please don't- don't ask me to send him. Send me.

[Iceman waves him off]

Iceman It's time to let go.

[typing]

Maverick I don't know how. I'm not a teacher, Ice. I'm a fighter pilot. A naval aviator. It's not what I am, it's who I am. How do I teach that? Even if I could teach it, it's not what Rooster wants. It's not what the Navy wants. That's why they canned me the last time. The only reason I'm here is you. If I send him on this mission, he might never come home... And if I don't send him, he'll never forgive me. Either way, I can lose him forever. I know. I know.

[visibly emotional in comprehending words; pause; looks again at the computer screen; exhales deeply]

Iceman The Navy...needs...Maverick. The kid...needs...Maverick. That's why I fought for you. That's why you're still here.

[coughs then whispers]

Maverick Thank you, Ice, for everything.

[embraces Iceman]

Iceman One last thing. Who's the better pilot, you or me?

Maverick This is a nice moment, let's not ruin it.

[pauses; they grin, laugh and embrace one last time]

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Top Gun: Maverick

Reputation and Expectations in Military Hierarchy

Cyclone Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell. Your reputation precedes you.

Maverick Thank you, sir.

Cyclone Wasn't a compliment.

Maverick I have to admit I wasn't expecting an invitation back.

Warlock They're called "orders," Maverick.

Cyclone I'm Vice-Admiral Beau Simpson, I'm the Air Boss. I believe you know Rear Admiral Bates.

Maverick Warlock, sir.

Warlock You two have something in common. Cyclone was first in his class back in 88.

Maverick Actually, sir, I finished second. Just wanted to manage expectations.

Warlock The target: An underground uranium enrichment plant built in violation of a multilateral NATO treaty. This plant poses a direct threat to our allies in the region. The Pentagon has tasked us with assembling a strike team and taking it out, before it becomes fully operational. The plant sits in an underground bunker at the end of this valley. Said valley is GPS-jammed and protected by a surface-to-air missile array, serving a limited number of fifth-generation fighters, which in turn backed up by a plentiful array of surplus aircraft - even a few old F-14's.

Cyclone Seems like we're not the only ones holding on to old relics.

Warlock What's your read, Captain?

Maverick Well, sir, normally this would be a cakewalk for the F-35 stealth, but the GPS jamming negates that. The surface-to-air threat necessitates a low-level, laser-guided strike, tailor-made for the F-18. I figure four precision bombs, minimum. That makes it four F-18s, flying in pairs. That is one hell of a steep climb outta there, exposing you to all the SAMs. You survive that, it's a dogfight all the way home.

Warlock All scenarios for which you have real-world experience.

Maverick Not the same mission, sir. No, someone's not coming back from this.

[looks back at the screen displaying the enrichment plant]

Cyclone Can it be done or not?

Maverick How soon before the plant becomes operational?

Warlock Three weeks, maybe less.

Maverick Well, it's been a while since I've flown an F-18, and I don't know who I'd trust to fly the other three, but, I'll find a way to make it work.

Warlock I think you misunderstand, Captain.

Cyclone We don't want you to fly it. We want you to teach it.

Warlock We recalled 12 Top Gun graduates from their squadrons. We want you to narrow that pool down to six. They'll fly the mission.

[activates a screen listing of pilots]

Cyclone Is there a problem, Captain?

Maverick You know there is, sir.

Cyclone Yeah. Bradley Bradshaw, AKA "Rooster." Understand you used to fly with his old man. Tragic what happened.

Warlock Captain Mitchell was cleared of any wrongdoing; Goose's death was an accident.

Cyclone Is that how you see it, Captain? Is that how Goose's son sees it?

Maverick With all due respect, sir, I'm not a teacher.

Cyclone You were a Top Gun instructor before.

Maverick That was over 30 years ago, sir; I lasted two months. It's not where I belong.

Cyclone Well, then let me be perfectly blunt: you were not my first choice. In fact, you weren't even on a list. You are here at the request of Admiral Kazansky. Now, Iceman happens to be a man I deeply admire. And he feels you still have something left to offer the Navy. What that is I can't imagine. You don't have to take this job. But let me be clear: this will be your last post, Captain. You fly for Top Gun, or you don't fly for the Navy ever again.

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Top Gun: Maverick

The Mystery of Maverick's Career Choices

Hammer Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell. Thirty-plus years of service. Combat medals. Citations. Only man to shoot down three enemy planes in the last 40 years. "Distinguished." "Distinguished." "Distinguished." Yet you can't get a promotion, you won't retire, and despite your best efforts, you refuse to die. You should be at least a two-star Admiral by now, if not a Senator. Yet here you are...Captain. Why is that?

[going through Maverick's service record]

Maverick It's one of life's mysteries, sir.

Hammer This isn't a joke. I asked you a question.

Maverick I'm where I belong, sir.

Hammer Well, the Navy doesn't see it that way. Not anymore. Those planes you've been testing, Captain... one day sooner than later they won't need pilots at all. Pilots that need to eat, sleep, take a piss. Pilots that disobey orders. All you did was buy some time for those men out there. The future is coming, and you're not in it. Escort this man off the base. Take him to his quarters. Wait with him while he packs his gear. I want him on the road to North Island within the hour.

[glares at Maverick; to the Masters-at-Arms]

Maverick North Island, sir?

Hammer Call came in with impeccable timing just as I was driving here to ground your ass once and for all. It galls me to say it, but...for reasons known only to the Almighty and your guardian angel...you've been called back to Top Gun.

Maverick Sir?

[in disbelief]

Hammer You are dismissed, Captain. The end is inevitable, Maverick. Your kind is headed for extinction.

[calling after Maverick as he goes to leave]

Maverick Maybe so, sir. But not today.

Top Gun: Maverick

Debate on Safety Protocols During Training Mission

Cyclone The hard deck is 5,000 feet above ground level, a parameter set not just for the safety of our pilots, but for the safety of their aircraft. 5,000 feet is not just a rule- it is a law, as immutable as gravity!

Maverick The hard deck will be much lower for the mission, sir.

Cyclone And it will not change without my approval! Especially not in the middle of an exercise! And that Cobra maneuver of yours, that could’ve got all three of you killed! I never wanna see that shit again!

Warlock What exactly do you suppose you were teaching, Captain?

Maverick That as good as they are, sir, they still have something to learn.

Cyclone You're talking about the best fighter pilots on the planet, Captain.

Maverick And they’ve been told that their entire career, while they’ve been dropping bombs from a high altitude with little to no dog-fighting. The parameters of this mission call for something they have never encountered, something-

Cyclone Okay, you have less than three weeks, to teach them how to fight as a team... and how to strike the target.

Maverick And how to come home. And how to... come home, sir.

[Cyclone stares, surprised]

Cyclone Every mission has its risks. These pilots accept that.

Maverick I don’t, sir.

Cyclone Every morning, from this day forward, you will brief us on your instructional plans in writing. And nothing will change, without my express approval.

[pauses]

Maverick Including the hard deck, sir?

Cyclone Especially the hard deck, Captain!

Maverick Sir.

[sets a folder on Cyclone's desk]

Cyclone What is this?

Maverick It's a request to lower the hard deck, sir, to practice a low level bombing run, per the mission parameters.

Warlock You could learn a thing or two about timing, Captain.

Top Gun: Maverick

The Cost of Flying and Loss

Maverick They're keeping Phoenix and Bob in the hospital overnight for observation. They're gonna be okay.

Rooster That's good. I've never lost a wingman.