Stanley Kubrick is known for his forays into different genres-and horror was a genre that piqued his interest early on in his career. So if you feel the need for speed before the Top Gun Maverick release date on May 27, check out Firefox.Stanley Kubrick / Evening Standard/Getty Images Lethargic, characterless and, at 137 minutes, at least a half-hour too long.' But for fans of Cold War thrillers and Top Gun it is a must see and worth a re-watch just to find the similarities to the Blockbuster that was released just four years later and would completely steal its thunder. One reviewer said the film was: 'A burn-out. This Cold War film was largely panned by the critics at the time and Eastwood was criticised by reviewers for directing himself so badly in a movie. Like Grant, Maverick suffers a panic attack but recovers himself to become the hero. The similarities to Tom Cruise's Maverick losing control of his jet when it goes into a spin twice in Top Gun are incredible. He pushes the plane to it's absolute speed limit in order to outrun his enemies, only to regain control through the sheer composure of his piloting skills. Having made a heart-stopping escape from Russia, he somehow puts down the plane in the Arctic and makes rendezvous with a US submarine or refuel.Ĭlint Eastwood as an American fighter pilot steals a sophisticated Russian jet in a scene from the 1982 film 'Firefox' (Photo by Warner Brothers/Getty Images)īut when Grant gets back in the air he finds he's being chased by a Soviet pilot in a second Firefox prototype. Then when he gets the plane off the ground he's mercilessly chased by MiG fighters which he deftly shoots down. But he's helped by Soviet dissidents to infiltrate the base and get into the plane. Our journalists cover all the news you need - from City Hall to your local streets, so you'll never miss a moment.ĭon't skip a beat and sign up to The 12 newsletter here.įirst of all we don't know if Eastwood's character is even going to make it to the plane as he suffers a complete meltdown in the changing rooms at the airport. The MyLondon team tells London stories for Londoners. You'll get 12 stories straight to your inbox at around 12pm. MyLondon's brilliant newsletter The 12 is absolutely jam packed with all the latest to keep you keep you entertained, informed and uplifted. Clint Eastwood starred as an ageing fighter pilot - Mitchell Grant - (Note Tom Cruise's character in Top Gun was called Mitch) pulled out of retirement despite facing obvious PTSD from serving in Vietnam.ĭo you want to stay up to date with the latest news, views, features and opinion from across the city? READ MORE: The forgotten film set in Britain with remarkable similarities to Gladiatorīut before you go see Tom Cruise prancing about in aviator shades once again, we oughtn't to forget another 80s film that didn't go crazy at the box office but which has some pretty strong similarities to Top Gun and was loved just as much by many school boys.Ĭoming four years before Top Gun, this 1982 movie largely went under the radar at the time - literally. Does this mean we can expect plenty more gum chewing, back slapping and 'you can be my wing man any time.' refrains? Well it's been so long since the first movie, it's hard to say, but a sign that things have moved on comes in the fact that Lady Gaga rather than Berlin will be singing the film's song. Even 'Ice Man' Val Kilmer reprises his role from the first film. Yet finally here it is, with Tom Cruise reprising his role as ace test pilot Maverick. Fans of the original will know that rumours have swirled around time and again that a new film was being made only for them to vanish like jet wash from an F16. So the sequel to Top Gun is about to hit our screens this summer after more than 35 years of speculation as to when it would arrive.

The hidden movie 1980s