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‘Top Gun: Maverick’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan

July 12, 2022 · Top Gun: Maverick (2022) · Action · Drama · 1:52:37

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Categories

Sequel/Prequel/Limited Series/Remake

Bill Simmons▶ 20:31Discussed best sequels ever Mount Rushmore: Godfather 2, Dark Knight, Terminator 2 must be included, with fourth spot between Aliens, Empire Strikes Back, John Wick 2, Lethal Weapon 2, and Top Gun Maverick
Chris Ryan▶ 17:49Jerry Maguire would be a limited series if made today

Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 25:54Multiple scenes: Mach 9 day/Dark Star opening sequence, the entire Great Balls of Fire bar scene with Miles Teller reveal, the training scene where Maverick dusts the Top Gun kids, and the Cruise-Kilmer hospital scene
Chris Ryan▶ 26:22Agrees with multiple scenes discussed by another host, particularly emphasizing the emotional impact of the Cruise-Kilmer scene and the effective character establishment in the Great Balls of Fire sequence

Casting What-Ifs

Bill Simmons▶ 45:58Glen Powell — Glenn Powell almost cast as Rooster but wouldn't have worked at all; Miles Teller was the right choice
Chris Ryan▶ 46:01Glen Powell — Would have liked to see Glenn Powell as Rooster, thinks he's good as the asshole and has different gears

Slow Ride Award

Bill Simmons▶ 51:48Slow ride - 'you can't have another thing but slow ride'

Den of Thieves Benihana Award

Bill Simmons▶ 53:26The hard deck

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Bill Simmons▶ 53:54Agrees strongly - always considers it when visiting San Diego, mentions specific areas like La Jolla and Carlsbad, compares it to Fight Club (don't talk about it)
Chris Ryan▶ 53:50How strongly did you consider moving to San Diego while watching this movie?

Butch's Girlfriend Award

Bill Simmons▶ 57:47The supporting Top Gun people - complete waste of Jay Ellis and questioning the point of Bob's character
Chris Ryan▶ 58:16Started to respond about Bob leading to a larger conversation but was cut off

Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

Bill Simmons▶ 58:50Phoenix was a huge miss - I thought she was a weak link and the character didn't work well enough
Chris Ryan▶ 58:25Are we sure you need a second guy in the plane? In 2022? Probably not. And doesn't it seem like their job basically is to like turn around the other direction and be like, I don't see you.

Ron Burgundy Flute Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:11:48When he's driving Connelly back to her place and she leaves the door open - the next four minutes
Chris Ryan▶ 1:12:02Disagrees with another host's pick, argues the scene provides useful dramatic information and you shouldn't miss it

Is There a Better Title?

Bill Simmons▶ 1:12:16No better title - likes 'Top Gun Maverick' and couldn't think of an alternative, rejecting 'Top Gun 2'

Best Quote

Bill Simmons▶ 1:12:24"Talk to Me Goose" and the exchange "I don't like that look, Mav" / "It's the only one I got"
Chris Ryan▶ 1:12:27Agreed with "Talk to Me Goose" and noted good line readings throughout, mentioned Hondo's one-liners when Maverick starts performing

Overacting Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:20:40Glen Powell — Glen Powell - specifically the scene where he saves the day at the end, saying Powell is 'pouring some gravy and some hot sauce on that scene'
Chris Ryan▶ 1:20:32Glen Powell — Glen Powell - agrees with the other host, noting that Powell 'dials it up' and 'maybe used some substances on the ball'

Half-Assed Internet Research

Bill Simmons▶ 1:27:50Beach football montage had to be shot twice because Cruise wasn't satisfied with football accuracy; actors had to get back in shape after celebrating with milkshakes and tater tots. Also mentioned the J-125 speedboat details, Bruckheimer adding Simpson credit back, and Miles Teller learning piano himself
Chris Ryan▶ 1:29:30Connected Miles Teller's piano skills to his Whiplash background and joked about Jennifer Connelly learning to pour drafts authentically

Apex Mountain

Bill Simmons▶ 1:29:51Tom Cruise — Post-prime Tom Cruise (yes), 1973 Porsche 911 (yes), Jennifer Connelly (possibly), Joe Kosinski (yes), Miles Teller (not yet), Glen Powell (not yet), San Diego (no, still Anchorman), Don Simpson (yes), Jon Hamm (no)
Chris Ryan▶ 1:31:27Jennifer Connelly — Jennifer Connelly (yes, 'it's this'), Joe Kosinski (discussed positively), San Diego (no, still Anchorman), Don Simpson (yes)

Racehorse Name Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:35:20G-Lock
Chris Ryan▶ 1:38:50Added 'Smoke in the Air' as another good racehorse name but didn't clearly pick from the original nominees

Is This Movie Better With

Bill Simmons▶ 1:42:45Jon Bernthal — Wayne Jenkins as Cyclone, potentially played by Jon Bernthal
Chris Ryan▶ 1:43:09Wayne Jenkins as Cyclone

Just One Oscar

Bill Simmons▶ 1:44:12Joseph Kosinski — Joe Kaczynski (director) or Claudio Miranda (director of photography), but ultimately settles on Kaczynski
Chris Ryan▶ 1:44:45Joseph Kosinski — Joe Kaczynski (director)

Best Double Feature

Bill Simmons▶ 1:47:49Top Gun — The first Top Gun
Chris Ryan▶ 1:47:52Top Gun — The first Top Gun (agreed)

Coach Finstock Life Lesson

Bill Simmons▶ 1:49:41Discusses both 'It's not the plane, it's the pilot' and 'Don't think, just do' but seems to lean toward the first option

Who Won the Movie

Bill Simmons▶ 1:50:09Jennifer Connelly — Conley (Jennifer Connelly)
Chris Ryan▶ 1:50:03Tom Cruise

Movies Referenced (60)

Top Gun (1986)

46 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 1:41IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jerry Maguire (1996)

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 12:21IMDb ↗Lb ↗

All the Right Moves (1983)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 12:48IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Eyes Wide Shut (1999)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 12:30IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Magnolia (1999)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 13:36IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Town (2010)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:33:58IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Traffic (2000)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 44:36IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Whiplash (2014)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 1:29:30IMDb ↗Lb ↗

A Beautiful Mind (2001)

2 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 1:31:20IMDb ↗Lb ↗

A Few Good Men (1992)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 12:21IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Battleship (2012)

2 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 54:48IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Collateral (2004)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 12:30IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (3)

Tony Scott

3 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Unstoppable, True Romance▶ 23:02IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Paul Thomas Anderson

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Punch-Drunk Love, Licorice Pizza, There Will Be Blood▶ 17:24IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ralph Lauren

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Annie Hall▶ 55:36IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (47)

Tom Cruise

48 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Top Gun, Minority Report▶ 5:01IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jennifer Connelly

21 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for A Beautiful Mind, House of Sand and Fog, Hulk▶ 28:19IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Miles Teller

19 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Whiplash▶ 7:27IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Val Kilmer

14 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for The Doors, The Saint, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang▶ 5:43IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Kelly McGillis

12 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Witness, Top Gun▶ 29:45IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Don Simpson

10 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Days of Thunder, Beverly Hills Cop, The Rock▶ 23:29IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ed Harris

10 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for The Truman Show▶ 26:01IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jon Bernthal

6 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Wolf of Wall Street, King Richard, Fury▶ 1:42:52IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Meg Ryan

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for When Harry Met Sally..., Sleepless in Seattle, You've Got Mail▶ 48:00IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Anthony Edwards

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Top Gun, Zodiac▶ 11:51IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Nolan Ryan

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 1:31:36IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Charles Parnell

3 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Top Gun: Maverick, The Killer▶ 48:34IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (2)

Christopher McQuarrie

2 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for The Usual Suspects, Mission: Impossible - Fallout▶ 15:48IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Eric Warren Singer

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for American Hustle, Top Gun: Maverick, Only the Brave▶ 23:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗