Why Top Gun: Maverick Uses "Danger Zone" Way Less Than The Original
Warning: Spoilers for Top Gun: Maverick!
Top Gun: Maverick uses the song “Danger Zone” much less than the original Top Gun, and this has to do with the different themes the two movies follow. Top Gun: Maverick debuted to widespread praise and tremendous box office success over Memorial Day weekend, with many praising it as the perfect template for a legacy sequel. In that respect, Top Gun 2 is also sharply aware of how best to use its nostalgic elements.
In Top Gun, Maverick was a young pilot who seemingly knew no fear. The death of his good friend Goose (Anthony Edwards) left Maverick shaken and mourning, but he never lost his innate love of adventure. With a time gap of 36 years, Top Gun 2 shows its titular pilot at a point in his life where he’s much more aware of the concept of mortality. To be sure, that’s hardly made Maverick anymore unwilling to partake in aerial stunts, but his high-risk mission and the throat cancer of Iceman (Val Kilmer) humble him.
Related: Top Gun: Maverick's Biggest Unanswered Questions
Kenny Loggins’ “Danger Zone” has remained synonymous with Top Gun and Maverick himself since the film’s release in 1986. The opening scene of Top Gun: Maverick recreates that of Top Gun, right down to the use of “Danger Zone” on the soundtrack. This is the only time the song is heard in the Top Gun sequel, and this is because the two films tell very different stories with Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Tom Cruise). With Maverick moving into a mentor role for his young Top Gun recruits in the film, the movie places more emphasis on Maverick struggling with having his well-known confidence being tested. While Maverick might’ve flown head first into any challenge in Top Gun, Top Gun: Maverick shows him with a
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