My dad and I went to watch Top Gun recently and, unlike when we watched the Elvis movie, we had perfect seats! I’m not going to bore you with my opinion on how good it was because you already know it’s great. In fact, I haven’t heard any review in the weeks the movie’s been out that have said anything negative about it. Everyone loves it. We loved it, too. Our only question was this… who is Penny?
Played by Jennifer Connelly, the Penny character was a mystery to me (and yes, I’m now singing the Roy Orbison song), until we looked into it. According to this explanation, Penny was mentioned in the original Top Gun but was never seen on-screen. Here’s a scene…
If I had to pick one thing I didn’t like about Top Gun: Maverick, it’s the Penny character. Was a love interest needed? I don’t believe so. I believe she was included because the relationship she has with Maverick helps the story move along and go deeper. Without her, how would we find out more about Maverick’s relationship with Rooster? He had to tell someone the backstory so I guess a love interest is the best option. So they needed a love interest with some connection to the original movie, and Penny was the only choice. Well, unless they brought Charlie back. I bet they didn’t include her character because no one wants to see a couple who’s been married for 30 years. There’s no newness, no sparks flying. So Penny became a big part of this new movie.
I don’t love the choice, but I get it.
If I had to pick one scene I really liked, that’s really difficult. But one was the end of Maverick’s conversation with Iceman. Iceman asks him who’s still the best pilot. Maverick’s response was perfect.
Did you watch the movie? What stood out to you about the story or the characters? Chime in below!
-Out of the Wilderness
Out of the Wilderness 