# Why is the movie Top Gun only rated 2 stars? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 4, 2006, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-movie-top-gun-only-rated-2-stars/355351 "2006-05-04T04:07:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Buck\_Rogers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/958977/32.png) [@Buck\_Rogers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Rogers)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2006, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-movie-top-gun-only-rated-2-stars/355351/1 "2006-05-04T04:07:52Z")
Everybody I have talked to thinks Top Gun is a great movie in which many believe it is a must own. The sound and special effects up in the air were awsome. I have probably seen that movie 100 times and always wonder why it’s rated only 2 stars? There are some “cheasey” 2 star movies out there, who knows maybe Top Gun is cheasey and I don’t know it. Pulp fiction is 4 or 5 stars and I hated that movie. My questions are this: 1. What does Top Gun lack that rates it only 2 stars? 2. Can a movie be 2 stars when it was made and become a 4 star movie,decades later? 3. What criteria is the movie rating system based on? ---
**Author:** ![dnooman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/839c29/32.png) [@dnooman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dnooman)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2006, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-movie-top-gun-only-rated-2-stars/355351/2 "2006-05-04T04:12:07Z")
Where are you getting this rating? You need to include a link with such a question. Movie ratings are subjective. Movie ratings are about as unreliable as things come. ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Rogers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/958977/32.png) [@Buck\_Rogers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Rogers)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2006, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-movie-top-gun-only-rated-2-stars/355351/3 "2006-05-04T04:14:02Z")
> [@dnooman](#): > > Where are you getting this rating? I have Comcast cable which advertises it as 2 stars, perhaps you just answered my question and Comcast is full of beef jerky… ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2006, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-movie-top-gun-only-rated-2-stars/355351/4 "2006-05-04T04:17:36Z")
> [@Buck Rogers](#): > > The sound and special effects up in the air were awsome. “Awesome” sound and special effects do not a good movie make. ---
**Author:** ![dnooman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/839c29/32.png) [@dnooman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dnooman)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2006, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-movie-top-gun-only-rated-2-stars/355351/5 "2006-05-04T04:30:49Z")
> [@Buck Rogers](#): > > I have Comcast cable which advertises it as 2 stars, perhaps you just answered my question and Comcast is full of beef jerky… I’d love to explain the various intricacies of every movie rating site, but it would be pointless. The only way to make it work even some of the time is as follows. Find a movie review paper/site/whatever that roughly matches your own. Learn the patterns of what they like and don’t like, judge from there. None of this works all of the time. ---
**Author:** ![Rico](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rico/32/3582_2.png) [@Rico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rico)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2006, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-movie-top-gun-only-rated-2-stars/355351/6 "2006-05-04T04:48:47Z")
\ Why is this thread only rated two stars? Because it’s not in Cafe Society. Let me remedy that situation for you. \ ---
**Author:** ![SkipMagic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skipmagic/32/20706_2.png) [@SkipMagic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkipMagic)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2006, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-movie-top-gun-only-rated-2-stars/355351/7 "2006-05-04T04:51:07Z")
I give **Rico** ’s thread move only 1 star. Because there were no sound effects. Plus, he’s not as hot as Kelly McGillis. Or Goose. Sorry, **Rico**. ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2006, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-movie-top-gun-only-rated-2-stars/355351/8 "2006-05-04T04:59:34Z")
Roger Ebert gave **Top Gun** two and a half stars. This quote from his review nails it for me: > [@](#): > > This is a movie that comes in two parts: It knows exactly what to do with special effects, but doesn’t have a clue as to how two people in love might act and talk and think. He did think those special effects were “brilliant.” ---
**Author:** ![pilot141](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e0b2c6/32.png) [@pilot141](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pilot141)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2006, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-movie-top-gun-only-rated-2-stars/355351/9 "2006-05-04T05:27:10Z")
> [@Zoe](#): > > Roger Ebert gave **Top Gun** two and a half stars. This quote from his review nails it for me: > > He did think those special effects were “brilliant.” So he doesn’t know how the movie would treat Maverick and Iceman in love? 🙂 I’ve got some videos of flying some counter-drug stuff in South America set to music - but this new Top Gun stuff is scaring the crap out of me! Rich ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2006, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-movie-top-gun-only-rated-2-stars/355351/10 "2006-05-04T05:37:04Z")
Buck Rogers writes: \> Everybody I have talked to thinks Top Gun is a great movie in which many \> believe it is a must own. The average rating given to it by voters at the Internet Movie Database is 6.5 out of 10 (and that’s with 39,562 votes so far), so it seems that the people you talk to are not a typical sample of moviegoers. \> Pulp fiction is 4 or 5 stars and I hated that movie. Again, on the IMDb, the average rating for _Pulp Fiction_ is 8.8 out of 10 (and that’s with 170,796 votes so far), so most people disagree with you. Every critic has at least slightly different ratings of film than any other critic. You seem to think that your ratings are better than other people’s. Why don’t you create your own website for your own reviews and ratings so you can tell everyone about what films are really the best? ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2006, 8:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-movie-top-gun-only-rated-2-stars/355351/11 "2006-05-04T08:44:11Z")
> [@Buck Rogers](#): > > Everybody I have talked to thinks Top Gun is a great movie in which many believe it is a must own. > > The sound and special effects up in the air were awsome. > > I have probably seen that movie 100 times and always wonder why it’s rated only 2 stars? There are some “cheasey” 2 star movies out there, who knows maybe Top Gun is cheasey and I don’t know it. Pulp fiction is 4 or 5 stars and I hated that movie. > > My questions are this: > > 1. What does Top Gun lack that rates it only 2 stars? The rating system is entirely arbitrary and idioscyncratic, based only on the likes, dislikes, prejudices, & whims of the rater. > [@](#): > > 1. Can a movie be 2 stars when it was made and become a 4 star movie,decades later? The rating system is entirely arbitrary and idioscyncratic, based only on the likes, dislikes, prejudices, & whims of the rater. > [@](#): > > 1. What criteria is the movie rating system based on? The rating system is entirely arbitrary and idioscyncratic, based only on the likes, dislikes, prejudices, & whims of the rater. That was fun! ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2006, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-movie-top-gun-only-rated-2-stars/355351/12 "2006-05-04T11:55:13Z")
> [@Fabulous Creature](#): > > The rating system is entirely arbitrary and idioscyncratic, based only on the likes, dislikes, prejudices, & whims of the rater. > > The rating system is entirely arbitrary and idioscyncratic, based only on the likes, dislikes, prejudices, & whims of the rater. > > The rating system is entirely arbitrary and idioscyncratic, based only on the likes, dislikes, prejudices, & whims of the rater. > > That was fun! Yeah! Do it again! Especially the “The rating system is entirely arbitrary and idioscyncratic, based only on the likes, dislikes, prejudices, & whims of the rater” part! 😛 hh ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2006, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-movie-top-gun-only-rated-2-stars/355351/13 "2006-05-04T12:20:46Z")
I thought it was because Tom Cruise possesses just two facial expressions in his acting arsenal; angry or determined, both of which appear to be identical. But that’s just this reviewer’s opinion. I really like the surround sound displays. ---
**Author:** ![stegon66](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee59a6/32.png) [@stegon66](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stegon66)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2006, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-movie-top-gun-only-rated-2-stars/355351/14 "2006-05-04T12:30:50Z")
> [@](#): > > The rating system is entirely arbitrary and idioscyncratic, based only on the likes, dislikes, prejudices, & whims of the rater. That’s true to a certain extent, but filmic education and experience also play a part. Get another 1000 movies under your belt and see if your opinion of _Top Gun_ doesn’t change. Truth be told, it never did that much for me to begin with. Sure, the action sequences are good, but the drama is trite and predictable, making for a rather ho-hum viewing - I have no desire to ever see it again. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2006, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-movie-top-gun-only-rated-2-stars/355351/15 "2006-05-04T12:31:07Z")
Maybe the movie was actually supposed to get three stars, but the person typing in the ratings was sloppy and missed hitting the star key enough times. ---
**Author:** ![Wee\_Bairn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90db22/32.png) [@Wee\_Bairn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wee_Bairn)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2006, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-movie-top-gun-only-rated-2-stars/355351/16 "2006-05-04T13:38:57Z")
**Buck Rogers** , just out of curiosity, could you name some more movies that you loved and hated? ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2006, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-movie-top-gun-only-rated-2-stars/355351/17 "2006-05-04T14:05:08Z")
Where do those movie ratings come from anyways? ---
**Author:** ![Kizarvexius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/da6949/32.png) [@Kizarvexius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kizarvexius)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2006, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-movie-top-gun-only-rated-2-stars/355351/18 "2006-05-04T14:11:14Z")
Maybe the movie was actually supposed to get one star, but the person typing in the ratings was sloppy and hit the star key too many times. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2006, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-movie-top-gun-only-rated-2-stars/355351/19 "2006-05-04T15:50:24Z")
> [@Kizarvexius](#): > > Maybe the movie was actually supposed to get one star, but the person typing in the ratings was sloppy and hit the star key too many times. That’s what I think. Or perhaps the second star is a “pity” star. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2006, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-movie-top-gun-only-rated-2-stars/355351/20 "2006-05-04T16:14:03Z")
I would be in the camp of Top Gun was a so so movie. So yea, 2 stars sounds right to me. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-movie-top-gun-only-rated-2-stars/355351.md?page=2)