Regional Friendo: “Just saw Top Gun: Maverick…holy shit, that last act! Someone’s seen and plagiarized [a film released in 1977]!

HE: “Yup.”

Regional Friendo: “Wow…the hard-to-hit target, the steep mountain run [equals vulnerable target in ’77 film], even down to [Maverick costar repeating exactly what costar of ’77 film did during a big climactic action moment]. Five fucking Maverick writers to come up with that?”

HE: “As I’ve written, I would have respected it more if they’d followed the ending of The Bridges at Toko Ri (’54).”

Regional Friendo: “No way that was gonna happen. Too much money to make back.”

HE: “It would have hit home if they’d both died.”

Regional Friendo: “It’s not that kinda film. The audience would’ve revolted.”

HE: “‘Not that kinda film’? You sound like Jerry Bruckheimer.”

Regional Friendo; “I’m just telling you like it is
It’s exactly a JB film…it’s an audience film, not for Oscars. No studio would have green-lighted a film in which Cruise AND Teller die in the end.
It is what it is.”