Recapping the Military Laws Broken in Top Gun

We all know that when we see something on the screen in a movie, there’s a good chance that it has been spiced up a little bit. At the end of the day, the minds behind some of the greatest films need to find a way to tiptoe that thin line between suspension of disbelief and reality. If a film is rooted too deeply in reality, odds are it’ll probably be pretty boring. However, if it’s wavers too far to the other end of the spectrum, audiences will begin to divert their attention if what they’re seeing is fake beyond comprehension.

If ratings have anything to say about it, it seems as if audiences have enjoyed both the original Top Gun and are enjoying the recent Top Gun: Maverick.

Even though these are fan favorites, though, we still can’t help but enjoy watching videos that dissect the movies to see what was real and what was Hollywood magic. At the end of the day, even somebody with a casual understanding of the military has to be wondering what the consequences would’ve been for the actions of the main character, Pete “Maverick” Mitchell during his role in the original Top Gun.

Down in the video below, we follow along with YouTube creator, LegalEagle who has been known for bringing his understanding of the law to the world of entertainment. In this particular video, he’s joined by a former Judge Advocate in the marine corps and current Deputy District Attorney in the Pacific Northwest where he currently prosecutes felony crimes.

While the military has its very specific set of rules, what do these legal minds think of how exactly Top Gun went? Were the consequences for Maverick realistic or do the filmmakers take a few creative liberties in the name of entertainment?