Show Top Gun: Maverick uses the song "Danger Zone" much less than its predecessor, and this is because of the different themes of the legacy sequel.
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. 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 greater concern to prepare his troops before taking them into their mission.
Because of Maverick’s newfound uncertainties that Iceman's largely wordless pep talk helps him to work through, “Danger Zone” would not function in the same way as it would in the original Top Gun. Maverick’s leading his troops, including Goose’s son Rooster (Miles Teller), into a situation they might not come home from, and he appreciates the gravity of that far more than he would have during his own Top Gun days. “Danger Zone” acts as more of a nostalgic jumpstart in Maverick, reminding audiences of Maverick’s origins before showing them that he’s a somewhat changed man. Maverick is still a thrill seeker in Top Gun: Maverick, but his experiences have given him a greater respect for the inherent risks that come with his lifestyle. The original Top Gun gave more prominence to “Danger Zone” because Maverick was still young with much to learn. In Top Gun: Maverick, the song’s singular use sets up Tom Cruise's new Maverick, a legendary pilot who still thrills to breaking the rules and pushing the envelope but who also understands that the danger zone’s highway does come with traffic laws. More: Top Gun: Maverick Ending Explained (In Detail) Ride into the danger zone. If you've already seen Top Gun: Maverick, the opening sequence might've made you do a double take and check that you were in the right theater. That's because the intro to the film is exactly the same as the original 1986 movie, including the use of hit song, Kenny Loggins' "Danger Zone." But the song was almost a little different. Loggins tells EW he put a new spin on the famous track for the sequel. "I did re-record 'Danger Zone' to make a 5.0 version that would wrap around the audience," he says. "But Tom Cruise really wanted to conjure up the original version, the original feeling. So in the long run, it turned out to be the old track coming back." Director Joseph Kosinki previously told EW that was a deliberate choice to reassure the audience they were in good hands. "I wanted that first few minutes to just tell you, this is a Top Gun movie, we love it as much you do," he said. "From there, our story goes in a very different direction, but I wanted the first few minutes to let the audience know: Don't worry, we love it too, this is going to be a Top Gun movie." Loggins himself only found out about a month ago that his song was being utilized in the same place in the new film as it had been in 1986. "When I met Tom Cruise on Jimmy Kimmel Live! about six years ago, I knew he had the property at that point," Loggins remembers. "I said, 'So, tell me, is "Danger Zone" in or out?' And he said, 'It wouldn't be Top Gun without "Danger Zone."' He stayed true to his word. When we first talked about it, they were thinking it might go in a scene in the middle of the movie or somewhere near the end where he comes to the rescue. Instead, Tom opted to use it at the beginning of the movie so that it really conjures up the energy and excitement of the original Top Gun." Top Gun: Maverick, Kenny Loggins Credit: Paramount Pictures; Inset: Bryan Steffy/Getty Images Loggins wasn't even supposed to record "Danger Zone" in the first place. He'd written "Playing With the Boys" specifically for the film's iconic volleyball sequence when he got the call to put his own spin on the track that has become something of a theme song for Top Gun. Originally composed by Giorgio Moroder, with lyrics by Tom Whitlock, "Danger Zone" was considered for several other artists before producers went to Loggins. "In the process of recording 'Playing With the Boys,' I got a message that Giorgio needed me to come in and help finish the tune up," Loggins explains. "One thing led to another — I sat with Tom Whitlock and made some changes to the chords and a little bit of melody changes, a little bit of words here and there." Loggins deferred receiving any writing credit to ensure that Moroder and Whitlock could get the Oscar nomination for Best Original Song (they did end up winning that year, but for Top Gun's love ballad, "Take My Breath Away"). "But then I got a call that he needed a singer," Loggins adds. "I was writing ballads mostly, and I needed something up-tempo for my show. I had not yet heard it until I got together with Tom and we worked on that. Then the next day I was in the studio, singing it with Giorgio." Loggins notes that the writing-recording experience was different from other songs he's done for movies, including the title track from Footloose and "I'm Alright" from Caddyshack. In this case, he was more the singer than the architect of the song. Still, he says, writing for film is radically different than writing for an album, because you're writing to story and character rather than simply speaking from the heart. Even though Loggins' new version of "Danger Zone" didn't make the final cut, he loves the way his iconic track is used in the film. "It really does capture that vibe from the very first time [I saw it], 36 years ago," he marvels. Related content:
Do they play Danger Zone in Maverick?He wanted to rekindle that original excitement, so he used “Danger Zone” as an opening to the movie. Initially, the director told me he was thinking of using it later in the scene when Tom comes to the rescue. Instead of that, they used it at the beginning, and I think it was a wise choice.
Is Danger Zone in the new Top Gun: Maverick movie?Like its predecessor, “Top Gun: Maverick” kicks off the action with Loggins' “Danger Zone” in the opening scene. Loggins, 74, initially expected a new recording of the 1986 song to be used in the sequel, but Cruise opted to use the original version. “He was right, of course,” Loggins said.
Who sang highway to the Danger Zone Top Gun: Maverick?Loggins could and did. The “Top Gun” soundtrack would go on to become one of the biggest-selling movie albums of all-time, so its sequel, “Top Gun: Maverick,” seemed a natural place to revisit the song.
Did Tom Cruise sing Danger Zone in Top Gun?That's right, Kenny Loggins is on the show! During the press run for Top Gun: Maverick, Kenny sat down with me to talk about Danger Zone and the process of making it for the first film. We also talked about how he almost remade the song for Maverick, but Tom Cruise chose to stick with the original version.
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Did they play highway to the Danger Zone in Top Gun: Maverick?
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