Few would argue that it failed to deliver, earning its stripes as a slick action flick ('MTV goes to war!' saluted Time magazine) and cementing Tom Cruise as an A-list star.
Released on May 16, 1986, the week after robo sci-fi Short Circuit and the week before naff spook-sequel Poltergeist II: The Other Side, Top Gun promised jet-fuelled action, wry romance and six-packs galore. Looking back, it's hard to believe nobody noticed.
