https://screenrant.com/top-gun-2-maverick-penny-romance-works-charlie-flopped-why/
Top Gun's original Charlie and Maverick romance story didn't work anywhere near as well as the sequel Top Gun: Maverick's Penny subplot.
Although Kelly was hot in the film I thought she was a bad match for Tom. They didn't look right together on screen. Being co workers of sorts it also added more professional tension than romantic tension. You could tell they were always going to be a summer romance of sorts than anything long term.
sharetom and kelly did not like each others when they film original top gun film. two good actor but they did not have great chemistrys.
I'm just getting done with my annual Memorial Day viewing of Top Gun. I find Maverick and Penny's romance subplot more believable as she was a civilian, it was a fitting callback to Top Gun, and Tom Cruise (61) and Jennifer Connelly (53) together felt more age appropriate.
shareObviously, it’s Jennifer. There was never a more poorly matched couple than Kelly and Tom in Top Gun. It was uncomfortable. But the question should be who has been the best romantic lead in any movie of Tom’s, and the answer is his first one with Rebecca DeMornay in Risky Business. Not even with his ex-wife, Nicole, was there a good match - maybe the Irish movie was ok but not in Eyes Wide Shut. He kind of looked ok with Keri Russell but they weren’t even a couple in Mission Impossible, but there was something there.
shareThis was not a romance. It was a TAD hookup. That's all. Nothing more.
The admiral's daughter was obviously more of a life long relationship, albeit flawed.
I haven't seen Top Gun for many years but I remember pretty much every one of Maverick & Charlie's scenes together. Meanwhile I watched TG: Maverick a few months ago and can't remember a damn thing about that film's romance.
Kelly McGillis & Tom Cruise made every scene they had together work in Top Gun, that in turn added a lot of depth to the film. Take for example the scene in the airport bar (one of the film's highlights from a character perspective) where Charile tries to encourage Mav not to give up - that's all down to Kelly being such a good actress.
The article also forgets their first date where Mav tells Charlie about his MIA father and how he doesn't believe the official account, which means he trusted her enough to share that so soon in their relationship. Their lover's quarrel prior to the love scene is a classic as well, Charlie chasing Mav down on his Ninja bike - and she had good reason to call out his flashy flying in front of everyone as well.
TG: Maverick was ok but it just stole the plot of the lowly 1988 film Iron Eagle II.