No other 2022 movie has been a bigger hit with both critics and fans than Tom Cruise's long-awaited military thriller, Top Gun: Maverick. With its $557 million box office gross so far, the sequel has proved that audiences have fully embraced cinema once again after the worst days of Covid-19.
Those who've already enjoyed the stunts by Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell and his colleagues might be looking for other incredible plane movies. Luckily, Ranker has a fan-voted list for the top 10 list in this category, although Maverick hasn't made the cut. These movies aren't necessarily about aviation but simply those that feature extensive scenes inside planes or have extended flight sequences.
*Note: Ranker lists are live and continue to accrue votes, so some rankings may have changed after publication.*
Executive Decision (1996)
A group of terrorists hijacks a plane, demanding the release of their leader. Dr. David Grant, a U.S. Army intelligence consultant, is then tasked with leading an operation to retake the plane.
Steven Segal movies rarely get good reviews from critics but Executive Decision has a positive Rotten Tomatoes score, thanks to endless tension and impressive action set pieces. Apart from the wider talented cast that includes Halle Berry and Kurt Russel, the movie benefits greatly from its first-act twist. Segal is known for bossing the proceedings but his character is killed off early on, leaving Kurt Russel as the true star.
Indiana Jones And The Raiders Of The Lost Ark (1981)
In what is one of Steven Spielberg's best movies, famed archaeology scholar Indiana Jones goes on an adventure in search of a biblical artifact named the Ark of the Covenant. While attempting to do so, he faces off against a troop of Nazis.
The movie doesn't dedicate much time to the skies as it does to the ground but it does feature unforgettable moments involving planes, including one where Jones flees using a seaplane to flee after recovering the golden idol from the booby-trapped Peruvian temple. And to top everything else is an adrenaline-filled scene involving the German-built Flying Wing, meant to transport the Ark of the Covenant. The unpredictability makes it worthwhile, with audiences unsure whether Wehrmacht officer Herman Dietrich or Indiana Jones will come out on top.
Pearl Harbor (2001)
Two friends the army and find love. However, they soon get caught up in the attack on Pearl Harbor by Japanese forces during World War II.
The Michael Bay flick is often singled out for being one of the least realistic World War II movies but it has its fun moments. Like Top Gun: Maverick, there are plenty of airplane stunts, most of which are either deeply mindblowing or totally heartbreaking. The explosions aside, the enemy is given a real chance of winning before American forces regain control.
Die Hard 2 (1990)
A group of terrorists takes over an airport, demanding the release of the drug trafficking military leader Ramon Esperanza. Lieutenant John McClane, who had gone to pick up his wife, gets caught in the mayhem and attempts to stop the terrorists.
After restricting the events to a single building in the first movie, the Die Hard film series does well by opting for a bigger playground in the second installment. Instead of adopting the usual hijack-the-plane trope, the movie distinguishes itself by making the terrorists hijack the airport, hence preventing all incoming planes from landing. And with the pressure being not just on the authorities but on McClane too (whose wife is in one of the planes almost running out of fuel) everyone is forced to act fast.
Cast Away (2000)
A systems analyst becomes the only survivor when a FedEx plane crashes into the Pacific Ocean. Using an inflatable life raft, he swims to an uninhabited island where he does his best to survive.
For fans of old literature, it becomes evident within the first few minutes that the movie is a 21st-century take of the Robinson Crusoe tale. The plane scene might only be in the opening minutes but it's the most impressive one as it perfectly sets up the lone survivor narrative that propels the rest of the proceedings.
Airport (1970)
A Chicago airport manager tries his best to sort out a mess during a snowstorm. To add to his worries, a troubled man threatens to blow up a plane.
Airport is brilliant because it packs all the headaches that aviation personnel could probably deal with into one movie. There are snowstorms, noise pollution, and a much more serious terrorist act. As such, franticness ensues, with everyone forced to make decisions, a good number of which don't turn out to be the best ones.
Sully (2016)
The captain of an Airbus A320 makes the decision to make an emergency landing on the Hudson River after one of the plane engines gets hit by birds. Despite his heroic efforts, there begins an investigation into the matter that threatens to ruin his career.
As one of the best Tom Hanks biopics, Sully is not only a perfect film because it's actually based on real-life happenings but also because it examines the intricacies of piloting enger planes. The trial of Captain Sully by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) also serves as an unofficial lecture about plane functionality, with plenty of details provided about engines and cockpits.
Top Gun (1986)
After losing his friend during a dogfight, Maverick is tried and found not guilty of any wrongdoing. Heartbroken, he does his best to redeem himself.
Like Top Gun: Maverick, the first movie is still held in high regard because of the incredible sky stunts. It plays to its strengths by not bothering to incorporate a complex plot or creative dialogue. Instead, the planes remain the true stars, with the camera making sure viewers never miss a single angle.
Airplane (1980)
Due to trauma, an ex-fighter pilot vows to never fly a plane again. However, he is soon forced to take action when the flight crew of a enger plane he is traveling in gets incapacitated after suffering from food poisoning.
Airplane! takes all the qualities of a good drama - a commercial airline with an incapacitated crew and an old war pilot who instead has to land the plane alongside his commanding officer who happens to be onboard - and makes them completely absurd. This beloved 80s comedy launched Leslie Nielsen as a comic actor and unlike many of the other choices made by Ranker fans, this film is almost entirely onboard the aircraft.
Air Force One (1997)
As the US President is flying back home from Moscow, a rogue Secret Service agent helps terrorists take control of the plane. With most of the security personnel killed, the President is left with no option but to defend himself and take back control.
Most action movies that use the one-man-army trope tend to include a protagonist that is either a martial artist, soldier, or law enforcement officer. People with higher ranks like generals and politicians always take a back seat and issue directives. But the Harrison Ford flick does things differently by granting POTUS the opportunity to kick ass. And he not only deals with the attackers but also flies his family to safety.
