One of the most emotionally nostalgic parts of Top Gun: Maverick is seeing the return of Iceman, reprised by Val Kilmer following a throat cancer diagnosis in 2014. With the help of tech company Sonantic, an AI voice was created for Kilmer to use for the role of Iceman in the acclaimed new blockbuster, which takes place 35 years after the original Top Gun.
While Tom Cruise takes center stage in the film, it’s worth highlighting what a tremendous career Val Kilmer enjoyed throughout the ’80s and ’90s and how even many of his critically-panned movies remain beloved by the movie fans on websites such as Ranker.
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)
Val Kilmer gives one of his funniest and most assured performances in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Shane Black’s sharp-witted and convention-bucking buddy-cop film. Kilmer plays Gay Perry, a sophisticated L.A. private eye hired to train petty thief Harry Lockhart (Robert Downey Jr.) how to become an actor before the two become embroiled in a twisty noirish murder mystery.
The chemistry between Harry and Perry is off the charts, the plotline is deliberately hard to follow and impossible to predict, and the snappy banter Black peppers his script with is a stark reminder of the daring risks the writer/director is willing to take. It also proves what a terrific actor Kilmer is given the proper material.
Top Gun (1986)
While most critics favor Top Gun: Maverick over its 1986 predecessor, Ranker voters feel the opposite thus far. Indeed, the massively successful Tom Cruise star-maker holds up as one of the most popular and highly entertaining movies from the 1980s, with Kilmer’s iconic role as Iceman a chief reason why.
Directed with stylish verve by the late great Tony Scott, Top Gun tracks Pete Mitchell AKA Maverick (Cruise), a hotshot test pilot out to prove his superiority among a squad of alpha airmen. With dazzling high-flying stunt work and visceral aerial acrobatics, the film proved to be an adrenaline rush the whole country seemingly indulged in. The intense rivalry between Iceman and Maverick is a masterful commentary on masculinity that continues to pay off in the must-see sequel.
The Ghost And The Darkness (1996)
Written by two-time Oscar-winning scribe William Goldman, The Ghost and the Darkness is a highly underrated and genuinely unnerving adventure film. Kilmer plays Col. John Henry Patterson, a talented engineer tasked with building a railway bridge in 1898 Africa, only to learn the local population is being systematically stalked and hunted by two territorial lions.
In order to combat the problem, Patterson enlists the eccentric big-game hunter Charles Remington (Michael Douglas), a grizzled vet whose methods starkly oppose Patterson’s. Directed by Stephen Hopkins with practical FX, real lions, and limited CGI, the movie holds up as one of the most realistically riveting man-versus-animal thrillers of the past 25 years.
Real Genius (1985)
In just his second feature film, Kilmer gave a playful and highly charismatic performance in Real Genius as Chris Knight, a prodigious brainiac with a predilection for partying, pranking, and other collegiate hijinks. The underrated ’80s teen comedy concerns Chris building a cutting-edge laser in science class with his partner, only to learn that their principal wants to sell the laser as a weapon to the U.S. military.
Coming off the slapstick spoof film Top Secret!, it’s clear that Kilmer’s brand of physical comedy was desired for Real Genius as well. Little did people realize at the time how deft Kilmer was during the more grounded and intimate dialogue scenes, proving what a precocious talent he was.
Thunderheart (1992)
While many moviegoers may have forgotten Kilmer starred in the 1992 crime film Thunderheart, Ranker voters sure haven’t. Kilmer takes top billing as Ray Levoi, an FBI agent who hails from a Sioux background and is paired with an insensitive older partner to investigate a murder on a Sioux reservation.
Torn between his heritage and his vocation, Levoi is stuck at an existential crossroads he must navigate before it’s too late. A perfect companion piece to Wind River, Thunderheart sheds light on the heartbreaking reality that murders often go unsolved on indigenous reservations like Pine Ridge. An important film with a message that still resonates 30 years later, Thunderheart is one of Kilmer’s finest moments.
Willow (1988)
Tying in nicely with the upcoming Willow TV series slated for release via Disney+ in November 2022, it’s good to see Kilmer’s starring role as Madmartigan receive some Ranker love. With a story conceived by George Lucas, the classic Ron Howard fantasy action-adventure film is what big-scale cinematic imagination is all about.
The simple but effective story follows Willow Ulfgood (Warwick Davis), a farmer with magical powers who agrees to protect and transport an abandoned infant found in a river. Along the way, Willow gets help from the badass swordsman Madmartigan, who vows to help complete the quest. With stunning action sequences, immersive world-building, and a heartfelt resolution, it’s refreshing to see Willow return to the collective consciousness in 2022.
The Saint (1997)
Val Kilmer has an absolute ball playing a slew of eccentric characters in disguise in the wildly entertaining big-screen adaptation of The Saint. His real identity is Simon Templar, a master thief out to bilk the formula for cold fusion, putting him at odds with Dr. Emma Russell (Elisabeth Shue), the scientist who wrote the formula and the woman Simon has a romantic crush on.
All told, Kilmer disguises himself 12 times in the film, playing each with a brand new accent, wardrobe, body posture, etc., proving what a waggishly diverse comedic and dramatic actor he can be when given the opportunity.
The Doors (1991)
Directed by Oliver Stone with intoxicating style, Kilmer gives one of the best performances of his career as Jim Morrison in the splendid rock musician biopic The Doors. The iconoclastic and influential singer of the titular L.A. band rises to prominence through his artistic poetry and unique songwriting in the ’60s, only to tragically flame out by 1971.
The way Kilmer moves his body on stage mirrors Morrison’s physical mannerisms almost perfectly, and his voice echoes Morrison’s vocal tone in a manner that transcends mere impersonation. Beyond the physical, it’s the mental and spiritual anguish Kilmer is able to convey that makes Morrison one of his all-time great roles.
Heat (1995)
Most cinephiles and casual moviegoers would agree that Heat is one of Kilmer’s best, most epic, and unforgettable movies to date. The sprawling L.A. crime story from writer/director Michael Mann matches wits between master thief Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro) and Lt. Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino), two men on opposite sides of the law on an inevitable collision course with one another.
For his part, Kilmer gives a sexy-cool performance as Chris, Neil’s trusted righthand man who, as the heat cranks up, must decide to remain loyal to Neil or stay faithful to his wife Charlene (Ashley Judd). Aside from the harrowing shootouts, the moral complexity of the characters makes Heat a bona fide classic.
Tombstone (1993)
In many ways, it’s great to see arguably Val Kilmer’s finest screen performance rated by Ranker as his best movie to date. Indeed, Kilmer’s feverish turn as the real-life gunslinger Doc Holliday in Tombstone shows what commanding range he has as an actor. Charismatic, unpredictable, and even scary, Kilmer hits all the notes to bring the character to life.
In a larger context, the film follows Wyatt Earp (Kurt Russell) and his kin when they move from Dodge City to Tombstone, Arizona, only to be rudely interrupted by a gang of violent outlaws. Of course, when Doc contracts tuberculosis and slowly loses his health in the film, Kilmer takes the performance to another level of believability that deserves all the plaudits he continues to receive for the role.
