The danger zone met the funny bone when Tom Cruise took James Corden up for a pair of unforgettable flights he piloted on Monday night’s “Late Late Show.”
The “Top Gun: Maverick” star, who previously went skydiving with Corden, took the late-night host out to the desert where Cruise revealed he would fly the two of them in a vintage fighter plane.
“With all due respect, you played a lawyer in ‘A Few Good Men.’ I wouldn’t want you to represent me in court,” Corden said.
Corden tried to run away, but that couldn’t dampen Cruise’s enthusiasm.
“I’m very excited that James is doing this,” he said. “Was he the first late-night show that I asked? Hell, no. He was just the first one — and the only one — who said yes.”
The pair prepped for the flight and Cruise explained what he would do if there’s a malfunction — roll the plane over and dump Corden out.
“I’m going to plop you out,” Cruise said, which had Corden looking stupefied.
If the flight had Corden’s stomach in knots, it had viewers’ stomachs hurting from laughing.
As they took off, Corden asked Cruise for the Wi-Fi password. While they were flying, Cruise took a dive to the left and Corden posted a note saying “Help me” on the window. They also got into a “dogfight” with another plane next to them.
“You’re a madman!” Corden said after Cruise flew over a mountain.
After they landed, Cruise said they were going to go up again in a plane with air conditioning before they engaged in some in “Top Gun” training.
Corden said he has no interest in flying the new plane, but Cruise kept him seated.
“You are my Goose,” he said, alluding to Anthony Edwards’ doomed character in the original “Top Gun.”
“When you say I’m your Goose, it makes me feel excited and then I realize that Goose dies at the end of the film,” Corden said.
Cruise then touched his face to simulate how Corden will feel with negative G and positive G forces. They walked around with Corden’s hands on Cruise’s hips to feel what the flight will be like.
“We’re doing the conga!” an exasperated Corden said.
The segment went into full-blown “Top Gun” parody mode when Cruise started singing “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling” after Corden complained about going up again. They also played volleyball, a reference to one of that movie’s most famous scenes.
While camping out that night, Cruise explained why he called his movie “Cocktail” and how the missions in the “Mission: Impossible” movies were actually possible.
The next day, they took off in the new plane, singing the “Top Gun” classic “Danger Zone” and “Old Time Rock & Roll,” made famous by Cruise’s movie “Risky Business.”
“This is the stupidest thing I’ve ever done,” Corden said as Cruise pointed out the nearby trees.
James freaked out as Cruise dipped and then ascended.
“You absolute bastard,” Corden said before motioning to a camera in another plane that Cruise is crazy.
Cruise said he’d fly straight for a bit, then motioned to the camera that he won’t before he went upside down.
“Oh my god,” Corden said.
They finally touched down and hugged.
“I love you and I hate you at the same time,” Corden said,
“You can be my wingman anytime,” Cruise said, prompting Corden to reply, “I’m good.”