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By
NICK ZEGARAC
"Top Gun" is the mach ten
'80s mega hit that set theatre attendance on fire
and established producer Jerry Bruckheimer and
actor Tom Cruise as two of Hollywood's titans,
behind and in front of the camera.
All about a military flight school run for "the
best of the best," the film stars Cruise as Lt.
Pete Maverick Mitchell. Pete's too sexy for his
leather bomber jacket and he knows it. He's also
short on pleasantries when it comes to wooing the
femme fatale of the friendly skies, Charlotte
"Charlie" Blackwood (Kelly McGillis). But
highflying maneuvers between Pete and Charlie
quickly move from the schoolroom to the bedroom.
Then tragedy strikes and Pete has to pull it
together to prove himself as the hero of the hour.
Val Kilmer costars as Pete's annoying and priggish
rival for the top honors, Tom "Iceman" Kazanski.
The cast also includes Tom Skeritt, Michael
Ironside and Anthony Edwards.
What sets "Top Gun" apart from similar military
film fare of the '80s is its ability to combine a
sense of the miraculous within the gritty world of
tougher than tough obstacles. The dogfight footage
is thrilling and the plot moves effortlessly from
drama, to melodrama, to action/adventure yarn on
testosterone overdrive. There's even a shirtless
eye candy volleyball tournament thrown in, with
the guys doing their machismo best to ignite
interest in the female population. However, the
soundtrack album, which fueled the film's high
octane performance at the box office, now seems to
have dated at twice the rate of any other from the
'80s -- save "'Dirty Dancing." Kenny Loggins'
"Playin' With The Boys" and Tina Marie's "Lead Me
On" have that faint tinny echo of a forgotten pop
culture where hoop earrings and big hair were
synonymous with wacky-tacky red carpet glamour.
Berlin's "Take My Breath Away" does anything but.
After the disastrous effort put forth on
Paramount's "Footloose" special edition, I didn't
hold out much hope for this transfer either.
However, "Top Gun's" anamorphically enhanced
transfer is remarkably clean and solid. Color
saturation is very nicely rendered with velvety
blacks and very pristine whites. Occasionally one
will note a slight hint of film grain. There are
no digital anomalies for a smooth video
presentation that is sure to please. The audio has
been remixed but continues to exhibit that dated
'80s quality that is best left to nostalgia for a
time when sound wasn't quite so integral to one's
overall appreciation of a movie. Extras include an
audio commentary that is adequate. There's also a
6-part documentary that really should have been
played as one big one, four music videos which
will confound people as to why MTV became so big,
and some storyboards, production materials and
vintage featurettes. So set your DVD player to
cruise control and get ready to set off for the
wild blue yonder. "Top Gun" is a blast! |
