Movie Info:
Writers: Jim Cash, Jack Epps Jr.
Director: Tony Scott
Cast: Tom Cruise, Kelly McGillis, Val Kilmer, Anthony Edwards, Tom Skerritt, Michael Ironside, John Stockwell, Barry Tubb, Rick Rossovich, Tim Robbins, Clarence Gilyard Jr., Whip Hubley, James Tolkan, Meg Ryan,Adrian Pasdar
Rating: PG
Studio: Paramount

Release Info:
Theatrical Release: May 16, 1986
DVD Release Date: August 5, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon for $8.99

Growing up in the 1980s, I had the chance to see some of the coolest movies. The 80s was filled with plenty of movies now deemed classics. Among them is the movie Top Gun. Before Tom Cruise was a freaky Scientologist who lost the ability to act and all sense of reality, he was the super cool Maverick, a hero of 80s children everywhere. Boys wanted to be Maverick. Girls wanted to be with him. This is just one of the roles that Tom Cruise had in the 80s that made him a big star. In the 80s, Tom Cruise was it.

It’s funny how a person can change in 20 or so years. Today, Tom Cruise is still making movies. In fact, he is rich and could retire tomorrow easily. Unfortunately, he really isn’t the box office draw he was back in the day when Top Gun was at the theaters. His erratic behavior, obsessive love for Scientology and his somewhat same-sex (Katie is looking more and more like a guy with every haircut she gets) relationship with Katie Holmes have made many of his fans reconsider whether Tom really is all that. He’s changed and with it, he’s chosen less desirable movie roles that just aren’t what they used to be.

I hate to spend this whole review talking about how Tom Cruise is a freak, who no longer gets the respect he once had. So, I’ll stop while I’m ahead. Top Gun is a great movie because it has all the elements that make an action-packed movie (80s movies especially) worth watching again and again. There is a cool story that is going to draw in both men and women. There’s romance. There’s high paced adventure. There is plenty of in the air action with Maverick and his class flying fighter planes as they train at a Navy Fighter Pilot Flying School, the TOPGUN School. Finally, there is an interesting back story that frames who Maverick is and why he acts the way he does

I remember seeing Top Gun when it first came out on VHS. I loved the movie. I was still kind of young and had relatively strict parents, so I wasn’t allowed to go see this movie in the theater. Still, I’ve seen this movie many times since it first was released on video. I’ve watched it on TV countless times and I even own it on DVD. So, reviewing this when the “I Love the 80s” movie promotion by Paramount came out was a no brainer.

The Top Gun Plot
Tom Cruise stars as Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, an F-14 pilot in the Navy. Maverick is out in the Indian Ocean with other pilots including his RIO (radio intercept officer), Nick “Goose” Bradshaw. (Anthony Edwards). The two are flying with the head pilot, Bill “Cougar” Cortell (John Stockwell) and his RIO, Sam “Merlin” Wells (Tim Robbins). The four pilots are off to intercept a bogey (unknown aircraft). The hostile aircraft plays chase upon them and Cougar is unable to do anything. Luckily, Maverick is able to scare them off. When their commander, Tom “Stinger” Jordan (James Tolkan) tells them to return to base, Cougar doesn’t follow orders and Mav follows suit, making sure Cougar gets home okay in the process.

With Cougar unable to handle the pressure, Stinger decides to send Mav and Goose off as the top team in their squadron. They’re sent to the prestigious, Navy TOPGUN flying school to learn how to be highly trained fighter pilots. Though Stinger isn’t sure he should send the two, especially since Mav is so cocky and self-assured, they both head to sunny San Diego; Goose with his family including his wife, Carol (Meg Ryan) and Mav alone. Mav has had a chip on his shoulder when it comes to family. His father, Duke, died in Vietnam under questionable circumstances and Maverick questions whether his father just wasn’t that good and caused his own death.

Maverick is sure he’s the hot shot of the class, but that honor goes to Tom “Iceman” Kazanski (Val Kilmer). As the best student in class, the rivalry between Iceman and Maverick is instantaneous. The first day Mav is already getting into trouble and it just gets worse when he falls for civilian instructor, Charlotte “Charlie” Blackwood (Kelly McGillis). With the rivalry in full swing, this movie offers some romance, camaraderie, loss, competition, self-betrayal, and truth.

While not received well by critics in the 1980s, the movie has grown to have a major following and in its old age is one of the most recognizable and popular movies of my generation.

Storyline/Plot:
Replayability:
Acting:
Directing:

Audio/Visual:
If you already own the 2004, special edition release of Top Gun, then you won’t need to buy this version of the movie. Well, at least not based on visual quality. There are some minor issues from this release that should have been fixed for the “I Love the 80s” version, but they weren’t. Presented in anamorphic widescreen at a 2.35:1 aspect ratio, Top Gun only suffers from minor instances of grain and dirt. The color palette is realistic with the vibrancy of the colors coming through and skin tones looking natural. The contrast is good with a nice level of sharpness to the picture. Overall, this is not a bad transfer.

The audio quality has also not been upgraded from Top Gun’s 2004 release. There are three options for English sound. There is the English DTS 6.1 surround sound, English Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound and English 2.0 Stereo sound tracks. The DTS 6.1 is the best track I’ve heard for a standard DVD. It is absolutely amazing how good everything sounds, especially the action sequences and the musical interludes. The 5.1 mix is also quite good and the 2.0 is standard. There is a French 2.0 Stereo track and subtitles are available in English and Spanish.

Visual:
Audio:

Bonus Features:
Pretty much everything you’ll find on the 2004 release in the way of bonus features is also available on Top Gun the I Love the 80s edition DVD. The bonuses start out with an Audio Commentary. Jerry Bruckheimer, Tony Scott and Jack Epps are the crew members on this commentary. Throughout the movie, they’re joined by a wide array of naval experts. In truth, the naval experts tend to lead the commentary and it is enlightening to hear what they have to say. This commentary was very well done!

There is a set of music videos that go to songs, which are a part of the Top Gun soundtrack. These music videos include:

-Kenny Loggins – “Danger Zone”
-Berlin –”Take My Breath Away”
-Loverboy – “Heaven in Your Eyes”
-Harold Faltermeyer and Steve Stevens – “Top Gun Anthem”

There are also a set of television spots that are ultra cheesy.

Finally, there is a four song CD with the following songs on it:

-Echo & the Bunnymen – “Lips Like Sugar”
-Erasure – Chains of Love
-INXS – “Need You Tonight”
-A-Ha – “Take on Me”

I don’t remember these songs being in the film, so who knows why they’ve been included.

Bonus Features:

Bottom Line:
Top Gun is cheesy, cliché, and somewhat predictable, but that’s part of what makes it so great. An 80’s classic, if you don’t already have Top Gun in your collection, you’re going to want to pick up a copy of this from the I Love the 80s Collection. Fans of the movie who already own the 2004 release won’t really need to double dip unless they absolutely want to, but the quality of the movie is exactly the same so it’s pretty much pointless to do so. Either way, pick up a copy of Top Gun. It’s one of those movies you just have to own.

Overall Rating:

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