Reviewed by Johnny McNair 

Paramount Home Entertainment – 109 mins – 1986 – Rated PG – 1080p Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35: 1 – Dolby TrueHD 5.1/6.1 DTS Master Audio

Maverick, Goose, Iceman, Jester, Slider, Sundown, Viper and Charlie, we know these guys like they’re our best friends and we’ve taken the ride into the danger zone with them so many times that it’s a blur. 1986’s Top Gun is not a coming of age film, or in any way trying to make a statement about the late 80’s, it’s just about being fucking cool…The American way. Tom Cruise was a rising star when Top Gun came out, and its success solidified him as a major player, so that nearly two decades later he’d be jumping up and down on Oprah’s couch. Top Gun is ready to take you on its mighty wings on high definition Blu-ray from Paramount Home Entertainment, and even though you’ve been on this ride a zillion times, it still fun to jump on again.

THE MOVIE

Realistically, Top Gun does not have much of a plot; it just has a setting mixed with awesome photography and a killer soundtrack. Tom Cruise stars as Maverick, a hotshot Navy pilot who is a member of Top Gun, an elite flight school where only the best of the best are invited. Anthony Edwards plays Goose, Maverick’s co-pilot and best bud; and Val Kilmer plays Iceman, the current big ace in the school that doesn’t like the idea of Maverick gunning for his spot. To avoid any odd sexual suspicions about all these guys hanging around with their shirts off all the time, a lady has been thrown into the mix played by Kelly McGillis as Charlie, a hot blonde instructor (yeah right), who Maverick quickly locks his target on. Basically, you get a tale of young men flying around in multi-million million dollar jets, playing volleyball in front of the American flag, romancing the ladies, and doing what they do best, act like rebels without a cause who have the need…the need for speed.

Top Gun was directed by Tony Scott (brother of Ridley Scott), and he should be given a lot of credit for it’s success, because if Scott’s style of photography and quick edited was not implemented this would have been a different film. Scott realized he wasn’t directed The Godfather, so he used the main source of visual entertainment of the time as a reference…MTV. In the 80’s MTV dominated the map with younger viewers, so it didn’t take a rocket science to mix the MTV style, teenage girls’ obsession with Tom Cruise, and fighter jets to cash in at the box office. There were so many Top Gun clones that came after, and they all bombed, including Cruise’s own, Days of Thunder, which was supposed to be Top Gun on wheels.

Looking at Top Gun now, you will see a variety of familiar faces, some of who were unknowns and became big stars such as Tim Robbins, Meg Ryan, and Anthony Edwards; along with various character actors like Michael Ironside, Tom Skerritt, and Rick Rossovich. That’s another reason why folks are still watching this film today, because it’s nostalgic. If you saw this film as a ten when it came out, of course it’s going to draw you back in every time you hear the beginning riff of that Kenny Loggins song. Sure this film is completely dated because of its politics and big hair, but it’s filled with campy lines that we all remember, and you’ll still feel sad when Goose dies, (oops, spoiler).

Tom Cruise may have become a little eccentric nowadays, but there was a time when he was the epitome of cool. When he dies you know his obituary photo will be that famous shot of him from Top Gun wearing his flight jacket and giving a thumbs up. Anyone over 25 has seen this film a bunch of times, because it’s always playing on TV somewhere. For you newbies, it may be a lot harder to understand why this film was a success, but it’s still worth a look, especially now that it can be enjoyed in glorious high-definition. It something that can be debated, but Top Gun will one day become an important film in cinema history, not because it’s on the level of Gone With the Wind, but mainly due to the fact that it’s a bookmark of a time in the 80’s that has made an impact on the American spirit. Now put on your sunglasses and cruise into the danger zone.

VIDEO

In its day Top Gun was one of the movies film enthusiasts would refer to when it came to amazing cinemaphotography; and even though it looks like one big music video now, there are still some incredible shots to see. This Blu-ray has full 1080p resolution and a 2.35:1 aspect ratio and it looks very good in some scenes, but then there are some scenes that are only average. All the aerial sequences still look great, with details like the sun gleaming across the wings of the planes and the heat spitting out of the jets as they land on the aircraft carrier. But other scenes, such as the bar sequence when the guys sing ‘You’ve lost that loving feeling’ don’t look as good, looking no better than the standard DVD. Skin tones look fine, but in comparison to most films on Blu-ray, it does leave a lot to be desired. Overall, Top Gun’s image quality is good, but hardcore TG fans may desire more.

AUDIO

The Top Gun soundtrack is still being milked over twenty years later, and anyone who has seen this film multiple times knows why. It’s a great collection of 80’s songs, featuring Cheap Trick, Berlin, Lover Boy, and of course Mr. Footloose himself, Kenny Loggins. This Blu-ray offers both a TrueHD 5.1 Dolby Digital surround mix as well as a 6.1 DTS master mix, that enhances both the music and the dog fight sequence that takes place during the film’s finale, convincing you that you’re smack in the middle of the battle. Dialogue is also well balanced, even when jet engines are rumbling like thunder from all sides. 

EXTRAS

Top Gun offers a good collection of supplemental material, but it’s material ported over from the anniversary DVD, so it’s all in standard definition.

There’s an audio commentary that features the big man himself, super producer Jerry Bruckheimer, as well as director Tony Scott, co-writer Jack Epps, Jr., and the film’s technical advisors Pete Pettigrew, Mike Galpin, and Mike McCabe. This commentary is all over the place because theirs just too many cooks in the kitchen. It would have been better if Tony Scott had a solo track or just teamed up with Bruckheimer, then let the tech guys have their own group chat. There are some interesting tidbits, but you may be wondering who’s saying what if you get distracted.

‘Danger Zone: The Making of Top Gun’ is the reason to own this Blu-ray; split into a six part documentary with a total running time of nearly two and a half hours, everything you ever wanted to know about Top Gun is at your access. Almost all hands are on deck, including Tom Cruise, Jerry Bruckheimer, and Val Kilmer, who all share their thoughts about the production of the film and how it shaped their careers. This is one of the best documentaries attached to a film that I have seen; because everything is detailed from pre-production, filming, post production, and the aftermath of the film’s worldwide success. If you live for Top Gun, this is not to be missed.

Two scenes from the film, ‘Flat Spin’ and Jester’s Dead’ are shown with the storyboards and the final footage to see how it compares. Director Scott provides an audio commentary, which is a nice touch.

‘Best of the Best: The Real Top Gun is a half hour featurette that looks at the real pilots who are in the Top Gun flight school. Here you can see that the real thing is nothing like the movie, so anyone thinking of joining the Navy to be the next Maverick or Iceman should look at this first.

The Vintage Gallery is actually very cool because it features four 80’s music videos from the film for the songs Danger Zone, You Take My Breath Away, Heaven in Your Eyes, as well as the Top Guns theme. A couple of old featurettes are in here, ‘Survival Training’ and a basic behind the scenes spot. There’s a twenty-year old interview with Tom Cruise talking about Top Gun, as well as a selection of classic TV spots for the film.

BOTTOM LINE

Top Gun works best as a piece of nostalgia because it’s locked in a time zone that belongs in the world set-up by MTV and the Reagan era. As long as you don’t take it seriously, Top Gun is a fun film sticks with you because it hits all the right notes. This Blu-ray is the definitive version of the movie, featuring a good picture and excellent sound; plus the two and a half hour documentary sweetens the deal even more. If you’re a fan of this film, there’s no doubt this is a definite buy, and the younger generation who thinks Mr. Cruise is crazy can see how he became one of the most powerful players in Hollywood. Now rev up your engines, because Maverick needs a wing-man.

SCORES (Out of 5):

The Movie:          4.0

Video:                   3.5

Sound:                    4.0

Extras:                   4.0

Bottom Line:       4.0