Top Gun Collector’s Edition

Filed Under: Film, Reviews | Article Tags : DVD review

By: The Dweeb

DVD Features

Video: 2.35:1 Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1. DTS 6.1, Dolby Digital 2.0, French Dolby Digital 2.0

Commentary by producer Jerry Bruckheimer, director Tony Scott, and Navy experts
Remastered print and sound
6-part documentary on the making of the film
Never-before-seen footage
4 music videos
Vintage gallery of storyboards, production materials, featurettes

Theatrical release:5/16/1986
DVD released on 12/14/2004 by Paramount
Running time of 109 minutes

Starring:
Tom Cruise, Kelly McGillis, Anthony Edwards, Val Kilmer

Director: Tony Scott

Plot: Maverick, a talented training pilot in an elite U.S. school for fighter pilots. When he stumbles upon some MiG’s over the Persian Gulf, and his wingman panics, Maverick cleverly talks him through the situation to safety. Consequently, he is moved up in rank and sent to the Top Gun Naval Flying School. There he has several conflicts with other students while trying to live up to his deceased father’s reputation. Unable to cope with the death of his best friend, and fellow pilot, Goose, Maverick contemplates dropping out, but follows through with his dream and ultimately becomes one of the “best of the best.”

High speed aerial combat, non stop heart pounding action, a rocking soundtrack, testosterone at its highest level, and oh yeah there is a plot in here somewhere too. This is what defines Top Gun as a movie, the best recruiting film the Navy could have ever hoped for. A movie that has a lot of flash and sizzle, and transformed Tom Cruise from a relative newcomer to superstar over night. It is a typical Bruckheimer effort, which emphasizes style over substance, making for pure popcorn mayhem. And it isn’t a bad flick either.
When you get right down too it, if you strip out all the action, and all the eye candy there really isn’t much there. The story in between the action only serves to hold each segment together to form a film. Tony Scott was kind enough to give the audience a breather between this roller coaster of a movie. The dialogue is kind of cheesy, and the story is textbook Hollywood. But that isn’t why we are watching this film now is it? I wanna see some pretty jet planes streak across the sky! That’s why we love this film, and its still as popular today as it was back in 1986. Who hasn’t heard the Top Gun theme yet? It’s been burned into the American sub consciousness.
The film’s basic premise revolves around a bunch of hot blooded Navy F-14 fighter jocks and their living on the edge lifestyles as they go through training at the top fighter pilot school in the service. Naturally, there is a bit of competition on who is the best, and a little spat starts between Maverick (Tom Cruise) and Ice Man (Val Kilmer). Cruise plays the part well, doing his little “I’m cool and I know it” thing that he seems to always project in a lot of his films. Even throwing in his trademark explosive temper a few times. Pure textbook Cruise, you can see this in a lot of his films like Rain Man or Minority Report. Of course, he always gets what he wants and rides happily off into the sunset at the end with the girl (in this case played by Kelly McGillis). There is nothing surprising coming from this actor, we know what to expect.
Much of the rest of the cast is fairly indistinguishable, as they all blend in the background. I always liked Val Kilmer’s performance as Ice Man, playing the proverbial polar opposite from Maverick, the hot head. The only guy in the room that seems to be able to put out Maverick’s fire is Goose (future ER star Anthony Edwards). Seemed like an odd pairing, the lower key Goose who seemed to keep his head on the ground a lot more than Maverick. I think that worked well story wise, or else who would hold Maverick’s leash?
On a technical level this DVD release is very good. The DTS soundtrack is superb, a real wall shaker. The picture quality varied throughout the film, the grain was evident for a lot of the movie. Still, the photography is a great experience to watch on the large screen. The songs that I remember so well from back then sounds fantastic, almost better than ever.
Boasting some great DVD menu sequences, the extras on this edition are not a disappointment. There is a good mix of new material and the old original stuff. Much of the old footage was recycled into the new featurettes. The documentary is lengthy but very interesting, and also conveniently broken up into different sections. The music videos are almost too embarrassing to watch (at least for me). All the 80′s hair makes me cringe. Did we really dress like this??? Watching the older material was also quite a hoot, things have changed a lot in almost 20 years. Overall a very well made release from Paramount. If you were holding out for the better version of this film on DVD the wait is over. Go get it, you won’t be disappointed. It’s a keeper!