Top Gun Blu-ray delivers great video and superb audio in this exceptional Blu-ray release
Top Gun takes a look at the danger and excitement that awaits every pilot at the Navy's
prestigious fighter weapons school. Tom Cruise plays Maverick Mitchell, a daring young flyer
who's out to become the best of the best. And Kelly McGillis is the civilian instructor who
teaches Maverick a few things you can't learn in a classroom.
When you talk about the most exciting, most influential, most widely-seen, most widely
recognized,
most ingrained into pop culture, most quoted, and most cherished films of the 1980s, Top
Gun is one of only a few that fit every single one of those talking points. While I believe
Arnold
Schwarzenegger's Commando to be the
quintessential 1980s action movie, I concede that Tom Cruise's Top Gun is perhaps the
most decade-defining film, period. The film embodied everything 1980s: the "need for speed," an
incredibly successful soundtrack that epitomized 1980s music, and served as a showcase of
American
aerial might and superiority as the Cold War drew to a close. Top Gun also paved the
way for Tom Cruise (Risky Business) to
become one
of
the hottest and most widely-recognized stars Hollywood has ever seen, action or otherwise. With
its death-defying aerial stunts, memorable characters, quotable moments, high-flying soundtrack,
and plenty of first-rate action, Top Gun remains one of the most popular films even
today,
some 22 years after its initial release to theaters.
We'll take you even higher above Top Gun momentarily.
Tom Cruise is Maverick, a brash, self-important, risk-taking ace fighter pilot stationed aboard the
U.S.S. Enterprise. When he, his wingman, Goose (Anthony Edwards, TV's "ER") and two
other pilots -- Merlin and Cougar -- engage two enemy MiG jet fighters, Cougar "loses his edge"
during the confrontation and turns in his wings, leaving Maverick and Goose as the only
candidates remaining worthy of sending to the Navy's elite Fighter Weapons School, "Top Gun,"
much to the chagrin of their commanding officer, Stinger (James Tolkan, Back to the
Future). There, Maverick and Goose strut their stuff and compete for the illustrious position
as top flight tandem, up against the likes of the cool, calm, collected, and first-class pilot Iceman
(Val Kilmer, The Doors). Under
the guidance of hardened veteran pilots Viper (Tom Skerritt, A River Runs Through It)
and Jester (Michael Ironside, Starship Troopers),
Maverick and the other pilots learn what it takes to rank among America's elite Aces, but
Maverick
finds himself dealing with other issues, including the specter of his father (himself a former pilot),
his rash and sometimes foolish decisions in the air, and a burgeoning romance with one of his
instructors, Charlie (Kelly McGillis, Witness).
Although Top Gun is awash in cinematic convention, the film overcomes its shortcomings
thanks to its impressive aerial stunts and photography, fast-paced action and direction from Tony
Scott (Crimson Tide), and
likable if not stereotypical characters. Produced by the formidable tandem of Jerry Bruckheimer
and Don Simpson, a duo who has brought us some of the finest pure action movies in recent
memory, including Bad Boys, the aforementioned Crimson Tide, and The Rock, the film
propelled both the producers and its star to unfathomed heights and paved the way for director
Tony Scott to make a name for himself and stand alongside, rather than under, brother Ridley's
enormous shadow, whose successes before Tony's breakthrough hit Top Gun included
Alien, Blade Runner, and
Legend (also starring Tom Crusie).
While the quality of the various flying maneuvers and combat sequences in the film speak for
themselves, it's truly the fantastic ensemble cast that lifts Top Gun out of the realm of
"pretty and loud" to "serious action movie." While nearly every character and their motivations
are derived from the prototypical caricatures of such individuals, the actor's handling of the
material, not to mention the charm and charisma each brings to the project, is the driving force
behind Top Gun's success. In arguably his most famous role, Tom Cruise truly portrays
his character's nickname, Maverick, a hotshot on the surface but a soul-in-crisis on the inside.
He
pushes the limits of
smart flying and risks it all for his own glory, but learns from his mistakes and pushes forward
through life's toughest obstacles both in the cockpit and on the ground as he struggles to be his
best, which just might mean making more self-sacrifices than he'd like. Tom Skerritt's
mentor/father figure character (Viper) is the foil to Cruise's, a level-headed team player who's
become the best at what he does through the opposite approach of the Maverick character. The
story, at heart, deals with the relationship between these two individuals and the melding of
Maverick's uncanny ability to fly instinctively and on the edge with Viper's unparalleled textbook
approach, culminating with a touching scene where the two's respect for one another is
established. All other secondary characters are entertaining and perfectly cast in their own right,
including Val Kilmer and James Tolkan, a personal favorite.
Top Gun soars onto Blu-ray in a 1080p, 2.35:1 transfer that is of very good, but not
exceptional, quality. Detail, clarity, and color is obviously better than any home video
presentation I've seen yet. I never owned
Top Gun on DVD as I held onto a nice LaserDisc edition that sported a widescreen
transfer and a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack, but this image is vastly superior to that and shows
considerable detail and clarity that made much of the movie like seeing it for the first time. I
never noticed the beads of sweat on the pilot's faces at the beginning of the movie, for example,
and we can see the lines in the finely-pressed uniforms and read the instrument panels inside the
fighter jets. However, there is a lack of clarity and sharpness in these scenes as well. The entire
first sequence of the movie, both on board the aircraft carrier and in the air, is rather drab. The
image is a just a bit dark in both the cockpit and in Stinger's office afterwards. In fact, much of
the semi-dark, perhaps better considered hazy, nature of many shots in the movie obscures a bit
of
detail, but this Blu-ray does a fine job of rendering its image rather well nevertheless. Flesh
tones can appear pink or red on occasion. Softness is never much of an issue except in flat,
nearly mono-color backgrounds, but foreground detail is generally strong and lifelike. The disc
does do justice to the amazing aerial combat sequences, notably the first one where cameras are
placed on the fuselage or wings of the jets and the resulting imagery shows some amazing shots
that, frankly, don't sparkle, but manage to wow viewers nevertheless with their impressive
visuals. The print exhibits some minor black and white pops and speckles and dirt throughout.
Black levels are solid but unspectacular, though there aren't many scenes that call for deep, dark
blacks anyway. I did note some pixelation in one of the shots of the sky in an aerial sequence.
While Top Gun isn't as spiffy as I had hoped, the transfer is a generally impressive one
that is as a remarkable leap in quality from my old standby
LaserDisc edition.
Paramount sends Top Gun to Blu-ray with two lossless audio options: a Dolby TrueHD
5.1 track as well as a DTS-HD MA 6.1 mix. I screened the film with the DTS track to take
advantage of the added channel, and was immediately impressed with the results. Right from
the get-go, we hear the film's title sequence theme mixed with a marvelous heavy breeze that
blows across the flight deck as the sound of jet engines heating up play alongside. Then, as
radio and flight deck chatter crop up in the rear channels, we're instantly transported to the flight
deck of an aircraft carrier. All of a sudden, the jet's engines ignite; the $30 million machine
shoots off into the sky with the push of jet engine propulsion and the aid of a slingshot, and
Kenny Loggin's "Danger Zone" instantly ignites your speakers on-fire for a moment that had
me grinning into overdrive. When Maverick, Goose, Cougar, and Merlin engage the MiGs at the
beginning of the film, there is an awesome sense of wonder in the sonic department as the
fighters fly all around the listening area seamlessly. Bass rattles your chest form both the roar of
the jet engines and the pulsating music that accompanies the drama that unfolds after the
confrontation. Imaging is excellent and the sounds of jet fighters literally swarm your listening
area and flow from one speaker to the next in an effortless symphony of modern technological
delight. Surrounds are active for the entirety of the movie, demonstrating the track's superiority
from both the more mundane (including the "live" performance of "Lost That Lovin' Feeling,"
"Lead Me On" in
chapter four, and "Playing With the Boys" in the famous volleyball scene) and to the
extraordinary, where we experience the
feel
of having jet fighters encircle and pass through the media room, and the experience is
heightened when machine gun fire penetrates the skies and shoots across the sky in the movie
and our room at home in the final battle of the movie. While
Top Gun's lossless tracks lack the sparkle and definition of the modern action movie
soundtrack, the source material is exquisitely reproduced here and is the best you'll ever hear the
movie sound.
Top Gun engages Blu-ray with an exceptional supplemental package that doesn't look
like much on the surface but proves to be both in-depth and fascinating nevertheless.
Flying point for this great squadron of supplements is a packed commentary track with producer
Jerry Bruckheimer, director Tony Scott,
co-screenwriter Jack Epps, Jr., Captain Mike Galpin, technical advisor Pete Pettigrew, and Vice
Admiral Mike McCabe. Tony Scott starts things off and discusses how he was fired from the
project not once, not twice, but three times. Bruckheimer pops up next, obviously
disjointed and recorded separately from Scott. Nevertheless, he's entertaining and provides some
basic information on the background of the film and the origins of the story that is fascinating in
its own right. Jim Epps follows Bruckheimer, and delves right into the aerial imagery seen in the
movie, and as soon as we get interesting in what he is saying, Scott returns to the track. That's
the feel of the whole thing, interested yet disjointed. Galpin, Pettigrew, and McCabe do join the
proceedings as a trio and point out numerous technical inaccuracies, liberties taken by the film to
entertain, and other interesting tidbits that make for the most fascinating listen in the track.
Despite the haphazard style of the track, the information to glean here is first-rate and the track
is a recommended listen.
Danger Zone: The Making of 'Top Gun' (480p, 2:27:42) is an extraordinary six-part
documentary. The Making of 'Top Gun' From the Ground Up Pre-Production (480p,
29:59) is first, focusing, obviously, on the build-up to the beginning of the shoot, rehashing much
of the information heard early in the commentary track, but fleshed out in more detail here
(replete with plenty of behind-the-scenes visuals). Playing with the Boys Production: Land
and Sea (480p, 26:40) focuses on the the separate production stages of the film, including
the dramatic scenes on land and sea. Cast members recount the party atmosphere of the
set, the deliberate lack of camaraderie between Cruise and Kilmer off-camera, the volleyball
sequence, the
difficulty of performing a nighttime landing on an aircraft carrier, and more. The
Need For Speed Production: Air (480p, 28:26) looks at the film's fantastic aerial sequences,
including concerns for the safety of the pilots flying at a lower-than-normal altitudes, the cameras
used for the shoot, and the maneuvers the craft needed to make, among many other fascinating
tidbits. Back to Basics Visual Effects (480p, 17:09) is a more in-depth look at the
"documentary realism" the filmmakers were shooting for, the things the U.S. Navy would and
would not permit the filmmakers to do, the various models seen throughout, and more.
Combat Rock: The Music of Top Gun (480p, 21:31) is a piece as exciting as the
soundtrack itself, providing an in-depth background not only to the popular music heard
throughout the film, but examines the film's anthem and the contributions of composer Harold
Faltermeyer. Finally, Afterburn Release and Impact (480p, 23:55) examines the film's
initial poor test screenings that confused audiences, re-working dialogue for the combat scenes,
the reaction of real-life pilots to the film, and other fascinating nuggets of information.
Moving along, Multi-Angle Storyboards showcases two sequences from the film: Flat
Spin (480p, 4:02) and Jester's Dead (480p, 2:53). Viewers can watch the sequence
from the film above the original storyboard, or press the "angle" button on their remotes to see
the storyboard full-screen. Optional commentary by director Tony Scott is available on both
segments. Best of the Best: Inside the Real Top Gun (480p, 28:46) is a high-quality
documentary on the inner-workings and history of the real-life facility that trains America's finest
aviators. Finally, a "vintage gallery" offers a nice assortment of minor extras. The set begins
with four music videos: Danger Zone (480p, 3:56), the Oscar-winning Take My
Breath Away (480p, 4:30), Heaven In Your Eyes (480p, 4:05), and the Top Gun
Anthem (480p, 4:25) with Harold Faltermeyer and Steve Stevens. Seven vintage television
spots (480p, 3:46 total runtime) are next. Behind-the-Scenes Featurette (480p, 5:30),
is more vintage material, this time showcasing clips from the film mixed in with an interview with
Simpson
and Bruckheimer. Survival Training Featurette (480p, 7:30) focuses on the training the
actors underwent to keep them safe should they have to eject from their plane. Last but not
least, an interview with star Tom Cruise (480p, 6:42) concludes this all-encompassing set of
supplements.
Reviewing a film like Top Gun isn't easy. Most everyone, particularly most people like you
and me who read movie and Blu-ray websites regularly, has seen the film and formed an
opinion on it, and as a 20+ year-old movie, there isn't much to say that hasn't already been said.
Nonetheless, the film is a personal favorite of mine, and while I hadn't seen it in some time,
screening the Blu-ray edition that Paramount delivered this morning was like seeing and hearing
the film again for the first time. While the video quality is not on par with the cleanest, most
polished high definition transfers on the market, the source material looks very good in 1080p, and
I regret not being able to view it on a larger screen as the movie practically cries out for large
screens. With two lossless audio options, a nice treat for those Blu-ray fans still without the ability
to decode DTS-HD MA, the movie sounds fantastic. It's an awesome experience and blows out of
the water the various stereo and other lossy versions I've heard so many times over the years on
VHS and LaserDisc. Perhaps the crowning jewel of this package is the supplements. I was
impressed to say the least, and anything and everything you ever wanted to know about Top
Gun is included. I'm thrilled to have this movie on Blu-ray, and it comes highly recommended!
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