Few movies symbolize the Reagan Era as much as 1986's Top Gun, an action-packed soap opera starring Tom Cruise as a hotshot pilot in the Navy's "Top Gun" program, which detractors have always lambasted as an exercise in nationalistic macho arrogance. Regardless, the film ranks alongside the most prominent cultural artifacts of the '80s, and --for the people who worked on it--remains, as director Tony Scott calls it, a popcorn movie with a rock-n-roll sensibility. In both his commentary and his appearance in the behind-the-scenes documentary “Danger Zone: The Making of Top Gun” on this double-disc collector's set, Scott confesses that his original vision was considerably darker--“Apocalypse Now on an aircraft carrier”--and it took three sit-downs with producers Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer for him to grasp what they wanted. (Scott also asserts, rather cavalierly, that “the real reason” Kelly McGillis was cast opposite Tom Cruise was that he had just seen her take her top off in Witness.) “Danger Zone” producer Charles de Lauzirika splits the behind-the-scenes stuff into six featurettes running 20 to 30 minutes each and relying heavily on newly-shot interviews with Scott, Bruckheimer, screenwriter Jack Epps, various crew members, Cruise, and fellow cast members Val Kilmer, Rick Rossovich, Barry Tubb, and Michael Ironside. The actors recall that a role in Top Gun was the film assignment most coveted by Hollywood twentysomethings, and their memories of it are almost uniformly glowing. Interestingly, Scott's first cut was a huge disappointment and Simpson wanted the director fired, resulting in the film being completely reedited from first frame to last in an attempt to keep the spectacular aerial footage from completely swallowing the storyline (which was none too strong to begin with). The behind-the-scenes machinations involved in making Top Gun presentable are described in some detail by Bruckheimer, Scott, and the film's editors, and this material is fascinating. Unfortunately, as is so often the case these days, most of it is regurgitated--in some instances word for word--in the commentary, which features producer, director, screenwriter, and three military advisers to the production. Other extras include storyboard displays and photo galleries. Overall, Paramount has done a very solid job here, and the $20 price tag on this extras-laden presentation boasting a beautiful anamorphic widescreen digital transfer makes this a real bargain. Recommended. (E. Hulse)[Blu-ray Review—Aug. 5, 2008—Paramount, 109 min., PG, $29.99—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 1986's Top Gun (Special Collector's Edition) sports a great transfer with a 5.1 Dolby TrueHD soundtrack. Extras also found on earlier editions include audio commentary (by producer Jerry Bruckheimer, director Tony Scott, co-writer Jack Epps, Jr., and naval experts), the 148-minute six-part documentary “Danger Zone: The Making of Top Gun,” a vintage survival training featurette (8 min.), seven minutes of vintage interviews with star Tom Cruise, two multi-angle storyboards with optional commentary by Scott (7 min.), a six-minute vintage behind-the-scenes featurette, the vintage music videos “Danger Zone” by Kenny Loggins, “Take My Breath Away” by Berlin, “Heaven In Your Eyes” by Loverboy, and “Top Gun Anthem” by Harold Faltermeyer and Steve Stevens, and TV spots. Exclusive to the Blu-ray edition is the half-hour “Best of the Best: Inside the Real Top Gun” documentary on the real-life government training program. Bottom line: this ‘80s “classic” looks sharp and flies right on Blu-ray.]
Top Gun: Special Collector's Edition
Paramount, 2 discs, 110 min., PG, DVD: $19.99 January 24, 2005
Top Gun: Special Collector's Edition
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