Review of Top Gun: Special Edition

Introduction

I feel the need, the need for speed.

At the start of the Vietnam War, the US Navy noted that whilst the US was dominating the air war, the number of kills to lost aircraft was 3:1. This was an unacceptable ratio, and they set out to investigate why this was so. Their research showed that their pilots were too dependent on technology, trained to fire missles from distance but not trained to fight in close. This meant that their dogfighting skills were not as good as they had been traditionally and allowed their foe to even things up a little. To combat this trend, in 1969 the US Navy opened the Naval Fighters Weapons School, also known as both Fightertown and Top Gun. One pilot from each carrier squadron was invited to be taught the fine art of dogfighting in supersonic jets and would then be expected to go back and train his fellow pilots. This system worked well and the US Navy found that the original 3:1 ratio rose dramatically to 8:1.

Pete `Maverick` Mitchell (Tom Cruise) is a young, arrogant hot shot pilot who, along with his RIO `Goose` (Anthony Edwards), gets the chance to go to Top Gun after an unfortunate case of severe sweating and shaking causes the initial choice to hand in his wings and go for a shower. Soon the two are part of an elite group of men with nicknames, all vying for the Top Gun trophy which will give them bragging rights forever more. Chief competition for `Maverick` is `Iceman` (Val Kilmer), a cool customer with a bad haircut. `Iceman` believes `Maverick` is dangerous and has a bad attitude in the air, something that `Maverick` sets out to prove beyond any reasonable doubt.

Along the way, `Maverick` unsuccessfully tries to pick up a `broad` in a bar by serenading her with an old Righteous Brothers song before discovering less than 24 hours later that she is a civilian Evaluator at Top Gun called `Charlie` (Kelly McGillis). `Maverick` decides to get his own back by correcting some incorrect data on enemy aircraft by relating the story of how he gave the bird to an enemy pilot with `Goose` taking a Polaroid of this impressive feat of diplomatic relations whilst inverted at the start of the movie. This leads to `Charlie` suddenly developing an interest in the young pilot, but purely professional, of course.

Then comes the inevitable coupling in blue light, a tragic accident, a crisis of conscience, a moment of truth about a past incident, a party by a swimming pool, a very swift transfer to a combat area, another crisis of conscience, big dogfight, redemption, lots of hugs and kisses all-round, and a meeting at a jukebox playing a familiar song (but in-tune this time…).

Wow, got all that?

Video

The visuals are just fantastic. No models or sound studio stuff here. These are real aircraft performing complex manoeuvres in the skies. Obviously some of the combat shots are a bit unrealistic (a short range gun-burst onto a pursued aircraft would clearly lead to Foreign Object Damage that would take out the pursuing aircraft), but they are nothing short of spectacular. The accident involving Maverick and Goose also looks tragically real (and is actually based on a real accident), and sadly was. Aerial photographer Art Scholl died whilst filming plates for that sequence, proving that these people really do push it to the limit.

The Navy co-operated fully with the making of this film and effectively only charged the producers for the fuel used and provided access to two carriers as well as the Fightertown Top Gun school. This meant that the crew had the ability to capture a real sense of what was happening by just filming events that were happening around them. The opening montage on the carrier is a compelling example of this, it just looks fantastic and you couldn`t really script the behaviour of the ground crew, it would just look too stilted rather than just totally natural and brash as caught here.

Audio

Superb DTS soundtrack that not only boosts the most successful film soundtrack in history, but also makes you really believe you are in the middle of the action. Close your eyes, there really are F-14`s flying through your living room…

Harold Faltermeyer brings his electronic knowledge gained under synth-meister Giorgio Moroder and scores this movie perfectly. Moroder himself is involved with a number of the tracks that appear on the soundtrack with a mix of songwriting, production and even performing. If you don`t like the track `Danger Zone` by Kenny Loggins though, you`d best stay away as it appears an awful lot and is the real theme to this movie rather than the excellent instrumental provided by Faltermeyer and big-haired rocker Stevie Stevens (who was better known for backing Billy Idol in his prime).

Features

Commentary by Jerry Bruckheimer (Producer), Tony Scott (Director), Jack Epps Jr. (Co-Screenwriter), Pete Pettigrew (Technical Advisor, ex-Top Gun Instructor), Capt. Mike Galpin, Vice Admiral Mike McCabe - interesting in places commentary that is essentially a patching together of different recordings. The only guys who were in one place at the same time were the Naval aviators who just have a lot of fun and score off each other. They provide the meat and also the best parts of the commentary overall, letting us know how the bits you think are just sooo unrealistic (like the whooping/cheering scene on the carrier at the climax) are pretty realistic actually, whilst those that look realistic (dogfight with the chasing planes a couple of feet behind their prey, formal events in whites) are hopelessly inaccurate.

Vintage Gallery - Music videos from Kenny Loggins (Danger Zone, what else?), Berlin (the Oscar winning Take My Breath Away), Loverboy (In Your Eyes) and Harold Faltermeyer and Stevie Stevens (Theme From Top Gun). Personally more releases, particularly re-releases, should include this type of thing. The Vintage Gallery also includes a series of short TV Spots (or trailers to you and me…) that are themed and over before you know it.

Danger Zone: The Making Of Top Gun - 2½ hour retrospective documentary spilt into chapters with the option to play separately or Play All. Chapters included are:
From The Ground Up (Pre-Production)
Playing With The Boys (Production: Land And Sea)
The Need For Speed (Production: Air)
Back To Basics (Visual Effects)
Combat Rock (The Music Of Top Gun)
Afterburn (Release And Impact)

Multi-Angle Storyboards (Flat Spin and Jester`s Dead) - chance to look at Tony Scott`s storyboards for these two sequences either by themselves or alongside the finished shots for comparison. Comes with an optional commentary from the director and gives viewers the rare chance to use the Angle button.

Behind The Scenes - original 5½ minute featurette

Survival Training - original 7½ minute featurette focussing on the flying and survival training that the actors did.

Tom Cruise Interviews - 6½ minutes of archive interview with the principal actor

Photo Gallery - plenty of shots, both publicity and behind the scenes, from various aspects of the production.

Conclusion

Requesting permission for flyby. That`s a negative Ghost Rider, the pattern is full.

Certain films can define decades, and Top Gun did and continues to do that with the 80`s. Top Gun was panned upon its release but has made a cultural impact that is not dissimilar to that made by Star Wars, bar the bad dress sense and endless merchandising. It also took the raw acting material that comprised Tom Cruise and made him the mega-star he is today.

You`re gonna do WHAT?

The ensemble cast here is pretty impressive, from Cruise, Edwards, Kilmer and Rossovich as the competing crews right through to the likes of Michael Ironside, Tom Skerrit, Barry Tubbs, Whip Hubley and Meg Ryan. There`s even a look in for Tim Robbins who has one of the best lines in the film, and delivers it in the perfect high-pitched tone of complete disbelief. The tragedy central to the film and the resulting redemption for our hero is sensitively handled and works well, ensuring that you`re rooting for a character that you initially have little sympathy for.

I`ll have what he`s having. Hemlock is it?

The downside though is that whole sections of dialogue are completely naff, leading me to think that someone picked up an old George Lucas script and just reworked it. The tacked on romance between McGillis and Cruise effectively ruins her part in the film. There is little chemistry between them and `Maverick` is such an immature and arrogant character that you wonder why anyone would want to get horizontal with him. He has a winning smile and does the archetypal hero`s journey thing, but his character flaws eclipse everything he does.

Any of you boys seen an aircraft-carrier around here?

Despite these flaws, Top Gun has made a lasting impression on me and is a film that I was longing to have a Special Edition release. The flying sequences are spectacular and unlike anything committed to screen since, despite the many imitators that followed (Iron Eagle, anyone? Thought not…). With so much footage of aircraft whizzing around, backed by a just as spectacular DTS soundtrack that puts you at the heart of the action, this film couldn`t really fail. Lots of kids harbour ambitions to fly, and this film allowed them to really imagine what it might be like. Fighter jocks are the rock `n roll stars of the air and it helps that they are backed by what has become the most successful movie soundtrack ever, with the likes of Kenny Loggins, Berlin and Harold Faltermeyer (of Axel F fame). You may laugh at the mention of Kenny Loggins, but you know what you`re in for when the first bars of Danger Zone kick in (again and again and again…).

Crashed and burned! Huh, Mav?

Not a chance. Anyone who ever longed to skip across clouds at supersonic speed should own this film, and it just got a whole lot better. Just take your brain out and enjoy the ride...