With the recent releases of JACK REACHER on disc, Paramount also sent me a new Blu Ray of TOP GUN and all of this recent Tom Cruise action is getting me excited for the long delayed and much anticipated MAVERICK sequel coming in late May.
TOP GUN is one of the most famous movies of the 1980s and has still stood the test of time, warts and all. The movie chronicles the adventures of Maverick/Pete Mitchell (Cruise) who enters the Top Gun academy to become one of the best fighter pilots in the world. With his flight partner Goose (Anthony Edwards) in tow and catching the eye of a flight instructor (Kelly McGillis), there are all sorts of dramatic confrontations both on the ground and in the sky. And of course there’s also Iceman (Val Kilmer) who becomes somewhat of a foe to Maverick in the fight for who the best is.
It is VERY much a product of the decade but I absolutely can’t resist it. I first saw the picture on a family trip in California on a double bill with CROCODILE DUNDEE in March of 1987, back in the day when double bills were more popular AND hit movies would play in cinemas for over a year.
I put this movie on when I need a pick me up and need my fix of revolutionary flight photography, corny love scenes and a hit rock and roll soundtrack. Tony Scott knew where all the checkboxes were in making this movie and he checks them all off.
About the Blu Ray:
Paramount is yet again re-releasing TOP GUN on Blu Ray to add to the many times TOP GUN has had a home video version. And it has been EVERYWHERE. As a kid of the 80s I had many many versions of this movie, from VHS to laserdisc to DVD and even the Blu Ray. I also purchased the 4k disc in late 2020 and was blown away by the 4k restoration, feeling like I was back in the theatre watching it on the big screen again.
If you are just rocking a Blu Ray player at this point and want a great release of TOP GUN, get this one. This transfer is the HD version of the 4k restoration disc and boy does it look and sound great. TOP GUN was shot in 35mm in the Super 35 format, which was pretty popular for quite a few Paramount releases at the time. Tony Scott wanted to shoot in anamorphic, but the lenses were too heavy to mount onto the fighter jets, so lighter spherical lenses were used throughout. For years the widescreen version was “opened up” to more of a 2:1 aspect ratio, but all home video versions now are in its original 2.39 aspect ratio, the way it should be.
TOP GUN still has one of the all time great sound mixes and it won an Oscar in 1987 for sound, and for good reason. This loud, aggressive, multi-surround mix is now in Dolby Atmos, so it will match. I own a pair of AirPods Max and highly recommend seeing the movie this way if you don’t want to play it loud and wake up the neighbours.
On the special features front, this disc is the same as the previous release and the star of the show is a six part documentary called DANGER ZONE which runs at nearly 2.5 hours in six parts. There are some additional production featurettes and marketing material, as well as the inclusion of one of my favourite commentary tracks as it features several filmmaker and Naval participants including director Tony Scott, producer Jerry Bruckheimer, screenwriter Jack Epps Jr and technical advisors Captain Mike Galpin, Pete Pettigrew and Vice Admiral Mike McCabe.
Also included here in this new release is a folded insert of the original theatrical poster. My only wish is that Paramount should have went the full on Steelbook route with a 4k release and the Blu Ray with the included inserts to tie it in with MAVERICK, but that may also be coming down the line this year with the sequel’s eventual home video release. There is also a digital copy here which is Apple TV and gives you a full on 4k/Dolby Vision/HDR experience, so that’s also a bonus if you have an Apple TV 4K box! Overall a great Blu Ray re-release and worth owning if you just have this format.
The new edition of TOP GUN is now available on Blu Ray from Paramount. We’ll have a full review of TOP GUN: MAVERICK coming to the site on May 26th! Many thanks to Paramount PR for sending along a copy for review.