Available Feb. 19th from Paramount Home Video!

There is new reason to celebrate in the 3D world!  Top Gun has finally been post converted to bring us the 3D experience we have all been waiting for!  Is this a slick bit of overhyping?  Has this reviewer spun out of control in a flat spin out to sea?  It is possible.  I must admit that I am already a huge fan of Top Gun.  I grew up watching the romantic fighter jet opera on a loop as a kid, and when I wasn’t wearing out the formatted VHS tape, I was likely to be found blasting the soundtrack on my Sony Walkman.  I have a love for Top Gun unlike most people.  And oddly enough, I remember protesting when my parents took me to see it.  Little did I know that it would be a transformative experience that would place me on a forever mission to drive a motorcycle past airports with my fist raised and find a mature lady to kiss me with incessant amounts of tongue, while Berlin’s “Take My Breath Away” rocked the speakers.  I began to watch the film so much, I knew every piece of dialogue from the film! I could quote it so well, I became an annoyance to anyone who would dare watch the film with me.  This problem amongst close friends earned me the call sign GOOSE.  It was Maverick at first, but I denied this nickname immediately defending that only Tom Cruise could ever carry the heroic name, so quickly Goose became my handle.  I only bring this information to your attention so that you know you are dealing with a true lover of the film, Top Gun!

The story of young Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, the smart but reckless Navy pilot who wants nothing more than to be the best at everything to honor his deceased father is on every night, somewhere in the world…so clearly people seem to enjoy repeat viewings of this 80’s classic that truly put Tom Cruise on the map.  The 3D treatment seemed inevitable for this one.

Tom Cruise & Kelly McGillis are ready for their 3D glasses

It is worth mentioning that Top Gun will be released in 3D on select screens in IMAX for one week only starting February 8^th before it’s initial blu ray release on February 19^th.

I cannot comment on the IMAX presentation, but the nice folks at Paramount did send us an advance copy of the 3D Blu-ray and I am happy to tell you it is fantastic!  I am not an absolute hater of post conversion 3D when it is given proper attention and detail.  You will notice an immediate change with the intro to Top Gun as the 1986 Paramount logo has been deleted in place of the more current “stars flying at your face before surrounding the mountain” logo that kicks into gear with the all too familiar Harold Faltermeyer score blasting it’s synth beats.

If sound is your reason to watch Top Gun, you should know it seems to be the same 6.1 mix as the previous Blu-ray release.  This release is strictly for lovers of 3D.

The first frames of Top Gun come into view and it is almost like director Tony Scott had imagined the film to be a 3D release to begin with.  The fighter jets, the smoke exhaust, the missiles and spinning radars…they all seem like they were shot with a 3D lens.  The picture boasts a nice film-like layer of grain, and Jeffrey Kimball’s astonishing photography loses nothing in this transfer. The stark contrasts, perfect reds and blues are all there, they just happen to be in 3D this time around.  Shots of the F-14 Tomcats in flight are the most enhanced here…cameras mounted to jets during the flying sequences seem especially fitted for the format as we spin and bobble in every direction with in depth stereoscopic that make the audience feel like they are immersed more into the intense action.

THIS is going to fly right off your screen!

If it is seeing shirtless Navy Pilots in locker rooms or playing volleyball we have that too in all its extra dimensional glory.  For me these were the moments when I started to question the 3D…Maverick in his tightey whiteys shaving just seems unnecessary in this format.  But yet, Top Gun can be fun when you can laugh at all of its homoeroticism in this extra layering.  Does anyone else think it’s weird that Val and Tom always have to talk to each other mere inches away from each other?  It seems even closer now!

I still think it’s great to watch this with others to hear them exclaim, “Is that Tim Robbins?”  Or…”Is that the doctor from ER with hair???”  You can say what you will about Top Gun, it may not be a perfect film and showcases a pretty straight-forward storyline, but it delivers where it counts with action, romance, and fun!  And I think the film still holds up pretty well.

And you thought they talked way too close in 2D?!

The synthesized score seems to be an inspiration to many soundtracks heard today.  And this is a film that denies the use of any kind of CGI effects.  The plane sequences are real.  I fear the thought of this film being made today wherein almost every flying sequence would be derailed in believability by some out of place computer effects.

This film is an accomplishment despite its shortcomings and the cooperation of the US Navy is evident from start to finish.

I did not notice any ghosting or decrease in quality on this Blu-ray.  All I can say is that if you love Top Gun and you have the ability to enjoy it in your home in 3D, then this is a must have for your collection.  Not only will you be able to truly showcase your surround sound, but you can also impress your friends with a worthy 3D transfer that is fun to watch and easy to enjoy.  Again, maybe I am biased because I came into this already loving Top Gun.  But if I am to attempt and see things from afar I can still confidently tell you that the 3D is great and this only invents a new way for us to enjoy one of the best guilty pleasures of all time!

Your speakers and 3D glasses are calling and they are saying to each other…”I feel the need…the NEED FOR SPEED!”

Technical Specs

• Blu-ray 3D/Blu-ray/Digital Copy

Video Resolution/Codec

• 1080p/TBA

Aspect Ratio(s)

• 2.39:1

Audio Formats

• English DTS-HD Master Audio 6.1
• English Dolby TrueHD 5.1
• French Dolby Digital 5.1
• Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1

Subtitles/Captions

• English, English SDH, French, Spanish, Portuguese

Supplements

• Commentary by producer Jerry Bruckheimer, director Tony Scott, co-screenwriter Jack Epps, Jr. and naval experts
• Danger Zone: The Making of Top Gun (six-part documentary)
• Multi-Angle Storyboards with optional commentary by Tony Scott
• Best of the Best: Inside the Real Top Gun
• Music Videos
• TV Spots
• Survival Training Featurette
• Tom Cruise Interviews