Rock and roll singer, Nick Rivers (Val Kilmer) accepts an invitation to travel to Germany and perform live in concert. While visiting Germany he soon falls for a beautiful girl, and Nick finds himself involved with the resistance who are attempting to rescue a scientist being held captive in a German prison. Well, this all sounds like a dramatic war film right? Wrong!
For those who are not aware, Top Secret (1984) is 100% a comedy spoof movie! The film is loaded with witty jokes, slapstick humour and lots of random comedic moments.
I remember when I was a teenager, and I discovered films like The Naked Gun (Aka Police Squad) & Flying High. At the time, I thought they were the most remarkable films that ever lived, and the actor Leslie Nelson was my hero. Later I found out that some of the same directors for Police Squad (Jim Abrahams, David Zucker & Jerry Zucker) also made Top Secret which I never saw until it showed on Television. Naturally, I recorded it on VHS and replayed it consistently. To this day, I have fond memories of this film from when I was a teenager.
Thanks to the Australian Distributor, Via Vision Entertainment, Top Secret (1984) recently received a Bluray treatment, and naturally, I had to own it and review it. Rewatching this film on Blu-ray felt new and fresh. Thanks to the quality of the transfer I even found humourous details that I never noticed before. There are just so many elements in this film which are excellent.
Firstly who would have ever thought they would see the actor Val Kilmer in a comedy movie? And you know what? He gives a fun performance and brings plenty of well-delivered lines on screen. I’m surprised, given the actor’s resume, how funny he is on screen.
The humour is also a blast. The dialogue is full of witty and comic puns. The film’s set designs and effects assures me the creators aimed high to get laughs, and I must say their hard work pays off. Other random jokes, like watching characters treat motorbikes like horses, are just one of the random gags that, for some reason, make me laugh every time I see it. Top Secret also has some sexual references- not surprising to see given the year it was made- and I understand the attempted humour. Still, by today’s standards, it may not always land a laugh from audiences.
Overall, if you need a laugh, Top Secret is a promising film to put a smile on your face. This comedy spoof is a treasure to me as it’s filled with one-liners and random jokes which feel fresh with each view. Actor Val Kilmer is also entertaining in his comic role which is surprising given the actor’s film career. The Blu-ray release from Via Vision Entertainment is outstanding and pays honour to this must-see comedy classic.
8.1/10
Top Secret (1984) is Now Available on Blu-ray!
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