doc@ism70.UUCP (06/17/84)
#N:ism70:13100016:000:1745 ism70!doc Jun 8 10:52:00 1984 Abridged Review from Lotusland: >From _D_a_i_l_y_ _V_a_r_i_e_t_y, Friday June 8, 1984 TOP SECRET Starring Val Kilmer, Lucy Gutteridge, Christopher Villiers, Omar Sharif and Peter Cushing. Directed by Jim Abrahams, Jerry Zucker and David Zucker. Screenplay by Jim Abrahams, Jerry Zucker, David Zucker and Martyn Burke. Produced by Jon Davison and Hunt Lowry. Photographed by Chris Challis. Art Direction by John Fenner and Michael Lamont. Edited by Bernard Gribble. Music by Maurice Jarre. >From Paramount Pictures. 90 minutes. (1984) After the ascendant success of _A_i_r_p_l_a_n_e, writer-directors Jim Abrahams, Jerry Zucker and David Zucker have returned with one more venture into inspired silliness with _T_o_p_ _S_e_c_r_e_t, another bumptuous tribute to all that was odd in old movies. Trio's followers will probably by happy and satisfied with this effort, yet short of overjoyed. The attempted target this time is a combination of the traditional spy film and Elvis Presley musical romps, which in and of itself is funny to start with. And Val Kilmer proves a perfect blend of staunch hero and hothouse heartthrob. But in a deliberate attempt to do something different,the directors have discarded the idea of using a cast of matinee idols closely associated with the parodied films (where's Aldo Ray??). Given the nature of comedy, it's hard to explain why the very presence of those familiar faces worked so well in _A_i_r_p_l_a_n_e and it's equally hard to say why _T_o_p_ _S_e_c_r_e_t should miss them so. But it is noticeable. As one character says, "It all seems like some bad movie," which is, of course, just exactly what it's supposed to be. And all the better for it.