Val Kilmer had quite a debut in theatrical films as he played the lead in Top Secret! by Jim Abrahams, and the Zucker brothers (David and Jerry). The highly entertaining spoof on musicals, action, spy/political thrillers, and romance brings as many filming styles as the genres it blends.
Before following Kilmer’s character Nick Rivers, a rock star, we get to see Agent Cedric (Omar Sharif) hiding from the authorities in East Germany while carrying some secret. With Nick arriving in the country to perform at a festival, the political conflict between the government and a resistance group defying government tyranny is unfolded one twist at a time. Nick’s newly found love interest Hillary (Lucy Gutteridge), part of the resistance, takes him to the rebels where he must take their side to reunite Hillary with her father Dr. Paul Flammond (Michael Gough) while also figuring out the government’s mole inside the group.
Top Secret! makes great comedy by exaggerating and trivializing the familiar themes and scenes of stories in various popular genres. These range from romance between the protagonists to run and hide sequences in spy thriller and the dance moves in rock music concerts. Throw in some gun fight – with one special underwater bar fight scene mocking westerns – and going Daisy moments, and you get the entertainment package filled up with a mix of titters and guffaws.
Now the “going Daisy” thing does deserve an explanation. Toward the climax of the story, a couple of the resistance members have to hide inside a Trojan cow to infiltrate the fortress where Dr. Flammond is imprisoned. Daisy is the bovine star who played the Trojan cow and is featured in her boots on the movie poster. The misadventures of going Daisy are left to the viewer’s curiosity.
With a PG rating for some adult themes (not nudity or language), Top Secret! presents spoof theatre at its best. Whether you watch it in Val Kilmer’s honor or for studying the art of satirical filmmaking, missing out on this one simply isn’t allowed.
