TOP SECRET! (1984) **1/2 Relentless charade of low grade gags. But pretty high quality, for low grade. The Airplane! production squad take on spy situations…which they understand to be well depicted by a Nazi/Communist dictatorship battling against the French Resistance in Berlin , and against rock 'n' roll. Well, that part's pretty insightful, actually, and if you're writing a term paper on how it really happened I'll give you a clue: rock 'n' roll won. Kind of, again, for the battle seems to have drained it somewhat. No matter, if none of that does much for you, but you've always wanted to see Omar Sharif desperately trying to appear undignified (to his credit, he fails) this is the film for you. And in a world full of Elvis impersonators, to one degree or another, I've never seen anyone reflect (imitate is too pale a word) the King's moves like Val Kilmer. He has the schtick down flat. In fact, this is a pretty good set-up for Val. He alternately gets to appear blasé, preoccupied with himself, determined, heroic…but none of it,ever, seriously. He manages not to do it seriously well.
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