Wow, what a retread!

Rating: 6/10 (24 January 2006)

I finally saw this movie last night after being aware of it for 16 years. I had been reading up on producer Don Simpson, and realized that not only is this movie another Simpson-Bruckheimer production with Tom Cruise starring and Tony Scott directing, but it actually has a screenplay by Robert Towne! Wow, they must have really wanted to throw Towne a bone, because I soon realized this picture is literally Top Gun on wheels. Every major plot point is the same, from the Cruise character's buddy being taken out of the action by an accident(Michael Rooker now instead of Anthony Edwards), to Cruise falling for a smart, professional, tough, much taller beauty(Nicole Kidman this time instead of Kelly McGillis), to Cruise having to overcome a confidence problem and get back in the saddle(helped along by Robert Duvall here instead of Tom Skerrit), to even trotting out another tall, blond, crew-cut nemesis for him to defeat(Cary Elwes this time instead of Val Kilmer). I guess it made sense for Simpson-Bruckheimer to not toy with a successful formula, but come on guys, talk about deja vu! With the current mania for NASCAR, it seems like this movie was just a little premature.