Critic Reviews

Top Secret! (1984) Rank 5 Reviews

Expert Review Summary

Movie critics combined give Top Secret! (1984) a score of 2.9930 out of 4

based on (20) reviews

Click on the numbers to the right of the graph to see reviews of that rating

Excellent

(3)

Very Good

(14)

Good

(3)

Fair

(0)

Poor

(0)

Reviews by Score:

eFilmCritic.com (--)

The preposterous, threadbare plot hardly matters, but here it is: Nazi bastards are staging a cultural festival so that the world will be focusing on that rather than a secret attack on a submarine fleet using a new secret weapon designed by a captured sc ...read the complete Top Secret! movie review at eFilmCritic.com (--)

filmcritic.com (Christopher Null)

I don't care what the Zucker-Abrahams-Zuckers say, Top Secret! is the best parody/farce ever made. On the new DVD's commentary track -- the trio behind Airplane!, Hot Shots, and a few other classic (and less classic) parodies -- the ZAZ crew are candid ...read the complete Top Secret! movie review at filmcritic.com (Christopher Null)

Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)

I have a friend who claims he only laughed real loud on five occasions during TOP SECRET! I laughed that much in the first ten minutes. It all depends on your sense of humor. My friend ...read the complete Top Secret! movie review at Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)

filmcritic.com spreads the Secret!

I don't care what the Zucker-Abrahams-Zuckers say, Top Secret! is the best parody/farce ever made. On the new DVD's commentary track -- the trio behind Airplane!, Hot Shots, and a few other classic (and less classic) parodies -- the ZAZ crew are ...read the complete Top Secret! movie review at filmcritic.com spreads the Secret!

David Wilcock

Thankfully, the film is short, and it's over before you even know what has happened. As soon as one gag comes, another one pops along, so there's never any dull bits. The film does peter out towards the end, but you've laughed so much before hand you ...read the complete Top Secret! movie review at David Wilcock

Qwipster's Movie Reviews (Vince Leo)

Top Secret! is another laugh-a-minute screwball comedy from the comic minds of Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker, the trio that brought you Airplane! This time out, they skewer a variety of targets, predominantly war films (World War II, generally), musicals, and po ...read the complete Top Secret! movie review at Qwipster's Movie Reviews (Vince Leo)

DVD Authority.com (Matt Brighton)

Val Kilmer plays Nick Rivers, a popular rock n' roll star in America who has a style very similar of "The Beach Boys". His songs, "Skeet City" and "Skeetin' U.S.A." are on top of the charts. ...read the complete Top Secret! movie review at DVD Authority.com (Matt Brighton)

Perihelion Journal (Jay Antani)

The story has almost no momentum and runs out of gas, ending abruptly, but how can you knock a movie with so many gut-busting jokes? ...read the complete Top Secret! movie review at Perihelion Journal (Jay Antani)

Rotten Tomatoes - Reviews from the Nation's Top Critics

Serves up a veritable smorgasbord of comic bits. ...read the complete Top Secret! movie review at Rotten Tomatoes - Reviews from the Nation's Top Critics

DVD Verdict (Harold Gervais)

On the sound end, Paramount has taken the original mono soundtrack and mixed it to achieve a new 5.1 Dolby Surround track. Thankfully, the sound comes off better than the video. ...read the complete Top Secret! movie review at DVD Verdict (Harold Gervais)

Movie House Commentary

During part of their ramblings they basically dismiss the movie. ...read the complete Top Secret! movie review at Movie House Commentary

The Digital Bits

I've taken quite a bit of guff from certain readers for my less than flattering reviews of such comedic faux pas as Dude, Where's My Car and 2000's remake of Bedazzled. ...read the complete Top Secret! movie review at The Digital Bits

Reel.com

"The problem with Top Secret! was that the story wasn't strong enough, even though the jokes were probably funnier than Airplane! or Ruthless People, and many of the scenes were far more clever," Zucker told me. ...read the complete Top Secret! movie review at Reel.com

Reel.com DVD review (James Plath)

digitallyOBSESSED.com (Brian Calhoun)

Nick Rivers: I'm not the first guy who fell in love with a girl he met in a restaurant who then turned out to be the daughter of a kidnapped scientist only to lose her to a childhood lover who she'd last seen on a deserted island and who turned out fiftee ...read the complete Top Secret! movie review at digitallyOBSESSED.com (Brian Calhoun)

Teen Movie Critic (Roger Davidson)

Do you really want to know the plot of this one?! Alright, for arguments sake, I'll tell it. This great spoof of both spy films and Elvis Presley musicals is hysterical. ...read the complete Top Secret! movie review at Teen Movie Critic (Roger Davidson)

Spirituality & Health (Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat)

Billed as another laugh riot from the same folks (Jim Abrahams, David Zucker and Jerry Zucker) who brought us Airplane!, this comedy gets high marks for the variety of tacts it uses to tickle our funny bones. ...read the complete Top Secret! movie review at Spirituality & Health (Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat)

At-A-Glance Film Reviews (--)

Between the better known comedies Airplane! and The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!, David Zucker, Jerry Zucker, and Jim Abrahams made Top Secret!, a send-up of Elvis Presley and espionage pictures all at once. ...read the complete Top Secret! movie review at At-A-Glance Film Reviews (--)

DVD Talk (Adam Tyner)

My less than enthusiastic opinion of Top Secret! isn't widely held. For those who haven't seen the movie, I'd recommend giving it a rental or keeping an eye out for one of its many appearances on basic cable before plunking down twenty bucks. The ...read the complete Top Secret! movie review at DVD Talk (Adam Tyner)

Alex in Wonderland (--)

A hilarious comedy in the same vein as "Airplane!" (1980). Slick and sassy Val Kilmer is a popular Elvis-like rock 'n' roll star named Nick Rivers who visits Germany while on tour. There, he gets caught up with some underground renegades and uncovers a ...read the complete Top Secret! movie review at Alex in Wonderland (--)