Accurately described by film journalists at the time as Top Car, never was a cleaner carbon copy of a film ever made.

Particularly shameful is that every major player in the process - from star Tom Cruise to writer Robert Towne to producers Simpson and Bruckheimer to director Scott - had been involved in the seminal Navy flight school movie of a few years before.

No cliché from Top Gun is spared. The cocky young maverick, Trickle (Cruise). The skilled, mean nemesis (Rooker and later Elwes). The experienced father figure to which the lost hero must turn (Duvall). The civilian love interest who'd never be that attractive in real life (Kidman).

Coupled with a plot that lurches ungracefully from one hammered-together scene after another as well as the kind of off the cuff swearing Simpson/Bruckheimer made liberal use of ("Son of a bitch is on my ass!"), a very poor cousin to Top Gun and the film that made audiences realise they were being conned with the same high concept pitch time and again.

The only thing that does stand out is Randy Quaid, one of the best actors of modern times in that he plays a physically different character every time he appears on the screen.

Watch Top Gun instead, imagine racing cars instead of warplanes, and save yourself the $3 rental.