It took merely four years for Top Gun titanic tandem of Tom Cruise and Tony Scott to reunite for Days of Thunder. That flick has gotten a 4K HDR upgrade for its 30th birthday, and it is worth every cent on a multitude of levels.
Cruise and Scott made a terrific duo. Their passion and need for speed were fulfilled with a one-two punch of Top Gun and Days of Thunder. Now that the latter is also on 4K, prepare for the sights and sounds of Scott and Cruise to explode into every corner of your viewing space.
Now, Ford v. Ferrari was credited with delivering some of the most visually and sonically accurate race filmmaking (by director James Mangold) audiences had ever seen. What’s fascinating is going back and watching Days of Thunder, a realization arises. This is one underrated film, simply for its uncanny ability to capture the heat, the thrills, the collective roar of the engine and the crowd, and literally put the viewer simultaneously in the driver’s seat, the crew pit, and in those adoring crowds.
Cruise’s Cole Trickle is new to this world and it is also through his eyes that the story is told. He is our entry into this high-speed world where the competition is as hot as in any sport. When this young hot-shot finally gets his shot at the big time, it’s a learning curve that is fascinating and utterly engaging to watch—especially with Cruise behind the wheel.
The ensemble of awesomeness includes Robert Duvall as his pit chief, Harry Hogge, who has a lot on his plate with this up and coming racer. Duvall and Cruise’s camaraderie is outstanding and it’s fantastic to see the two actors play in the same sandbox. Joining them is a future and then ex-wife of Cruise, Nicole Kidman as the doctor for this whole operation, Dr. Claire Lewicki. Her role is medically necessary for Cruise but also serves as a fiery love interest whose chemistry with the star of the flick is as combustible as a race car engine.
The rest of the cast of Days of Thunder puts the pedal to the medal with Randy Quaid, Cary Elwes, Michael Rooker (Guardians of the Galaxy 2), Fred Thompson, and John C. Reilly.
Cole could come off as an utter jerk. In the hands of Cruise, it is more seen as brash unbridled confidence. There are few actors who can thread that needle, and he is one of them. The story feels a bit like Top Gun, some have said, but I believe it stands on its own and is a testament to those who get behind the wheel of 200-mph burning concrete machines that thrill hundreds of millions.
It’s a gorgeous transfer to 4K and one can see why. Scott and his production designer had presented a film that pops off the screen already. Therefore, the 4K transfer folks already had a palette that was rich with contrast and visual richness. As for the audio, it is presented in a 5.1 Dolby TrueHD. A Dolby Atmos upgrade would have been welcomed, but that being said, sonically this is nothing to sneeze at. If you have a home entertainment set-up at home, prepare for those engines to feel as if they are blazing through your living room.
The only bonus feature included is Filmmaker Focus: Days of Thunder. The seven-minute look at the making of the dramatic actioner shines the spotlight on Bruckheimer, who is essentially standing in for the late Scott and as such, he delivers a tribute to the filmmaker’s work that could not make us film fanatics miss him more.
Film Grade: B+
Bonus Features: B