Published Mar 21, 2026, 1:45 PM EDT
They are a freelance author for ScreenRant. They are passionate about introducing readers to lesser-known media, especially with a focus on representation. They're always scavenging for offbeat content that tells stories mainstream media won't, or that have been forgotten over time.
One of 2025's biggest surprise hits was the remake of The Naked Gun, whose reviews raved about Liam Neeson's underrated comedic talents. Directed by Akiva Schaffer, the movie has hopefully revived a dormant subgenre of spy comedy. The slapstick gags, crude humor, and the nonstop barrage of wordplay make The Naked Gun one of the funniest movies in recent years.
The original Naked Gun movies starring the comedy legend Leslie Nielsen form one of the most hilarious trilogies of all time. The remake should inspire more films with its uniquely unserious brand of humor, but nothing as major is on the horizon yet. However, The Naked Gun's box office is proof that there is a demand for similar comedy movies.
The first film to watch after The Naked Gun is Airplane!, another Leslie Nielsen classic that is decidedly more crude, absurd, and hilarious than any of the four Naked Gun movies. That said, there are many underrated films with the same brand of humor that have become less popular over the years, and Val Kilmer's debut movie is one such film.
Val Kilmer Made His Acting Debut In Top Secret!
In 1984, Val Kilmer made his feature film acting debut in Top Secret!, a spoof of Cold War spy thrillers and World War II movies. He plays a charismatic American singer, Nick Rivers, who goes to East Germany to perform there, but is inevitably pulled into the local resistance against a secret government plot to unite Germany under communist rule.
Rivers' winning personality makes him a quick ally of the resistance, but his chivalry also gets him into trouble with the governing authorities. He's imprisoned at one point and even sentenced to execution. He develops a better understanding of the local politics through his misadventures and also discovers a side of life that his usual lifestyle doesn't expose him to.
While Kilmer had to wait a couple more years for his Hollywood breakthrough with his performance as Iceman in 1986's Top Gun, Top Secret! is a hidden gem in Val Kilmer's filmography that proves he was always a leading man. He embodies the larger-than-life persona of Nick Rivers while beautifully adapting to the softer and more sentimental moments as well.
Top Secret! Has The Same Sense Of Humor As Naked Gun
While the plot details of Top Secret! are considerably coherent, most of its scenes aren't, and that is meant as a compliment. The film is a whimsical parody of more serious films about war and espionage. It has the same blend of wordplay, over-the-top gags, and silly jokes that any fan of Airplane! or the Naked Gun trilogy will identify.
It ranks amongst Val Kilmer's best action movies, but Top Secret!'s action sequences are vastly different from the kind of action the actor would eventually become famous for. Top Secret!'s action setpieces are characterized by sincerely executed, unserious physical gags carried to their extremes to elicit uninterrupted laughter from viewers who will nonetheless not be allowed to forget the stakes.
Val Kilmer Sings And Dances In Top Secret!
Roger Ebert once called Val Kilmer the most unsung leading man in Hollywood, and his performance in Top Secret! itself makes it clear why the famed critic was inspired to say so. Kilmer's dedication to his role in Top Secret! involves performing all his characters' songs. His voice has that electrifying quality that makes you dance when you hear him.
Top Secret! became more famous than the movies it parodies because of the professionalism with which Kilmer adopts the mannerisms of Elvis Presley, whose musicals the movie also spoofs. His dancing perfectly imitates the energy with which Presley used to move when performing. Val Kilmer's enthusiastic footwork in Top Secret! makes me wish we saw him dance in movies more.
Top Secret! Was The Blueprint That The Writers Perfected Later
David Zucker, Jerry Zucker, and Jim Abrahams, famously known in short as ZAZ, debuted as a trio with Airplane!, a spoof of survival thrillers and plane crash films. While Airplane! undoubtedly remains their most famous work, the first film in The Naked Gun trilogy is arguably their most polished movie, which balances comedy with stakes, emotions, and a coherent plot.
Now, between the two movies, ZAZ made Top Secret!, which already demonstrates how their blueprint was evolving with time. Top Secret! should be considered one of the best secret agent movies of all time, because it is clearly in love with the genre, and is simply committing to exploring the absurdity of some of the best films in the genre.
The Movie Showcases An Underrated Side Of Val Kilmer
His singing and dancing are sides of Kilmer that have very rarely been showcased in Kilmer's later movies, but there's another aspect that we see in Top Secret! which I consider his most underrated quality as a performer. He's known for his action movies, but what makes Top Secret! one of the most underrated 1980s movies is Kilmer's comic timing.
Executing a silly gag that goes over the top in creating an inexplicably entertaining scenario in an otherwise serious context requires the utmost sincerity. If the performers betray knowing they're performing a joke, a comedy film often breaks down, but Kilmer's delivery of his funny one-liners and his commitment to the physical gags elevates Top Secret! as a spoof movie.
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