'Top Gun' goes 3-D, and IMAX, in bittersweet return to theaters

Watch the trailer below, then read on to find out why you haven’t seen it until now:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZaRCEI4Hr0[/youtube]

The good news for naval aviators, students of the 1980s and fans of Kenny Loggins — a remastered, 3-D version of “Top Gun” will hit IMAX screens nationwide later this week. The trailer says it’s a six-day engagement beginning Friday, but some theaters will have special Thursday screenings.

Why only six days? And why not a mainstream marketing push? Why wasn’t a shirtless 3-D Tom Cruise playing volleyball during commercial breaks of the Super Bowl?

Although Cruise’s cocky Maverick may be the face of the film, its director was responsible for the quick-cut dogfights, bawdy beach and bar scenes, and pulse-pounding carrier ops that defined the 1986 classic. That man, Tony Scott, died in August after jumping from a Los Angeles bridge.

One of his last projects, according to this New York Times piece, was contributing to the work on the 3-D remastering. Its theatrical release will promote a Feb. 19 3-D Blu-ray offering, but was originally designed to be something more — a way to capitalize on Cruise’s international following via releases in China and other global markets … and a way to stir interest in a possible sequel.

Scoop Deck reported on “Top Gun 2” rumors in 2010, with Cruise reprising his role as Maverick. It’s even got an IMDB page. But most reports say Scott’s death ended thoughts of a sequel, leaving a 3-D original as likely the last chapter in the film’s legacy.

Co-producer Jerry Bruckheimer said it’s a worthy chapter: “The planes leaving the carriers, the dogfights — it looks fantastic,” Bruckheimer said in a recent Newsday report. “ You look at the 3-D version, and you actually think that Tony shot it that way.”

Will you head out to the theater to watch the new version, or buy the 3-D Blu-ray for your collection? Are you hoping talks of a sequel will be revived by the re-release? Or are you partial to the original and don’t want your memories tinkered with? For that last group, here’s a TV trailer for the 1986 release, in its original shaky low-def glory.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAfbp3YX9F0[/youtube]