Over the Top (1987)

Easily the best Arm Wrestling movie of all time!

Over the Top is exactly that, over the top. The clever title is an obvious double-entendre in that it's a story about arm-wrestling that is completely ridiculous; yet, it somehow manages to be a highly enjoyable movie with real, albeit unanticipated, drama.

Amidst the preposterous father-son bonding, in which a borderline mongloid named Hawk (Sylvester Stallone) shares a long-haul trucking get-together with his son, as well as the finer points of arm wrestling - via a pulley system generically rigged up by Hawk (pun intended) - there is one the most comical, unbelievable scenes in movie history. While stopping for a bite to eat at a greasy spoon diner - in which Hawk's prissy, weakling, snowflake, WASP son preaches about the benefits of health food - Hawk decides that it is high time his son proves his worth and strength via an absurd arm-wrestling match staged between his son and a tough, street kid on top of a pinball machine. I'll let you be "surprised" by the outcome.

The ultimate arm wrestling showdown seems more like a collection of carnies or psych-ward patients than a group of competitors in an arm wrestling tournament. There is a pretty good chance that there was no blood testing at the time of this event, and if there were, more than one guy would be found with horse steroids or psychotropic drugs in his system. The favorite of the competition, Bull Harley, who seems like a villian in a video game because of his epic proportions, probably has stool bigger than Hawk's arms. Through sheer will and determination, Hawk manages to spin his hat around and channel the energy of 100 suns in order to win the title.

I'd feel bad about the spoiler if it weren't so painfully obvious and insignificant. The pleasure in this movie is the journey, not the destination. It's a great, mindless movie, and I watch it nearly every time it's on late-night TV. July 15, 2008

Step aside, Citizen Kane. There is a new NO.1!!!!

Normally I'm not one for hyperbole, but I have few qualms stating that Over the Top is among the greatest arm-wrestling movies of the last half-century. Jam-packed with emotion, adrenaline, and the kind of edge-of-your-seat action that only two stationary, grunting men can provide, it's easy to see why many call it the "'Gone With the Wind' of wrist-endurance sport movies".
Like every screenplay written by Sylvester Stallone, Over the Top boasts a challenging and all-too plausible script-- in this case a cautionary tale about a sensitive trucker seeking to find redemption, the love of the son he abandoned, and most importantly, a new truck, through arm-wrestling. And while most actors and/or filmmakers would scoff at the idea of tackling such hot-button issues as overcoming the scars of child abandonment through competitive bicep-grappling, the fearless cast and crew of Over the Top are unafraid to take this plunge. In fact, they treat their subject with a reverence and photo-accurate attention to detail unmatched in modern cinema, so much so that it's easy at times to forget that you're watching a work of fiction and not a documentary.
The emotional roller-coaster that is this film also provides yet another showcase for Mr. Stallone's spine-tingling acting chops, as his emotional, monosyllabic father-son scenes remain some of the most courageous ever captured on film.
Attention Hollywood: the ticket-buying public has spoken. And we expect Over the Top's return engagement to a theater near us sooner rather than later.
May 23, 2008

Nostalga

I purchased this DVD for my boyfriend whom loves Sylvester Stallone movies. He liked it eventhough it started a little slow. Loved the armwrestling competition. You find yourself cheering for the underdog in typical Stallone fashion. February 25, 2008

Great movie, Great soundtrack

I enjoyed the movie and the soundtrack is great too. If you enjoy various music from the 80's, then you'll love this soundtrack. February 13, 2008

Just one of those Stallone Movies you should own!!

Great movie, up there with Cobra and Lock-up and Tango & Cash. It's Stallone outside Rambo and Rocky, and just a lot of fun, considering the age of the movie. February 8, 2008

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