Over the Top (1987) Movie Info
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Movie Name | Over the Top (1987) |
| Director | Menahem Golan |
| Screenplay Writer | Stirling Silliphant, Sylvester Stallone |
| Based on Novel by | — (Original screenplay) |
| Lead Actors | Sylvester Stallone, Robert Loggia, Susan Blakely |
| Cast | Sylvester Stallone, Robert Loggia, Susan Blakely, Rick Zumwalt, David Mendenhall, Chris McCarty, Terry Funk |
| Genre | Action, Drama, Sport |
| Release Date | February 13, 1987 (United States) |
| Duration | 1h 33m (93 minutes) |
| Budget | ~$25 million |
| Language | English |
| Country | United States |
| Box Office (Worldwide) | ~$16 million |
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Summary
Lincoln Hawk must compete in the country’s biggest arm wrestling contest to earn respect for himself and of his estranged son.
Review
Sandwiched in between Rocky IV and V, Sylvester Stallone managed to star in possibly the greatest unintentional comedy of the 80’s. Stallone plays Lincoln Hawk, a down and out truck driver, who feels the only way to get his personal and professional life back on track is to win the national arm wrestling championship. Are you kidding me?
What makes this movie so funny is that it is 100% serious. From the painful growls and bulged muscles during the competetion to the ‘off camera’ interviews, this movie really thinks that it is telling a great story, which it is not. I think it’s hilarious just the fact that they made a whole movie around arm wrestling. I’ve seen the odd coverage of the “sport” on ESPN but never did I know how die hard these “athletes” were.
The only problem I have with the film, which obviously leads to more comedy, is the final triumphant scene. If you honestly compare Sly Stallone with some of the guys that he beats, there’s no way that would go down in real life! The monsters that he is able to thwart are at least twice his size. Unless he utilized the muscular stamina over strength technique in every match, Sly would be gone in the first round. And to think that there is actually tension and suspense in the final face off is laughable. I can only picture the director yelling ,”Cut!! Sly baby, too much grunting on that flex. Look more into the Bull’s eyes. Really sell your pain and anguish. Feel your hate buldge out of your bicep and channel those vibes into more beads of sweat and muscle striations. Picture’s up! Knock it out Sly baby!” If this really were meant to be a serious action drama then Sly would loose and loose bad. But because it is an unintentional comedy, Sly rides off into the sunset with his brand new big rig. Yee Haw.
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