Sadly Over-hyped

Don't Believe the Hype

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

I have watched a lot of movies over the years, and I can easily say that this one is easily the cheesiest, sappiest, most "over-the-top" (pun very much intended) film I have ever made it all the way through.For a basic plot summary, "Over The Top" focuses on an uncultured trucker named Lincoln Hawk (Sylvester Stallone) trying to win custody of his stuck-up son Michael (David Mendenhall) from Michael's ruthless, and filthy rich grandfather (Robert Loggia). In order to show the means to support the young boy, Hawk risks everything on his arm-wrestling skills in trying to win the grand prize of the national competition.Yep, seriously, that is the plot of this movie. It is so cheesy that I almost wonder if it wasn't meant to be taken seriously in the first place. It is so sappy that adults with an emotional intellect above a fifth grade level will laugh at the contrived drama and soap opera-ish acting from all participants. In fact, this movie will actually be more enjoyed by action-oriented young children than any other demographic, as they will be completely sucked in by the one-dimensional and straightforward drama.Thus, while this may be a movie to watch with your young son, it really doesn't serve any other dramatic or entertainment purpose. Either watch it just to enjoy the cheese, or prepare to put your eyes on "perpetual roll".

Over The Top is a sports drama about arm-wrestling that features Sylvester Stallone together with Robert Loggia,Susan Blakely and David Mendenhall.Late Israeli director Menahem Golan directed it.Lincoln Hawk is a truck driver who left his estranged wife and son ten years ago.His ex-wife Christina is very ill and has requested him to visit his son Michael from school so that two of them can form a relationship.Unfortunately,his controlling grandfather Jason Cutler,a wealthy businessman, is hates his him and disapproves of it.In the end,Hawk joins an arm wrestling competition to win in order to earn the respect of his son and try to rebuild his life from the earnings he would receive.Just like many other films that Stallone has starred on,this is another action film that presents him to be the underdog.No doubt that he got used to this after achieving stardom from the boxing classic Rocky.While it offers really nothing new and refreshing as it is a clichéd ridden film,the sport of arm wrestling makes it somehow new and refreshing.The arm wrestling scenes definitely were the best moments of the film that provided the viewers a lot of tension,excitement and entertainment.Probably many arm wrestlers would say,"There must be one film about arm wrestling!!!" and for that reason alone Over The Top delivers.That is why this is definitely the signature film for the sport.

So you think you've seen every movie about an arm wrestling truck driver absentee father road trip-bonding with his son who's just graduated from military school? Well, think again. This is one of Sylvester Stallone's most underrated movies. It gets a lot of flack because the premise sounds so ridiculous but it's actually a good little drama with some nice action of the arm wrasslin' variety. One of Cannon's more polished films. You'll learn everything you need to know about the power of wearing one's cap backwards and the eternal question of who exactly will the world meet halfway. Also some great rockin' tunes from the '80s! What's not to like about this movie?

Lincoln Hawk (Stallone) is asked by his dying wife to make her son's custody work with her Father and explains that he is too stuck in his way to change. I watched the entire movie...not once does he fulfil this promise to his wife. And at the end of the move...they are shown to be walking away from her Father...with no mention of him having custody...and him crying. Why involve her asking him this...if it is never brought up again in the entire movie? So many illogical scenes in this movie that it forced me to write a review. I feel as though Stallone just rushes through his movies attempting to create a macho persona...as oppose to actually thinking the storyline through. Stallone...go back to Rocky.