ironhorse_iv Review of Over the Top

Over the Top (1987)

Credit goes to this film for living up to its title. It certainly was over the top cheesy.

[5/10 · 21 December 2020]

Having walked out on his family years ago because of mysterious means; truck driver & arm wrestler Lincoln Hawk played by Sylvester Stallone is now asked by his ex-wife Christina Cutler (Susan Blakely) to take care of their son Michael (David Mendenhall) while she goes into surgery against the will wishes of her father Jason Cutler played by Robert Loggia. This sport redemption story was panned by critics. It barely turned a profit at the box office. Yet this flick is probably best known for the extreme arm twisting to get action star Stallone to sign on. The Cannon Group offer him so much money that the studio found itself facing bankruptcy within a few years after this movie was released. Their business leader and director of this film Menahem Golan would later be forced to resigned from the company and by 1993 they ceased operations and folded. As for Stallone. He was really unhappy with this film's direction. He wanted the setting changed to an urban environment, used scored music instead of rock songs and made the finale more ominous. While he never got his way, the actor would later use some of his ideas for this movie for his screenplay for the 1990 flick 'Rocky V'. As for me while I wouldn't welcome this 1987 movie with open arms. It did meet me half way. I found most of the character development in the relationship between father and son during the road trip pretty compelling. Mendenhall surprising give his all in all those scenes. Although some parts of it was a bit off putting and semi disturbing. Especially when Lincoln asked his son to use his shoulder to sleep on during a truck stop. The dialogue written in that scene sounds pedo. Regardless of that badly written sequence. Stallone did act more fatherlike in the other moments involving his son. Even if conning a kid into an arm wrestling contest with his son is a bit questionable. Stallone still gave a decent job in that department. As for the action part. It was a mixed bag. While I can buy into the idea that Stallone can realistically passed as an arm wrestler more than original choice Don Johnson due to his muscle like frame. He was no milkshake. The tournament part was play off as a bit too gimmicky, cartoony and campy rather than serious. I never felt that second half of the film watching a man like John Grizzly (Bruce Way) down motor oil and eat cigarettes without getting severely ill mixed well with the impressive first half genuine family ties road trip concept. The ending event felt like a different movie. The filmmakers should had used more of that sport recreation documentary talking heads interview intercut with the brawls rather than playing off the comedic theatrical of the action. Not only does the rules of the double elimination tournament doesn't make sense but the idea that Lincoln can continue the event after putting a man through a glass window is bit much. I really had to turn off my brain. I doubt a winning the tournament allowed him to regained custody of Michael after ramming his truck into Jason's estate. Likewise, it is a bit weird that the child even allowed to stay with Jason after the old man's previous attempts of kidnapping him from his true father. You would think the state take the boy and put him into foster care until both men prove that they can take care of a child. Anyways by the looks of the film Michael might not need any father figure. After all he was able to drive and board an airline to Las Vegas all by himself. No wonder why one of the many writers David Engelbach was appalled at these changes made to his story and cry at the screening. Nevertheless, I thought what Engelbach wrote originally with Stirling Silliphant about the Mr. Cutler character doing all these awful things to Lincoln because he felt that it was what's best for the boy makes sense. It just sad that other writers like mediocre Gary Conway kinda took the reasonable but flawed individual and turn him into more sinister corrupt big head corporate executive trying to put the working man down. As for the arm wrestling tournament rival. Rick Zumwalt was actually the studio's third choice as Bull Hurley. They originally wanted real life arm wrestling champion Cleve Dean. That decision was problematic as he was so massive compared to Stallone. It wouldn't have looked believable that Hawk could beat him so the filmmakers went with professional wrestler Ox Baker instead with Dean served with a cameo. It wasn't until Baker pan out that the role finally went to Zumwalt. For the most part he did well. I also dig all the brief appearances of other fame wrestlers such as Scott Norton and Terry Funk. It's also weird to think that an actual arm wrestling tournament called 'Over the Top' was created for this film with a semitruck as the main prize. Many of that real life event stock footage was reused for this movie with Stallone's scenes being filmed one day after the finals with the same crowds as paid extras. As for the music. Both rock versions of 'Winner Takes It all' from Sammy Hager and the rock group Asia along with Kenny Loggin's 'Meet Me Half Way' and Larry Greene's 'Take it Higher' songs sound really dated. It's screams passe 1980s. Not really that memorable. It hasn't really escaped that decade nor aged well over the years. Composer Giorgio Moroder's score "The Fight" has more of a fighting chance. A remake of that tune could work if a reboot was ever in the works. Overall: This movie is still a ten four. Decent but could had been better. That's for sure.