Over the Top (1987) Warner Bros./Action-Drama RT: 93 minutes Rated PG (language, violence) Director: Menahem Golan Screenplay: Stirling Silliphant and Sylvester Stallone Music: Giorgio Moroder Cinematography: David Gurfinkel Release date: February 13, 1987 (US) Cast: Sylvester Stallone, Robert Loggia, Susan Blakely, Rick Zumwalt, David Mendenhall, Chris McCarty, Terry Funk, Bruce Wray, Allan Graf. Box Office: $16M (US)
Rating: *** ½
Sylvester Stallone received a reported salary of $12M to star in Over the Top as an arm-wrestling truck driver trying to reconnect with his estranged 12YO son. In other words, it’s a cross between Rocky and Table for Five. A premise this silly could only come from producers Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus.
Although released by Warner Bros., Over the Top is a product of Cannon Films. It’s out of character for the B-movie studio to spend so much money ($25M to be exact) on a movie, but with Stallone’s name above the title, there’s no way it could miss, right? Wrong! It bombed at the box office with a mere $16M gross. The reviews were less than kind as well. I, on the other hand, think it’s GREAT! I liked it when I saw it opening night and still do. In fact, the passing of time has only made it better. Now I can look at it as huge chunk of 80s cinematic cheese replete with a rock-heavy soundtrack and a Giorgio Moroder score. What more could you want?
At the request of his dying estranged wife (Blakely, The Towering Inferno), Lincoln Hawk agrees to pick up their son Michael (Mendenhall, Space Raiders) from military school and drive him home to California. It’s a good way for them to get to know each other. The kid is none too happy to see the father that walked out on them ten years earlier. He resents him for not being part of his life. The kid is an insufferable little brat, but Lincoln refuses to give up. Eventually, Michael lets his defenses down and a bond starts to grow.
Driving a truck isn’t Lincoln’s only job; he also arm wrestles for money. In fact, he’s on his way to the World Armwrestling Championship in Las Vegas where he will face off against his greatest rival Bull Hurley (Zumwalt, Penitentiary III). Speaking of adversaries, Lincoln must also contend with the boy’s wealthy controlling grandfather (Loggia, Psycho II). He never liked Lincoln. He disapproved of him marrying his daughter and doesn’t want him in Michael’s life. His hatred goes so deep that he even hires goons to snatch the boy from Lincoln when his back is turned. He easily defeats the creeps and rescues his son. Come on, what did you expect? This is Sly we’re talking about.
Over the Top is aptly titled given some of the things that happen in it. When denied access to his son by Grandpa, Lincoln drives his semi through closed gates and right into the foyer of his mansion. At one point in the movie, Lincoln teaches his son to drive his truck. Apparently, the kid’s a quick study because he has no problem when he drives himself to the airport in one of his grandfather’s cars (after escaping from the mansion and several security guards). Even stranger is the fact that he didn’t get pulled over the police. You’d think they might stop a car being driven by a preteen. LOL! Only in the Cannon Universe, right?
There’s not a single believable minute in Over the Top, but that’s what’s so cool about it. It’s one of the main reasons why it’s such a great bad movie.
At the same time, it’s actually kind of exciting. Who’d have thought that the sport of arm wrestling would lend itself so well to the cinematic treatment? In keeping with the tradition started by Rocky, Stallone’s character is the underdog in the Vegas competition. Might he possibly defy the odds and make it to the finals? Will he suffer an injury that could potentially force him to drop out? Will he triumph over his adversaries? Directed by Golan, Over the Top is as predictable as night and day. Like the bouts in the Rocky movies, the matches in this movie are exciting. They’re well shot and nicely choreographed.
So what about Stallone’s performance in Over the Top? Is it any good? We all know that he has a limited range. He plays his part, an arm-wrestling trucker, as well as can be expected. As a father trying to reconnect with his son, he does okay. He seems to making an effort in spite of the movie’s inherent silliness. A character with a name like Lincoln Hawk (any relation to Hudson?) can only be so believable. All things considered, it’s a decent performance.
For years, people have dog-piled on Mendenhall for his performance as Mike Hawk. He won two Razzies (Worst Supporting Actor, Worst New Star) that year. It’s true his character is a conceited, insufferable little brat who any right-minded person would love to smack repeatedly. When he cries, you just want him to threaten him with something to cry about if he doesn’t stop. I always found Mendenhall himself annoying. However, I don’t think he’s all that bad in Over the Top. It’s not that you come to like Michael, you just get used to him after a while. As the antagonist, Loggia sneers and glowers his way to camp heaven. His character is hateful alright. He stays within the realm of believability, never once tearing at the scenery.
I’ll say this for Over the Top, the father-son storyline is sort of moving. You want them to be together especially after the inevitable tragedy occurs. Funny that a movie as silly as Over the Top accomplishes such a feat but it does. It’s one of my favorite Cannon movies. I think Golan did a fine job with the dopey screenplay written by Stallone and Stirling Silliphant (The Poseidon Adventure). The soundtrack, which includes tunes by Sammy Hagar (“Winner Takes It All”), Eddie Money (“I Will Be Strong”), Asia (“Gypsy Soul”), Kenny Loggins (“Meet Me Half Way”) and, of course, brother Frank Stallone (“Bad Night”) is cool in a cheesy 80s way! For any Gen-Z kids who want to know what the 80s were like, Over the Top is a must-see. For bad movie aficionados, it’s pure fun! The normals might want to sit this one out.
