By Robert Scucci
| Updated
Whenever I hear somebody say that “they don’t make action movies like they used to,” I immediately think about Sylvester Stallone’s Over the Top; the only movie I can think of off the top of my head that so fiercely dives into the world of competitive arm wrestling. If you’re wondering how on Earth a premise about arm wrestling can be stretched into feature-length film territory, then strap in because there’s also trucks, car chases, and an estranged father and son bonding on the road as they try to figure their lives out, one rest stop steak dinner at a time.
Having lost count on how many times I’ve actually watched Over the Top after my most recent viewing, I’ve got to say that I’m still thoroughly impressed over how such a ridiculous concept can result in such a satisfying story about guts and glory, while emphasizing the importance of family in a way that would make Dominic Toretto second guess himself.
A Story About A Father And His Son
If you’ve never had the pleasure of watching Over the Top, you’re missing out because there’s nothing quite like a stone-faced Sylvester Stallone clanging and banging with his makeshift and mobile weight set while racking up some serious mileage to win the day and clear his name.
Over the Top centers on Sylvester Stallone’s Lincoln “Linc” Hawk, a truck driver with a checkered past that led to him leaving behind his sickly wife, Christina (Susan Blakely), and his son Mike (David Mendenhall). Linc has a heart of gold, wants nothing more than to reunite with his estranged son, and jumps at the opportunity to pick him up from military school at the request of Christina – an act that her father, Jason Cutler (Robert Loggia), disapproves of because he never approved of Linc’s lifestyle. Mike, a military brat of the highest order who has every reason to be wary of his father’s intentions, reluctantly agrees to climb into his truck and make the trip from Colorado to California to see his ailing mother.
Right off the rip, Linc and Mike butt heads because Mike has reason to believe that his father is an intellectually dim, drug dealing road dog who chose to abandon his family when they needed him the most. But as the father and son get to know each other, it becomes clear that Jason’s stories about Linc were mostly fabricated because Jason wants sole custody over Mike should Christina succumb to her illness. Though Mike eventually lets his guard down about his old man, their reunion isn’t without complications, as Jason continually tries to find ways to keep them separated for his own selfish reasons.
Over The Top Is Over The Top
Now that we’ve gotten Over the Top’s mushy and sentimental story line out of the way, we can finally get into the real meat and potatoes that this movie has to offer: arm wrestling!
While Over the Top is, at its heart, a story about the unbreakable bond between a father and his son, there’s also a World Armwrestling Championship in Las Vegas that the entire film builds up to. Linc, who enters arm wrestling competitions while on the road to pass the time and earn some extra money, wants to go for the gold by entering the competition so he could eventually go into business for himself. Mike, who initially thinks his father is a hustler, slowly begins to understand his motives, as he’s doing everything to build a stable life because he’s also trying to gain custody of his son.
Between unsanctioned competitions with silly-named antagonists, like “Smasher,” at truck stop diners, Linc teaches Mike how to drive a truck, which is a lot more difficult than the boy initially surmised, as well as stand up for himself when he’s being bullied because, as Linc puts it, “Nobody meets you halfway.”
Every source of conflict in Over the Top culminates during the World Armwrestling Championship – a Volvo truck valued at $250,000, and a cash prize of $100,000 will change Linc’s life forever if he wins. Hoping that his patented “over-the-top” method will secure a victory in Over the Top, Linc knows that he has to defy all odds in order to stay in his son’s good graces, even though Jason will stop at nothing to ensure his failure.
Not Much Of A Thinker
Over the Top is one of those movies that lays all of its cards on the table so you never have to second guess yourself or its premise, which is kind of refreshing given how so many movies today love to rely on fancy things like “subtext,” and “worldbuilding.” Sometimes, you just want to turn your brain off and watch who you know is the good guy get his flowers because he’s trying his best, and that’s exactly what you get with Over the Top. And if you’re one of those third-act nail biters when the competition gets tough, don’t worry, because the announcer during the World Armwrestling Championship will constantly reassure you that a single loss isn’t the end of the world because it’s actually a double-elimination challenge.
Is Over the Top a total cheese fest? You betcha. But there’s nothing wrong with a sports action movie with a razor thin premise so long as it has a whole lot of heart to give it some semblance of substance. At the very least, we got that Manchester Orchestra music video for “Shake It Out” that’s a pretty faithful recreation of the movie in question while also being a total banger.
As of this writing, you can stream Over the Top for free on Tubi.
