Customer Reviews

Meet Me Half Way

5 star:		(53)
4 star:		(25)
3 star:		(14)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

Over the top is such an emotionally moving film. The music that runs throughout the entire movie just adds to the effect. If someone is looking for the most inspirational speech in the history of mankind, then look no further than the scene right before the final arm wrestling match between Hawk and Bull Harley. Stallone emotionally explains how he becomes like a machine, or more specifically a truck, by simply turning his hat backwards. I watch this scene every morning to keep me going. This movie did not have enough white guys with perms in it, though.

This is a typical Stallone film with a typical Stallone script, which is exactly why I enjoyed it so much. All the elements are present in Lincoln Hawk, Stallones character in OTT, that made films like Rocky and First Blood so special. This is basically a road movie about a father whose trying to win the love of his son, Lincoln's ambition to win the world arm wrestling championship is cleverly used as a constant parody to the developing relationship between father and son. So as long as you aren't looking for anything too deep and meaningful and appreciate Stallones other films then you should really enjoy this.

Over the Top is exactly that, over the top. The clever title is an obvious double-entendre in that it's a story about arm-wrestling that is completely ridiculous; yet, it somehow manages to be a highly enjoyable movie with real, albeit unanticipated, drama.

Amidst the preposterous father-son bonding, in which a borderline mongloid named Hawk (Sylvester Stallone) shares a long-haul trucking get-together with his son, as well as the finer points of arm wrestling - via a pulley system generically rigged up by Hawk (pun intended) - there is one the most comical, unbelievable scenes in movie history. While stopping for a bite to eat at a greasy spoon diner - in which Hawk's prissy, weakling, snowflake, WASP son preaches about the benefits of health food - Hawk decides that it is high time his son proves his worth and strength via an absurd arm-wrestling match staged between his son and a tough, street kid on top of a pinball machine. I'll let you be "surprised" by the outcome.

The ultimate arm wrestling showdown seems more like a collection of carnies or psych-ward patients than a group of competitors in an arm wrestling tournament. There is a pretty good chance that there was no blood testing at the time of this event, and if there were, more than one guy would be found with horse steroids or psychotropic drugs in his system. The favorite of the competition, Bull Harley, who seems like a villian in a video game because of his epic proportions, probably has stool bigger than Hawk's arms. Through sheer will and determination, Hawk manages to spin his hat around and channel the energy of 100 suns in order to win the title.

I'd feel bad about the spoiler if it weren't so painfully obvious and insignificant. The pleasure in this movie is the journey, not the destination. It's a great, mindless movie, and I watch it nearly every time it's on late-night TV.

Genius! Sylvester Stallone is a trucker who fights to have his child's custody and arm wrestles for money! The absolute best 80's music is orchestrated in this beautifully made motion picture artifact! I was shivering as the excitement crawled up my body like a spirit would dance in a house. YES! NO? YES! Overwhelming spiritual movement of an epic masterpiece can only be performed by the gigantic, oversized of a genius named Sylvester, Sylvester Stallone! He hath brought retribution to the movie audiences after "Rhinestone", another ideal flick. YES, hamanee times do I have to tell you that this movie is the real deal. It doesn't get any better than this. His opponent drinks oil and is ugly! YES! Stallone is now and forever a supernatural being that shouldn't be reckoned with!

I have always thought that this was Stallones best movie. All of his other movies he plays a tough macho guy. In this movie he displays emotions that cause this to be one of his best movies. My father never liked him, but when he saw this movie he said that Stallone really impressed him. Stallone plays a down to earth trucker who had married into wealth. Him and his wife got a divorce and his son was sent to a military school. His wife is in the hospital about to die and she wants Stallone and her son to get to know each other. Of course the boy starts off being a smart a** brat who hates his father due to the brain washing of his grandfather. But by the end of the movie the son (as well as other fans of Stallone) come to love him. Stallone shows the caring side that he don't display in other movies. Awesome movie and I am glad that it is finally coming out on DVD. Well worth the watch and adding to your collections

I didn't really think this movie looked all that great on blu-ray until I popped in the regular DVD again for a comparison. The verdict - the standard DVD looks like garbage compared to the blu-ray. There is a noticeable improvement in the entire movie and certain scenes are vastly improved. Sound quality is improved, but nothing drastic...not that you would expect to be impressed by the sound in Over the Top. No features to speak of, but it's probably because they don't exist and not because Warners is holding out on us and will someday try to make everyone buy Over the Top: Extreme Ultimate Edition. Bottom line is that you might not play this movie and be instantly blown away by the quality, but taking into account how old it is and what the standard DVD looked like, it is worth the upgrade.

Whoa, hey! Hey, remember that movie "Kramer vs. Kramer"? Yeah, that was about child custody, too. Yeah, but it wasn't that good. I don't know, it was missing something, you know? Ah, what was it missing? I can't.. oh, wait! I know! Arm wrestling!

Lincoln Hawk is a struggling trucker who's trying to rebuild his life. After the death of his wife, he tries to make amends with his son who he left behind years earlier. Upon their first meeting, his son doesn't think too highly of him until he enters the nation-wide arm wrestling competition in Las Vegas. This is one of the best films ever made. Sly Stallone was awesome. The Story is great. And it's just a good and fun movie to watch.

This review is for the Blu-ray, not the movie. Despite the lack of extras, save the original theatrical trailer (in SD, with Don LaFontaine doing the voice-over). The picture quality is truly excellent, putting the DVD to shame. When the movie starts and Linc Hawk is shown driving his big rig, you can literally see every hair in his beard, it is almost startling for a 20+ year old movie. Also, considering it wasn't made by a major Hollywood studio (it was made by Golan-Globus Productions), I wasn't expecting it to look this good. The audio is decent but not spectacular. While it would have been nice to have more extras on the disc, this is without a doubt the best the movie has looked since playing in the theatres in 1987. Besides, this is not only a guy movie, but also (part) chick-flick! An easy recommendation, not only for Stallone and arm-wrestling fans!

Years before the very fine 'Robin Zander'
solo effort (Interscope disks, cassettes,
'93) this very underrated song, "In This
Country", which Cheap Trick used to play
LIVE on some Japan concerts (I had it once
on VHS, from LIVE in Japan '92, a bootleg,
naturally!). Oh...the movie. Stallone is
pretty good as arm-wrestling truck driver
despite typical Golan-Globus lowbudget
setting. Better than Rambo II or III!