On O List of Movie Reviews
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Over the Top (1987)
Rate:
7
Viewed:
11/03, 7/05, 6/06, 6/08, 12/15, 3/22
7/05:
Over the Top is a unique testosterone-fueled extravaganza where machismo bleeds everywhere in the world
of arm wrestling.
Sylvester Stallone gives a Rocky-like
performance as his character has a million-to-one shot to be an Arm Wrestling World Champion.
All in all, Over the Top is a top ten Stallone picture.
6/06:
Forget the kid, and forget the sob story.
The arm wrestling is where the action is in Over the Top. "You got guys from M.I.T., and you got guys
who can't spell M.I.T." reads the tagline of the film's poster. There's absolutely nothing like it. Pure
testosterone bleeds everywhere as arm wrestlers eat cigars, drink motor oil, and trash talk and are backed by
pounds of muscle, intense mentality, and do-or-die attitudes.
All in all, Over the Top is the best arm wrestling film ever filmed, period.
6/08:
Over the Top is hands down the best arm wrestling film ever made.
Of course, it's the only one there is as far as I know. The sob story between the kid and his father has to go;
it just sucks and takes away what the movie is all about. Instead, it's the intensity and ferocity shown by the
adrenaline-junkie arm wrestlers that's absolutely fantastic and unbelievable to watch.
Some of the highlights are: John Grizzly drinking motor oil and eating a smoking cigar and Bull Hurley staring
down at everybody with his piercing eyes. I love the double personality of each character. On one hand, he's
all sky-high pumped up before the match yet is calm and lucid during interviews. It's very fascinating stuff.
All in all, the arm wrestling action is the best part of Over the Top.
12/15:
You've got to love the scene of John Grizzly drinking Valvoline motor oil.
3/22:
Over the Top only works for the arm wrestling scenes, and they alone are the reason to watch the film
over and over.
Forget everything else; they mean nothing. Playing a spoiled, conceited character whose favor will swing to his
dad's only if there's something in it for him, David Mendenhall gets my vote as the Worst Supporting Actor of
1987. He even looks like Demi Moore's child. I give Sylvester Stallone props for putting up with him although
there were times I would've punched the kid in the face.
The most memorable characters are the arm wrestlers with some of them being real including one who literally broke
his arm during a match. While the testosterone-fueled atmosphere is a can't-beat, the film keeps confusing me
when it comes to Stallone's character's last name; is it Hawk or Hawks? They keep saying it's a
"double-elimination tournament" a million of times, but Bull Hurley lost once and is already out?
All in all, Over the Top is a Stallone classic.