Deceptive title and poster

Rating: Null/10 (15 July 2016)

Cast as a truck driver and professional arm wrestler who bonds with his estranged son while the boy's mother is in hospital, Sylvester Stallone gives a touching performance in this deceptively titled film. The promotional posters are equally misleading, hinting at an all-out 'First Blood' style action film, whereas 'Over the Top' is actually about two relatives learning to connect while on the road despite very different attitudes and views on life. David Mendenhall is great as Stallone's eloquent, precocious son, who after years in military school, has come to always say "sir" and value nutritious food over the unhealthier snacks that boys his age tend to like. One of the best elements of the film is how Stallone, despite being a failure in his son's eyes, manages to teach him to enjoy life while his son also gives Stallone an extra boost in his depressing existence. The narrative nevertheless has striking gaps, particularly concerning why Stallone walked out in the first place and why his wife now trusts him with their son. The final half-hour of the movie is also far weaker than the first hour with everything focused on a wrestling championship, bizarrely edited to include documentary-style interviews. And then there is the ending, which is rushed and too neatly packaged, never resolving the grandfather's hostility. Never to mind, the strength of the first hour makes 'Over the Top' a film worth a look. The movie is also a testament to Stallone's ability to carry a film on his acting prowess - something one does not always feel in his more over-the-top (excuse the pun) actual action films.