Over the Top

Plot synopsis:
Lincoln Hawk (Sylvester Stallone) is a struggling trucker who arm wrestles on the side to make extra cash while trying to rebuild his life. Hawk's estranged wife Christina, who is very ill, asks that Hawk pick up their son Michael from military school so that the two of them can get to know each other; Hawk had left them ten years earlier. Michael's controlling grandfather Jason Cutler, a wealthy man who hates Hawk and disapproved of his daughter's relationship with him, believes that Hawk has no right to be in his grandson's life. Michael is very distrusting and bitter towards Hawk initially and treats him with contempt at every turn.
Over the course of a trip from Colorado to California, Michael comes to trust Hawk, especially after Hawk rescues him from kidnappers (who were actually goons hired by Cutler to retrieve Mike). However, when they arrive at the hospital, Hawk is despondent to learn they have arrived too late; as Christina died in surgery earlier that day. Feeling he would have been there with her if not for Hawk, Michael leaves for his grandfather's estate. An attempt to retrieve Michael ends with Hawk being arrested for trespassing when he resorts to ramraiding after being turned away from Cutler's gated mansion. Michael visits his father in jail and forgives him, but tells Hawk that he feels more secure living with his grandfather.
After his release, Hawk leaves to compete in the World Armwrestling Championship in Las Vegas. His hope is to win the grand prize of $100,000 and a brand new, larger semi-truck and thus start his own trucking company. Hawk is a clear underdog, having a size disadvantage over just about every other participant, including his old rival Bull Hurley, who is the odds-on favorite out of the other 500 competitors. When he arrives, he sells his truck for $7,000 and uses the money to place a bet on himself to win the tournament. Meanwhile, Michael finds all the letters that Hawk had sent over the years and realizes that his grandfather has been hiding the truth about his father from him. Cutler did everything possible to drive his parents apart and had been intercepting and hiding the regular letters Hawk had written to him. Stunned by his grandfather's deceptions, Michael steals a truck to go to Las Vegas to find Hawk.
Hawk advances to the final eight competitors in the double-elimination tournament before suffering his first loss, injuring his arm in the process. Afterwards, Cutler summons Hawk to his presidential suite and tells him that he's always been a loser, but offers Hawk a way out and a chance for a fresh start: $500,000 and a top of the line semi (even better than the contest's grand prize) on the condition that he turn over custody of Michael and stay out of their lives, but Hawk refuses. He returns to the tournament with a much tighter focus and powers his way through the rest of the field to advance to the final match against Bull Hurley, who has remained undefeated. Michael then finds Hawk and apologizes for misjudging him, which gives Hawk the emotional support he needs to compete. After a titanic struggle, Hawk is able to conquer his old rival. As father and son celebrate, Cutler (who had followed Michael to the competition) looks on in silence and with grudging respect for all that Hawk sacrificed to get Michael back. A triumphant Hawk and Michael take their new truck and winnings and drive off to start a new life together.

Tags: cult

Review:
Why in the world would I like this weird, arm wrestling movie with Sylvester Stallone?
I challenge anyone to find a better arm wrestling movie.Since becoming a professional arm wrestler and losing my ex-wife, this film has inspired me.
It's not easy being a single dad whilst trying to cope with the rising gas prices to keep my rig on the road.I'm sure a lot of Americans find themselves in this position, and they too should benefit from this realistic docu-drama of the typical American man.To anyone, who find themselves in a similar rut, or experience any type of bad luck, I thoroughly recommend renting this movie, and joining the local arm-wrestling club.Like I said this is easily the best made arm-wrestling movie, and I look forward to perhaps a left-handed sequel..
There are not many movies out there about arm wrestling but this movie does a great job and who better to star in the role but Stallone.
Underdog movies like this are great to watch and no one does them better than Stallone.
Add to that the fact that this is a Stallone movie + having to do with the sport of arm wrestling & you have a winner in my book.
Yes I will admit that you know ahead of time what is going to happen in the end, but to me that doesn't take away from the enjoyment of this film (atleast for myself) It also has very touching moments thru out the movie.
When Mike's Mother/Stallones x wife in the movie is found to have passed away, wile Lincoln Hawk(Stallone) & his son Mike were on the way to see her still gives me moist eyes every time as well as other situations during the film.
Over the top gives the same quality entertainment.Sylvester Stallone stars and gives a great performance as the man who just wants to get closer to his son.
Pure Sly. Over the Top is pure Sylvester Stallone: the blue collar man with the heart of gold fighting his way through a world that dismisses him as a loser but he wins at the end with the help of someone who really understands and loves him.
When he first walks into that military school building to fetch his son after cleaning his truck and trying to make himself look his "Sunday best" - I can't help it: it is just great.Yes it is strange to see a well educated kid (by a military school) being transformed into a "regular guy" by his own father.
Bottom line: as with many a Sly flick (any film Sylvester Stallone agrees to participate in or where he actually did the writing, directing etc.)we have to work our way through a popcorn flick to find a deeper meaning.
The arm wrestling scenes were pretty cool and exciting and I thought the plot of Lincoln Hawk trying to make up for lost time with his son was pretty good as well.
Over the Top is a good example of Sylvester Stallone stepping away from the trappings of Rocky Balboa and John Rambo, and trying to create a movie the whole family can enjoy.
Sly proves that he can act, making Lincoln Hawk (a typically mach named Stallone character), a likeable, funny and sincere character, so that you dont for one minute doubt the values of Hawk and the good man he is.
The Arm wrestling scenes are handled efficiently by Golan, and come close to the heart pumping heroics of the Rocky movies, and Georgio Moroders 80's Rock score is as good (and dated) as anything Vince Di Cola and Survivor did for Messers Balboa and Drago.
Please try to see the mean point of the plot, don't be that superficial.Anyway, arm wrestling screenplay and all related to it was simply so good, so there is no reason to not enjoy this movie, and i don't neet to mention the amazingly good soundtrack.Rates for this movie should be reset and started from 0 again, after some people re-see this movie and reflect I'm sure it would get a much higher score..
The idea of Arm Wrestling being a major part of a movie sounds stupid, but Stallone plays it pretty well.
Sylvester Stallone in an arm-wrestling movie?
If you enjoy either movies from the 80s, anything that's over the top or just Sylvester Stallone's weird acting and awkward yet somehow touching speeches, than you're gonna have a great time watching this movie.
***SPOILERS*** Another one of the many Sylvestor Stallone meek common and simple man winning against astronomical odds like films that he made in the 1970's and 1980's has Sly playing soft spoken and inoffensive looking, until you try to mess with him, trucker Lincoln Hawk.
Of course Michael who's attending military school wants nothing to do with his dad feeling that he deserted him and his mom because his control freak Grandpa Jason "Cut-throat" Cutler, Robert Loggia, has been feeding him all kinds of crap about his dad for as long as he could remember.It doesn't take long for Hawk to win little Michael over in his revealing to him, when he's challenged by some muscle bound dude at a local truck stop, his secret life as a big time arm wrestling champ.
It also proved that Grandpa Jason wasn't that bright by leaving the letters out in the open, and not burning them, for his grandson Michael to find.****SPOILERS**** The big final has lots of grunting and grinding among the sweating arm wrestling contestants at the Las Vegas Convention Hall with Hawk, sprained arm and all, taking on all comers as he works his way up to the #1 match with world arm wrestling champ, for five years straight, the 6 foot 4 inch 350 pound Bob "Bull" Hurley played by actual arm wrestling champion Rick Zumwalt.
So you think you've seen every movie about an arm wrestling truck driver absentee father road trip-bonding with his son who's just graduated from military school?
It is dubbed a competition of David and Goliath; a clear parallel to the American/Russian paradox in Rocky IV, just without the political content.Well, it's pretty obvious that the final arm wrestling match is barely about the winning of money and trucks; it is in fact the chance for Stallone to not only win the money, but the get to buy his son back from his rich granddad.
All these great classic movies will never fade in time and would be still enjoyed by generations to come.Over The Top remains the best under-rated movie I've ever seen with a great powerful storyline that conveys strength, love and sacrifice coupled with great action and drama as with most Stallone's works.
Even after 20 years since I first watched the film as a 9 year old kid, memories of my 'idol' going against all odds in arm-wrestling battles are still fresh in my mind.
I've forgotten if Sly broke the guy's arm, but hey it's been 20 years and I can still recall bits and pieces of the storyline so it's not that bad!!All in all, a great movie and kudos to Sylvester Stallone in bringing great characters to life.
The arm-wrestling championship was really entertaining, and some of the guys there were really cool.Even though this is partly a drama movie, it should only be considered as mindless, total fun that only the decade of the 80's was able to perform..
Stallone has been better but where else can you see a truck driver who arm wrestles and wants to make up for a long time.
Sometimes there is nothing better than kicking back with a good book.When pressed for time sneaking an episode of Family Guy or Tosh.0 provides some chuckles.Other times a good drama with a solid story, quality acting and a satisfying conclusion.Near the end of the week I like to blow off steam with the Xbox, a bag of chips and a couple of beers.But every now and then – not often mind you – but every now and then you can't go past:overblown 80s rawwwwwk ballads - montages of truckin, truckers and truck maintenance - oodles of shirtless Stallone - an arrogant, spoilt,rich pin-dick of a kid being difficult and ungrateful to his estranged Dad (about a thousand times) - Robert Loggia as the pr*ck Grandfather of afore-mentioned pin-dick - guys with names like Smasher, Hawk, Hulk, I could go on - backwards baseball caps - sweaty dive bars - overblown 80s soft rawwwk ballads - 67 more nice-dad / w*nker-son talks - macho winnin' clichés and try hard motivational phrases - wondering if the lead character has the surname 'Hawk' or 'Hawks' as every character pronounces it differently – even the guy playing Hawk(s?) (Credits say no 's')  And even rarer still is the insanely guilty pleasure of watching various sweaty, bug eyed and mostly unsavoury looking muscle heads indulge in a no holds barred arm-wrestling tournament in seedy Las Vegas Nevada.Vegas Baby!VEGAS!I can't – nay I refuse – to spoil the moment and let you know if the hard done by hard working guy named Hawk, with the ungrateful kid with the hateful hovering grandfather and the run down truck who could really use the first prize of a new truck with a big Hawk printed on the side, wins.That might ruin your enjoyment.Final Rating – 5.5 / 10.
If you like Sly's ROCKY films your sure to love this, predictable but a a brilliant hour and a half's viewing time.
Also a mention to the great Rick Zumwalt, who plays Sly's adversary Bob 'Bull' Hurley in the movie - who sadly passed away a couple of years ago (He was actually the real World Arm-Wrestling Champion when the movie was made).
good movie, was able to watch it back to back!not Stallone's best work, but its right up there with rocky/first blood.
not that much of action, OK, no action really compared to what we are used to with Stallone flicks, but then again it is a movie about arm wrestling.
Back to the movie, it displays pretty strong acting from the kid who plays Stallone's son.
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..
I know a lot of people are making fun of this movie saying is just ridicules, it is a drama about a father trying to reconnect with his son, it also has an arm wrestling.
That's the story in a nutshell The Acting is good and very well done Stallone breaks out of his action imposed exile long enough to remind us that he is a very good actor Robert Loggia delivers a hateful performance as Jason Cutler a man who doesn't like to lose and wants to destroy Hawk at all costs even at the expense of his grandson's love.
Despite this, the film is still fun in an 80s Stallone sort of way, and like all great 80s films contains a montage theme song from Kenny Loggins, turning a son's hate into love with less than 30 seconds on the clock.
In the story it worked to bond the estranged-genius son with his father but watching it is seemed like Stallone was trying to prove himself to people.
As I was watching the beginning I kept thinking to myself 'Isn't this the arm wrestling movie?'.
Sure enough arm wrestling was thrown in, in a contrived way and that basically took the movie off into another direction and tried to balance the father son aspect.
This had the potential to be a fair Sly action vehicle, but the writers (include Stallone here) had to bring in the kid and turn the story into a sloppy, cliched, family bonding film.So we end up with the eminent Robert Loggia completely slumming it as the mean, irascible and extremely rich grandpa and have to put up with the bratty son Michael, who admittedly does look simply divine in that military school suit of his.
Apparently he was around 15 to 16 when the film was made, but really doesn't look like a teenager.Ultimately, we get too many weirded out supporting characters, too many slow motion arm wrestle matches, arguably too many 80's soundtrack songs, too many melodramatic moments, too many Sly long faces and too little humour to lighten the soap opera quality of the drama being presented onscreen.
This isn't a bad movie but just an alright one about a trucker(played by Sly) who wishes to get close to his kid- who sort of doesn't like him, as they go about on a road trip of sorts.
This isn't a bad movie but just an alright one about a trucker(played by Sly) who wishes to get close to his kid- who sort of doesn't like him, as they go about on a road trip of sorts.
This isn't a bad movie but just an alright one about a trucker(played by Sly) who wishes to get close to his kid- who sort of doesn't like him, as they go about on a road trip of sorts.
This isn't a bad movie but just an alright one about a trucker(played by Sly) who wishes to get close to his kid- who sort of doesn't like him, as they go about on a road trip of sorts.
This isn't a bad movie but just an alright one about a trucker(played by Sly) who wishes to get close to his kid- who sort of doesn't like him, as they go about on a road trip of sorts.
Accepting the wishes of his sick ex-wife (Susan Blakely), truck driver Lincoln Hawk (Sylvester Stallone) tries to reconnect with his son Mike after a ten year absence.
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.
Its along the lines of Rocky V -which was pretty terrible too- and is more of a father/son drama than the sweaty, sinew straining, pulse pounding action you'd probably expect from a movie about arm wresting.Sylvester Stallone is the awesomely named 'Lincoln Hawk' a truck driver trying to reconcile and gain custody of his estranged son after his ex-wife becomes deathly ill.
That part of this film isn't so bad, Sly knows how to do these kinds of action scenes and (I guess) there are some genuine techniques used -It looked good.
Rocky But With Arm Wrestling And A Kid. Continuing my plan to watch every Sly Stallone movie in order, I come to 1987's Over The Top. Plot In A Paragraph: Lincoln Hawk (Stallone) is a trucker who arm wrestles to make extra cash.
This is a funny picture in Sly's filmography, as it was the first time he took a role since 'Rocky' purely for the money (although he still had a hand in the screenplay) Years later, he explained why he agreed to appear in this movie, saying, "(The producer and movies director) Menahem Golan kept offering me more and more money, until I finally thought, 'What the hell - no one will see it!'" It's rumoured the price that made him change his mind was $12 million Basically Rocky with arm wrestling, Stallone is always at his best as the under dog, and Over The Top is no exception, Loggia is as reliable as always, and Susan Blakely (who previously starred with Stallone in 'Lords Of Flatbush' and 'Capone') is fine in her small role, whilst the movie has a great soundtrack with some catchy rock songs.
?! (I can't believe I just mentioned "subtext" in reference to a Stallone arm-wrestling movie, but still...
hawk is a great driver and arm wrestler and looks to win the law Vegas tournament, but not before him and his son bond for the first time in a truck drive across the country.
once again Stallone writes and acts and plays the underdog, very similar to Rocky.i know today we are living a real screwed up world where people love "darkness" and "grittiness" and "realism" in movies but cm on!
i like most of Stallone's movies, any time period, cuz he rocks.
But one the other hand, it has Sylvester Stallone in his top form, in 1987 - it's surely the only reason to watch it anyway.Overall, 8/10 - very nice music, composed by maestro Giorgio Moroder, corny but suitable for this material acting (altrough kid was mehh..), very predictable plot, and arms wrestling championship, when everything comes at the end to glory of fingertips literally.
Along the way they win money through Lincoln's arm wrestling and gradually father and son start to develop a liking for one another.
In each movie like this something needs to bring them together and here it is a road trip and arm-wrestling.
I think Norm McDonald stated it best on a SNL skit with Sly Stallone when he compared this movie to Kramer vs Kramer but with....uh ARM WRESTLING.
It just seemed like the arm wrestling was just tagged on to give Sly a way to win his son back at the end.
The arm-wrestling competition isn't really that great to watch at all, since you already know who is going to win even before the competition starts.
This film does have a pretty good climax with Stallone entering an arm wrestling tournament to win some extra cash.
Sly Stallone stars as Lincoln Hawk who tries to patch up things with his son by entering a Las Vegas armwrestling match.
Ridiculous little film that has truck-driver Sylvester Stallone attempting to get to Las Vegas to win a new rig in an arm-wrestling competition and trying to get custody of his young son (David Mendenhall) after his ex-wife passes away from a long illness.