Over the Top | Father-Son Bonding and Arm Wrestling
- Forgotten Cinema
- Aug 31
- 2 min read
Updated: Sep 1

We crank up our big rigs and roll straight into the world of Sylvester Stallone’s Over the Top (1987) — a film that dares to ask: what if you combined a heartfelt father-son drama with competitive arm wrestling?
Directed by Menahem Golan and produced under the Cannon Films banner, Over the Top has everything you’d expect from an ’80s Stallone vehicle: muscle, melodrama, and montages. It’s the kind of movie that makes you laugh, shake your head, and still somehow cheer at the end.
Why It Works (Against All Odds)
We genuinely enjoy this flick, even while admitting the plot holes are evident. The emotional through-line, the relationship between Stallone’s Lincoln Hawk and his estranged son Michael, surprisingly lands. Thedynamic between father and son has enough sincerity to carry the film.
And then, of course, there’s the arm wrestling. Stallone sells it. The sweaty close-ups, the slow-motion grit, the endless shots of hands locked in battle. It’s gloriously ridiculous and oddly thrilling. As if Gladiator was remade in the 80s...wait, is that the best idea we've ever had?
Villains, Tone, and That “Over the Top” Balance
One of Field's personal soapboxes this episode? Bull Hurley. Rick Zumwalt’s massive, scowling rival deserves a spot in the pantheon of underrated ’80s villains. He’s a walking, growling symbol of everything Hawk has to overcome, and he makes every match feel larger than life.
As for tone, the film somehow juggles melodrama and sports action without fully collapsing. It’s a Cannon Films special: sincere enough to make you care, but outrageous enough to keep you entertained.
The Final Verdict
Is Over the Top a masterpiece? Not even close. Is it heartfelt, fun, and worth a rewatch? Absolutely. It’s a movie that knows exactly what it is — a half trucker drama and half sports underdog story and we love the 80s of it all.
Listen to this week’s episode on your favorite podcast platform or watch it on YouTube. And don’t forget: when the hat turns backward, it’s game time.
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