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Over The Top really wants to be two movies: A serious movie with heart, concerned with one man's desire to rebuild a deteriorating relationship with his son; and an excessively homoerotic action movie showcasing the testosterone of lots of big, sweaty, hairy men as they grapple with one another for the World Arm Wrestling Championship.

Stallone shows his vulnerable side as a freelance trucker named Hawk, whose dying ex-wife promotes a reunion between him and his rich, twelve-year-old son, Michael (Robert Loggia). The two soon develop a bond via long journeys through the countryside and hustling the occasional meat-head for some extra cash at local diners.

"When you want something, you gotta take it," says Hawk, and "in life, no one meets you halfway." An interesting philosophy of everyday life, yes, but one can't help but laugh as Stallone then proceeds to curl his fingers over the thumbs of various inbreds within America in an attempt to prove his masculinity.

Stallone achieved the right balance between sentiment and sport in the Rocky series, but Menahem Golan's film fails to reach that level. Despite Over The Top, arguably, containing one of Sly's most developed character performances in a single film, the notable, touching chemistry between him and his onscreen son is overshadowed by the hilarity of arm wrestling comic book characters in spandex.

For example, there's a particular moment when Hawk and his reunited son stop to order lunch and attempt become reacquainted. Hawk is soon confronted by some seemingly-bad motherfucker in a sleeveless shirt who wants to test his wits in an arm wrestling match. Hawk rejects at first (thinking of his son, of course) but quickly reconsiders the offer, turns his cap backwards and flexes his trademark snarl as he walks towards the chosen table to grapple -- seemingly transformed into a completely different character. I can understand the whole "action persona" been provoked to come out here, but you have to laugh at the extremity of it all.

The care-free entertainment that comes from physical storytelling appears completely parallel to the father-son love bond that the producers so badly want you to take seriously in this film. Over The Top does end up being entertaining in spurts, but not ultimately satisfying (we're definitely not talking Rocky here).

With such considered, it is not difficult to see why the film received average-to-negative reviews at the time of its release, as well as a steady cult following over the years since. You'll smile, you'll laugh and you'll definitely cringe. Not a bad series of responses to a movie based on arm wrestling, though... of all the things.

(C) Andy Carrington, 2010.