Explanation

In my opinion, the reason why this movie did not do well at the box office back in '87 was because it was advertised as an action movie only. The fact is that this more resembles the original Rocky film in that it is a drama with pieces of action but not at all a complete action film. Despite that, this is a very underrated film with some (okay maybe a lot of)"over the top" acting. The point is that even with those flaws, it is still a great movie with a redeeming and good story line that delivers important values/lessons for us all.

Saw it as a kid, did not disappoint.

Its just an Ok movie. Sure, you could rip apart the plot, the acting, pretty much anything about this movie, but why? You should not buy this movie to see a great film about overcoming the odds and rivaling Kramer vs. Kramer. Its a movie about driving trucks and arm wrestling guys that drink oil. And in the end, isn't that all that really matters?

Does it really get more B than a movie about an arm-wrestling truck driver? I didn't think so.

Wow! I mean, where to begin? Ok, first good old Sly Stallone is the star of the show, as well as co-writer of the screenplay. If that doesn't scream B to you then you're just not listening. There are just so many elements of B in this one. Namely the fact that they can't even decide if Sly's character's name is Lincoln Hawk or Lincoln Hawks. Then there's the great parenting skills displayed by Sly. The first time he sees his son in 10 years, he takes him to his big rig and tries to arm-wrestle him. The aforementioned big rig is equipped with a Lincoln original forearm press machine so he can hone his arm-wrestling skills while driving. Pure genius!

Hawk is going to need the practice to face...Bull Hurley! This imposing 5 time world arm-wrestling champ's mantra is "I drive truck, break arms, and arm-wrestle." How you can take that in and not be rivited, I'll never know. Sid the Elf noticed something watching Over the Top. Most of Sly's movies are pretty much the same premise with interchangable plots and characters. To the B novice, Sly isn't the first name that comes to mind, but think again. Sly is that rare person who has a big name, but is really B with very few people making the observation. But thats what we, Sid the Elf are here for.

This classic B flick easily recieves the Sid the Elf Seal of Approval. Do yourself a favor and buy this one for years of priceless entertainment. This movie is a great choice for the novice B viewer due to it's sheer ridiculous content. What other film can you find a competitor whose pre game meal is a cigar and a jug a valvoline motor oil? We could go on until next weeks B review, but we'll end here. Again if you are up for a good old fashioned B evening, pick up this work of art. Just a heads up, be on the look out for a packed month of Sly reviews most likely starting in August.