Over the Top: So Bad It's... Kinda Great?

Okay, cinephiles, sometimes you just need to watch something completely ridiculous. And for me, that something was "Over the Top" with Sly Stallone. I mean, a trucker fighting for his son and arm wrestling glory in Vegas? Come on! Look, I'm not going to pretend it's high art. The dialogue is cheesy, the acting is...well, it's Stallone, and the plot is thinner than lasagna noodles. But there's something undeniably entertaining about it. The training montage? Hilarious. The sheer 80s-ness of it all? Glorious. Plus, Robert Loggia is amazing as the grumpy grandpa, full stop. I'm also dying to know who signed off on Stallone's character's name (Lincoln Hawk?!?). The cinematography itself isn't anything to write home about, mostly straight-on shots letting the action speak for itself, which makes sense considering the target audience. But there's one moment that strangely stuck with me: the final slow-motion arm-wrestling match. The sweat, the gritted teeth, the sheer intensity... it's so over-the-top (pun intended!) that it almost becomes operatic. Maybe it's just the years of film school wearing me down, but I was almost invested. Almost. So, yeah, "Over the Top" isn't a cinematic masterpiece. But if you're in the mood for some pure, unfiltered 80s cheese, it's worth a watch. Just don't expect to be intellectually stimulated LOL.