|
 
|
 |
Over
the Top (1987)  
_150w.jpg) |
Directed
by:
Menahem Golan |
|
COUNTRY
USA |
GENRE
Action/Drama |
NORWEGIAN
TITLE
Over the Top
|
RUNNING
TIME
93
minutes |
|
|
Produced
by:
Yoram Globus
Menahem Golan |
|
Written by:
Sylvester
Stallone
Stirling Silliphant |
Review
From
Sylvester Stallone's catalogue of some of the softest films in
movie history, Over the Top represents, if possible, the mushiest
of them all. This is the ultimate raid on the vault of clichés. What's
even more impressive is that the screenwriter (Stallone himself, of course) mostly
raids his own vault. Alter a few locations and a couple of characters (though never the lead), and
the dramaturgy here is identical to almost anything Stallone
had written before. Filmmakers who follow the same
thematic line throughout a career are often labelled auteurs, but
in Stallone's case that would be pushing it. There's no fundamental difference between the
story of Lincoln Hawk and the story of Rocky Balboa, except that this
one is a lot worse.
Over
the Top is so banal and simplified that it completely defies logic. It's the ultimate narrow-sighted,
Americanised worldview – the extreme polarisation of everything: intellectuals vs. "workers",
rich vs. poor, good vs. bad. In this universe, everyone isn't just
a stereotype; everyone is a caricature. And what's
worse, Stallone expects these people to evoke emotion in us.
From
the silly custody fight to the moronic arm-wrestle competition, this is
complete cinematic waste. To say that Over the Top is over the top
would be giving it credit it doesn't deserve. It's more a case of bottom
of the pit. I feel sorry for the poor, young
Ray Liotta lookalike who actually makes an effort. That might go
for director Menahem Golan as well, but he is so out of touch with
authentic human reasoning that he doesn't really count. Shame on Robert Loggia, though, for
letting himself get dragged into this project.
|
|
