Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		5.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

Golden Arm Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf August 17, 2021

Many movies have explored the sport of arm wrestling, but there’s only one film about the subculture that everyone remembers: the 1987 Sylvester Stallone flop, “Over the Top.” The story of Lincoln Hawk and his fight for family and fortune on the arm-wrestling circuit was unintentionally ridiculous, and it provides some inspiration for “Golden Arm,” which isn’t a parody picture, but generally has the idea to use the sport as a way to showcase an enormous amount of silliness. The screenplay is credited to Ann Marie Allison and Jenna Milly, but their contributions are difficult to find, as “Golden Arm” is more of an improvisational festival, with the cast going riff-crazy to find the comedy of the endeavor, keeping the feature loose when it comes to jokes and rigid when it comes to plot. It’s an amusing effort with plenty of arm-wrestling action, but structure isn’t welcome, making the whole thing fatiguing long before it ends.

Danny (Betsy Sodaro) is a big-rig driver making a few bucks on the arm-wrestling circuit, but when she faces brutalizer Brenda (Olivia Stambouliah), she crawls away with a broken hand. Looking for someone to take over her mission to reach the Grand Slam championship, Danny reunites with her college roommate, Melanie (Mary Holland). A baker on the verge of divorce, Melanie is struggling with her soon-to-be ex and a broken oven, in need of big bucks to make things right. She accepts Danny’s offer to become an arm-wrestling competitor, looking to reunite with the physical power she possessed in school. Experiencing a tough training program from bikini bar owner Big Sexy (Dot-Marie Jones), Melanie is marginally toughened up, ready to take on all opponents, working her way to the Grand Slam, keeping Brenda in her sights as she faces her fears.

“Golden Arm” is a low-budget endeavor employing a cast filled with comedians. It’s not meant to be taken seriously, with director Maureen Bharoocha simply trying to keep the whole thing together as it follows a story about an arm-wrestling tournament. However, in the middle of all the horsing around are inventive observations about the indignities of life, as Melanie is a baker who loves her job but faces a broken oven, also encountering a yoga-loving regular who only takes a single bite out of her freebie scone before throwing the baked good in the trash (a wonderfully infuriating and specific character detail). She’s also nearing an exit from a bad relationship, putting the character in a perfect position to deal with arm wrestling training, with Danny turning the meek woman over to Big Sexy for proper shaping, working on her focus and physical strength. “Golden Arm” finds a pleasant rhythm early on with scenes of Melanie confronting her self-worth, supported by Danny, an enthusiastic friend and breathless cheerleader also pushing for success, with hopes to destroy Brenda.

“Golden Arm” is jokey, relentlessly so at times, with the cast encouraged to swing away with anything that pops into their heads. Sodaro is especially active with improvisations, bringing herself to the brink of a heart attack at times as she tries to give the movie nervous energy, exploding with ideas. The effort is appreciable, especially with Holland, who balances her own impulse to launch one-liners and her position as the straight woman of the film, with Melanie exposed to an underworld of arm-wrestling antagonism. Everyone is trying to be funny in “Golden Arm,” which often pauses to allow all cast members a chance to get in on the wackiness, but that slackness creates a clear divide between the gelatinous nature of the improv and the laboriousness of developing subplots, including the arrival of Greg (Eugene Cordero), a major league baseball umpire who falls in love with Melanie during her stay at the tournament. Romance doesn’t have a place in the picture, finding the sweetness unconvincing, with Allison and Milly sticking to screenwriting formula to help the picture find some emotional stability in the midst of constant goofiness.

Golden Arm Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (2.35:1 aspect ratio) presentation for "Golden Arm" preserves the picture's crisp HD-shot look, securing facial features from a variety of actors. Skin surfaces are exact, along with costuming, which retains fibrousness, ranging from shiny lycra to rougher leather gear and denim. Makeup efforts are equally preserved. Interiors retain sharp decoration as the action visits bars and the tournament floor, and exteriors on the open road hold expanse. Colors are lively, emphasizing the strange costumes of the combatants, and lighting showcases varied hues. Skintones are natural. Delineation is satisfactory.

Golden Arm Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA track is handling a low-budget film, with emphasis clearly put on dialogue exchanges. Performances are sharp, capturing all sorts of riffing and yelling, offering pronounced voices throughout the feature. Music is intermittently inspiring, presented in soundtrack cuts, which also secure some low-end heft and surround position. Atmospherics aren't quite as authoritative as one would imagine, finding tournament scenes protecting the acting, not building an immersive environment. Outdoor encounters and group activities are more compelling, and a flashback bit delivers swirling panning effects.

Golden Arm Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features director Maureen Bharoocha and actors Mary Holland and Betsy Sodaro.

• Q&A (35:57, SD) is a video conference discussion of "Golden Arm" with actors Betsy Sodaro, Mary Holland (who's sitting in a car), Olivia Stambouliah, and Dot-Marie Jones, and director Maureen Bharoocha. There's not a lot of deep-dive material here, with platitudes and support the primary objective, though bits and pieces of production and performance information are shared.

• "Arm Break Scene Workshop" (6:02, HD) observes actors Mary Holland and Betsy Sodaro as they figure out how to perform a scene from "Golden Arm," interacting with director Maureen Bharoocha, who's off-camera.

• Audition Footage (4:52, HD) provides an early look at chemistry between stars Mary Holland and Betsy Sodaro.

• "Scene Breakdown from Boxed Light" (4:00, HD) is a breakdown of big rig shooting from director Maureen Bharoocha, who details the effort to get all her footage in a single day, also wrestling with music rights for the Heart song, "These Dreams."

• Deleted and Extended Scenes (15:22, HD) is an assembly of riffing highlights, not scripted subplots, showcasing the improvisational capabilities of the cast.

• "Director's Lookbook Photo Gallery" (7:37, HD) are scans of director Maureen Bharoocha's pre-production ideas, surveying her vision for locations, interiors, and, more extensively, character designs, taking a lot of ideas for arm wrestler costumes from fantasy and action films. Commentary is provided by the helmer.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (2:01, HD) is included.

Golden Arm Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Golden Arm" has laughs. It doesn't need boyfriend issues and lame sitcom-like misunderstands to keep going. There's a freewheeling 75-minute feature trapped inside a wheezy 90-minute comedy, with the movie in need of tightening, keeping focus on Melanie and her entrance into the big leagues of arm wrestling, facing Brenda, a merciless opponent. Simplicity is a friend to "Golden Arm," finding its moments with crazy banter, new terms for bravery ("labes out," replacing "balls out"), and powerful arms doing battle for a large cash prize. That's all the picture really needs, offering some small-scale madness with a fringe sport and unlikely combatants.