The Gauntlet: Clint's Most Underrated (Maybe?) OR Just Overrated?

Okay, so I just re-watched The Gauntlet. And I gotta admit, I'm still on the fence. Everyone always talks about Clint Eastwood's classics – Dirty Harry, Unforgiven, blah blah blah. But The Gauntlet? It barely gets a mention. Is it because it's actually bad, or are people just missing something? I mean, the premise is ridiculous, right? A Vegas hooker (Sondra Locke, who, let's be honest, isn't exactly Meryl Streep here) who knows too much, and Clint's washed-up cop has to drag her across the desert while literally everyone tries to kill them. The sheer absurdity of it all is almost charming. But then again, maybe it's just too dumb? That scene where they're in the bus and it gets shot to pieces...come on. It's peak '70s over-the-top action, but it kinda feels like they just threw money at explosions without much rhyme or reason. And don't even get me started on the finale. The armored bus driving through the firing squad? Did anyone actually buy that for a second? Still, something about the film's gritty, cynical vibe resonates. The bleakness of Shockley's character, the way everyone in power is corrupt... Maybe I'm just a sucker for that stuff. So, is it a hidden gem, a guilty pleasure, or just plain garbage? I'm genuinely curious what other people think. Am I crazy for even considering it underrated? Or is everyone else right to ignore it?