Enemy Mine: Surprisingly Touching, or Just REALLY '80s?

Okay, so I finally got around to watching Enemy Mine. I'd heard about it for years, but never really knew what it was about. The premise, you know, human and alien soldier stranded together, sounded kinda cheesy. And, yeah, it IS pretty '80s, let's be real. The creature design for the Drac was...interesting to say the least, ha! But I was surprised by how much I actually felt watching it. Dennis Quaid (Willis Davidge) and Louis Gossett Jr. (Jeriba Shigan) really sold the whole reluctant-partners turned found-family thing. The scene where Jeriba teaches Davidge about Drac culture and especially the whole reciting-ancestors thing? I straight up teared up. Gossett Jr. brought so much dignity and warmth to the role, even under all that prosthetic makeup. And Quaid does a good job of showing Davidge's slow shift from hatred and anger to genuine affection and respect. The baby Drac was...well, special effects were different back then, lol. But the story of Jeriba's lineage being saved, that was powerful. I think what made it work for me was how it focused on the people (or, well, the beings) involved. It wasn't just about aliens and spaceships and blowing stuff up (though there was some of that!). It was about understanding, empathy, and finding common ground in the face of utter desolation. The ending, with Davidge honoring Jeriba's memory, was legitimately moving. Maybe it IS a little cheesy, but it's CHEESE with a heart. Anyone else have thoughts on this one? Am I just a sucker for found-family tropes, or did anyone else find Enemy Mine surprisingly poignant? And what about the mining guys, were they supposed to be like analogs for real-world oppressors? I feel like there was a lot to unpack there.