Okay, LISTEN: Is 'Over the Top' Actually Underrated?

Alright film nerds, Jordan here. I've been diving deep into '80s action lately (because, why not?) and just rewatched 'Over the Top.' Look, I know, I KNOW. It's peak Stallone cheese. But hear me out. I think it's more interesting than people give it credit for, especially if you kinda squint and treat it like a metaphor. Think about it: Hawk (Stallone) is fighting for his son, for redemption, for a connection he's been denied. The arm wrestling becomes this visual representation of his internal struggle. Every match is a hurdle, every opponent a manifestation of the obstacles keeping him from his kid. The training montage? It's not just ridiculous '80s excess, it's him forging himself into the man he needs to be. When he turns his hat around – COME ON! That's character development! (Okay, maybe I'm reaching a little.) Now, obviously, the dialogue is clunky, and the kid is...a kid actor. But there's a raw, emotional core there that resonates, at least for me. The final showdown with his father-in-law is operatic in its ridiculousness. And maybe that's the point? Maybe director Menahem Golan (I know, I know) was going for an intentionally heightened reality to emphasize the symbolic nature of Hawk's journey? I'm not saying it's Tarkovsky, but I'm also not saying it's just dumb fun. What do you guys think? Am I crazy, or is there something kinda… profound buried under all that sweat and spandex?