The Goonies (1985)

Movie Info

Don’t talk bad about The Goonies

The Goon Docks are being sold and the time of the Goonies is ending.  As Mikey (Sean Astin), his brother Brand (Josh Brolin), Chunk (Jeff Cohen), Mouth (Corey Feldman), and Data (Jonathan Ke Huy Quan) prepare to say goodbye to each other, an adventure and a chance to save their homes arises.  With Andy (Kerri Green) and Stef (Martha Plimpton) caught up in the search for the treasure of One-Eyed Willie, the Goonies find themselves pursued by escaped robbers the Fratellies (Anne Ramsey, Robert Davi, Joe Pantoliano) in a race against time…and a mysterious man-monster named Sloth (John Matuszak) could be their greatest hope.

Directed by Richard Donner, The Goonies is an action-adventure film written by Steven Spielberg.  The movie became a box office success and gained a cult audience.

One of the best ’80s team-ups!

I was the perfect age for The Goonies when it was released.  At nine, the characters seemed more like peers who did things I did (but cooler and more adult with swearing etc.) and this was different than a lot of films.  While I’ll admit that The Goonies is largely aimed at preteen and early teens, you’ll always be a Goonie if you saw it as a kid.

The story for The Goonies is a simple adventure.  There are multiple plot holes and widely varying levels of violence.  Sometimes the Fratellis are killers but other times they seem like bumbling crooks.  It isn’t very consistent, but as a kid it didn’t really need to be.  The core of the story is the friendship between the kids and it is meant to be slightly scary but overall safe…something it does accomplish.

Goonies 4 Ever

The cast works well together.  Spielberg’s script does a great job establishing the characters and their idiosyncrasies in a short period of time.  This is key to making them different but identifiable (and relatable to the kids watching).  You can quickly have your favorite characters and your least favorite characters (though the movie does do a good job balancing them).

The movie is pure Spielbergian despite being a Richard Donner movie.  Donner did a great job bring Superman to the screen and dealt with big sets like the Fortress of Solitude, but this movie seems to have the wonder that Spielberg often put in his films (especially at this time).  It could just be his rapport with children, but the script also milks the scenery and makes you want to go to Astoria…if only they had the tunnels and giant pirate ship.

Just as good as the movie…

The Goonies is a classic that is probably only a classic because I grew up with it and so many others did as well.  I can understand how someone who never saw the movie would think it was cheesy (or poorly acted at points), but for me, the movie still works.  It is a fun, summer romp that has legs and doesn’t seem to get old (and once you finish the movie you just have to watch “Goonies R Good Enough” by Cyndi Lauper…a mini-movie in itself that captures the period).  For years there have been talks of a sequel with the kids all grown up, but I hope it actually never happens.  It of course is good to see that the Goon Docks still stand, and it is fun to revisit frequently.