Take the oath. Join the adventure.
The Goonies is a 1985 adventure comedy film directed by Richard Donner, written by Chris Columbus, produced by Amblin Entertainment, and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. The film stars Sean Astin and Josh Brolin. In 2017, it was selected for preservation by the National Film Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."
"Hey you guys!" - Sloth
Plot
A group of misfits known as the Goonies embark on an epic adventure to locate the lost treasure of the mysterious pirate known as One-Eyed Willy.
My Favorite Part of The Goonies
In the 80s, there's a run of movies called the Amblin films (because they were produced by Amblin Entertainment). Those movies, such as E.T., Back to the Future, Gremlins, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, and more just have a certain nostalgic feel to them. And The Goonies is one of the Amblin movies. It just feels like a classic 80s movie. It's directed by the director of Superman, written by the director of Home Alone and the first two Harry Potter movies, and produced by the director of E.T. and Raiders of the Lost Ark. And you can feel that. There's a child-like sense of wonder that The Goonies has. Exciting fantastical adventures are one of the core elements that Amblin films are known for, and The Goonies is no exception. The characters are all charming. The adventure is fun. This film just feels like a nice, warm blanket that you wrap yourself in.
My Least Favorite Part of The Goonies
While I love the Amblin films, The Goonies has never been one of my personal favorites. I really, really like this movie, but I've always found parts of it to never fully work. I think the adventure becomes a little bit cliched and boring in the end. The whole climax isn't my favorite. I like what they do with Sloth. But I don't really like the villains. And I think it loses steam in the last little bit.
Why The Goonies is Still Very Good
I have so much nostalgia for this film. It's not one of the best 80s movies. It's not one of Amblin's best movies. But it's tons of fun. The characters, from Chunk to Data to Mikey to Brand, are all incredibly memorable. It's quotable. It's fun. It has everything you love about an 80s movie in it, despite having a lot of flaws as well.
Final Thoughts and Score
The Goonies is a very good movie that has the classic Amblin feel to it, even if it has a solid amount of problems. The nostalgia and characters will wrap you up in the child-like wonder of the 80s and cause you to ignore all of the problems this film has.
I will go Savory here. Age range is 5+.
SWEET N' SOUR SCALE
Sweet (Great) Savory (Good) Sour (Bad)
Moldy (Terrible)
"The Goonies"
Fun Factor: 8/10
Acting: 8/10
Story: 7.5/10
Characters: 8/10
Quality: 7.5/10
Directed by Richard Donner
Rated PG for some violence and action, language, potentially frightening images, thematic elements
Released on June 7, 1985
1 hour and 54 minutes
Sean Astin as Mikey Walsh
Josh Brolin as Brand Walsh
Jeff Cohen as Lawrence "Chunk" Cohen
Corey Feldman as Clark "Mouth" Devereaux
Ke Huy Quan as Richard "Data" Wang
Kerri Green as Andy Carmichael
Martha Plimpton as Stef Steinbrenner
John Matuszak as Lotney "Sloth" Fratelli
Anne Ramsey as Mama Fratelli
Robert Davi as Jake Fratelli
Joe Pantoliano as Francis Fratelli