The Goonies

Starring: Sean Astin, Josh Brolin, Jeff Cohen, Corey Feldman, Kerri Green, Martha Plimpton, Jonathan Ke Quan, John Matuszak, Robert Davi, Joe Pantoliano, Anne Ramsey
Directed by: Richard Donner
Rating: PG
Genre: Adventure, Comedy
1985

Times Seen:
Tim: 3

Summary: A group of friends embark on a dangerous quest for hidden pirate loot.

Review:

Tim: The Goonies is a classic 80s adventure film. If you grew up in the 1980s (like I did), it's almost impossible not to have fond memories of this film. You have a group of closely knit friends who go on a treasure hunt to find buried pirate treasure. You have bumbling villains to provide a little danger, booby traps to keep you focused, even a couple of girls thrown in to add some zest to the quest. It's a young boy's ideal adventure. Watching this movie as a kid, I loved it. Fast forward quite a few years, and while there are things that annoy me, for the most part, this is a very entertaining film.

The movie has some serious talent behind it. Steven Spielberg came up with the story, Chris Columbus wrote the screenplay, Richard Donner directed the film, and Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall executive produced it. That's impressive. With that much talent, you just know something good will come out of this.

The in-front of camera talent is strong, too. I really like Sean Astin in the lead role. He's so young, but there was just something so likeable and relatable about him. He makes a very good lead. I'm not a big fan of Corey Feldman, but he made a good #2 here. It was great fun seeing Josh Brolin in an early role. When I watched this film in the 80s, Brolin was just the annoying older brother. It's funny to think about where his career went from here. Jonathan Ke Quan was a nice addition and had some very funny moments. Jeff Cohen really needed to show a little restraint, as he was just way too over-the-top. The same can be said for Robert Davi and Anne Ramsey. Turn it down some! Joe Pantoliano also occasionally strayed into that same territory, but he managed to be a bit better.

Part of my issues with the cast translate into my issues with the film as a whole. The movie just feels unnecessarily melodramatic. Think about how much of this film involves people screaming. It starts to get laughable. Director Richard Donner really needed to tone it down just a bit. There's a big cast and many scenes feature most of them screaming or yelling, all simultaneously. I get some of that, but there were many times when yelling seemed completely unneeded, yet it happened regardless. This movie would have been better with a little more quiet reflection from the characters.

While the annoying screaming probably cost this film a shot at true greatness, there's something amazing about how this film captures the ideal young boy's fantasy about a great adventure. Sure, the whole thing isn't very believable as an adult, but that doesn't take away from the fun and wonder this movie creates in the young, The Goonies is a true 80s classic and a really important movie to my childhood.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 7.5


If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Honey I Shrunk the Kids, Rudy