The Goonies (1985)
The Goonies (1985)
As a child, I loved The Goonies. The movie seemed to be a rite of passage for every kid growing up in the 80’s, 90’s, and even today. The movie appealed to me because it has treasure hunts! I mean, what kid does not want to go on a treasure hunt? As an adult, I was ready to dive back into the world of nostalgia. The end result? In terms of Spielberg-produced adventures, I did like Gremlins more. That does not mean I disliked this particular movie or anything. It is a fun, highly-energized adventure film with all of those Spielbergian trademarks we all come to know and love. I think I outgrew the main characters. They had wonderful chemistry and acted like normal children, but perhaps I was a little annoyed with them.
Steven Spielberg did not direct the movie, only merely produced it. He oversaw the production, however. Spielberg was one of those innovators who introduced “horror films for children”, the trend that grew massive starting in the 1980’s. He took horrifying concepts and made them kid-friendly, and more fun. These films, while still a little scary, allowed children and adults alike to enjoy the film. Like Gremlins and Ghostbusters, The Goonies is one of those films. This film also was influenced by the first two Indiana Jones films. You see the falling boulders and the sharp spikes. As for the children themselves, I did see ET influences. For the most part, I think the influences were incorporated rather well into the film.
The film was helmed by Richard Donner, who previously directed one of my favorite superhero films, Superman. This shoot was a new challenge for Donner because he worked with kids. He later mentioned the positive and negative aspects for working with children on set. In a sense, he was a teacher for these kids. I think Donner did an excellent job, because making these sort of films is not easy. As for the screenplay, it was written by Chris Columbus, who makes a living with these kind of scripts. Columbus did understand past Spielberg works pretty well.
Mikey Walsh (Sean Astin) and his brother, Brand (Josh Brolin) live in a family that is being forced to move in order for a new golf course to be built…unless money is somehow raised to save their home. Mikey happened to stumble across a treasure map depicting a vast fortune hidden away. The two brothers along with rest of the “Goonies” gang; Chunk (Jeff Cohen), Mouth (Corey Feldman), Andy (Kerri Green), Stef (Martha Plimpton), and Data (Ke Huy Quan), set out to recover this fortune. Their adventure takes them to the evil Mama Fratelli (Anne Ramsay) and her three sons including the disfigured Sloth (John Matsuzak) who decides to help them. In order to find the treasure, they need to find a way past the Fratellis. Goonies never say die!
The cast is filled with young blood who will go on to have excellent careers; namely Sean Astin, Josh Brolin, Joe Pantoliano (one of the Fratelli brothers), and Martha Plimpton. As for this particular film, the performances are fine. The kids definitely have energy to no end, but it can grow stale after awhile. The chemistry between the kids is great and it really feels like they have a bond, which I absolutely loved as a kid. I get why everyone loves Chunk, but I felt his character is too melodramatic and a little annoying. The Fratelli’s are moronic villains, but there is a reason why they are everyone favorite’s villains. Anne Ramsay, although a little over-the-top, is really fun to watch.
Once The Goonies start a-rolling, the action and the thrills do not stop. Some people point out that this film has more to it than most action films. Whether or not that is to your liking will depend on your tastes. The film is loaded with special effects. Some are good, and some…not too good. The music plays well with the film as Cyndi Lauper actually delivered a hit song thanks to the movie. As a child, this film will satisfy your every dream. It has pirate ships, evil cooks, and the sense of adventure. As an adult, this will all depend on your patience. Although I cannot consider the movie a magic-inducing phenomenon it was when I was a kid, I still enjoyed this fast-paced adventure.
My Grade: B
As a child, I loved The Goonies. The movie seemed to be a rite of passage for every kid growing up in the 80’s, 90’s, and even today. The movie appealed to me because it has treasure hunts! I mean, what kid does not want to go on a treasure hunt? As an adult, I was ready to dive back into the world of nostalgia. The end result? In terms of Spielberg-produced adventures, I did like Gremlins more. That does not mean I disliked this particular movie or anything. It is a fun, highly-energized adventure film with all of those Spielbergian trademarks we all come to know and love. I think I outgrew the main characters. They had wonderful chemistry and acted like normal children, but perhaps I was a little annoyed with them.
Steven Spielberg did not direct the movie, only merely produced it. He oversaw the production, however. Spielberg was one of those innovators who introduced “horror films for children”, the trend that grew massive starting in the 1980’s. He took horrifying concepts and made them kid-friendly, and more fun. These films, while still a little scary, allowed children and adults alike to enjoy the film. Like Gremlins and Ghostbusters, The Goonies is one of those films. This film also was influenced by the first two Indiana Jones films. You see the falling boulders and the sharp spikes. As for the children themselves, I did see ET influences. For the most part, I think the influences were incorporated rather well into the film.
The film was helmed by Richard Donner, who previously directed one of my favorite superhero films, Superman. This shoot was a new challenge for Donner because he worked with kids. He later mentioned the positive and negative aspects for working with children on set. In a sense, he was a teacher for these kids. I think Donner did an excellent job, because making these sort of films is not easy. As for the screenplay, it was written by Chris Columbus, who makes a living with these kind of scripts. Columbus did understand past Spielberg works pretty well.
Mikey Walsh (Sean Astin) and his brother, Brand (Josh Brolin) live in a family that is being forced to move in order for a new golf course to be built…unless money is somehow raised to save their home. Mikey happened to stumble across a treasure map depicting a vast fortune hidden away. The two brothers along with rest of the “Goonies” gang; Chunk (Jeff Cohen), Mouth (Corey Feldman), Andy (Kerri Green), Stef (Martha Plimpton), and Data (Ke Huy Quan), set out to recover this fortune. Their adventure takes them to the evil Mama Fratelli (Anne Ramsay) and her three sons including the disfigured Sloth (John Matsuzak) who decides to help them. In order to find the treasure, they need to find a way past the Fratellis. Goonies never say die!
The cast is filled with young blood who will go on to have excellent careers; namely Sean Astin, Josh Brolin, Joe Pantoliano (one of the Fratelli brothers), and Martha Plimpton. As for this particular film, the performances are fine. The kids definitely have energy to no end, but it can grow stale after awhile. The chemistry between the kids is great and it really feels like they have a bond, which I absolutely loved as a kid. I get why everyone loves Chunk, but I felt his character is too melodramatic and a little annoying. The Fratelli’s are moronic villains, but there is a reason why they are everyone favorite’s villains. Anne Ramsay, although a little over-the-top, is really fun to watch.
Once The Goonies start a-rolling, the action and the thrills do not stop. Some people point out that this film has more to it than most action films. Whether or not that is to your liking will depend on your tastes. The film is loaded with special effects. Some are good, and some…not too good. The music plays well with the film as Cyndi Lauper actually delivered a hit song thanks to the movie. As a child, this film will satisfy your every dream. It has pirate ships, evil cooks, and the sense of adventure. As an adult, this will all depend on your patience. Although I cannot consider the movie a magic-inducing phenomenon it was when I was a kid, I still enjoyed this fast-paced adventure.
My Grade: B
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