The Goonies

It was in 2001 or thereabouts that I watched and listened to the audio commentary track that is on the DVD version of The Goonies. Nostalgia is a wonderful thing, and seeing how the principal cast had aged (or hardly aged in Josh Brolin's case) was worth the price of admission on its own. But this is just one of The Goonies' selling points. Despite what the IMDb's ratings would have you believe, it is an immortal classic that warrants repeated and frequent viewings. It is not a coincidence that many of its cast and crew have repeatedly appeared in all sorts of productions before and since. Indeed, this was probably the first film that introduced me to the reality that the same actor will often play ten different parts in ten different films when I realised that Jonathan Ke Quan was the same brat that made parts of Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom so amusing. Seeing him in the video-enhanced commentary of the DVD nearly two decades later was a surprise and a half.

The film revolves around a group of children and adolescents who live in the poorer, less trendy part of a beachfront town. Unlike an episode of Barney, every member of this principal group is given a background and a string of differences from their castmates. You will not see the teenaged Brand responding to the same situation in the same manner as the ten year old Mikey, and that is where a major part of the film's strength is derived. The only weakness in the characterisations is with Martha Plimpton and Kerri Green, who join the adventuring boys a little way into the film. Exactly what they are doing other than giving the character of Brand something similar to himself to bounce his more adult-oriented lines from is anyone's guess, but they do work in their limited capacity. It is just a pity that Chris Columbus' screenplay did not give them a little more to do, other than defuse one fiendish trap towards the end of the ride.

Speaking of fiendish traps, the adventurers journey from one puzzling location to the next with barely a stop for breath. It works because unlike similar adventure films where the director expects us to be impressed by a fiendish-sounding name, the specific places that are visited by the Goonies have function. The bone piano shown in one such sequence, for example, would appear in the nightmares of children learning a regular piano for years after the film's theatrical release. It also gives Corey Feldman a good chance to act out a character who speaks very fluent Spanish. And while I am on that subject, who could forget the immortal scene early on in the film where Mouth deliberately loses something in the translation when Rosalita is shown around? But the prize for scene-stealing goes to John Matuszak, who plays the unofficial eighth Goonie, Sloth, with a weird aplomb that may well scare the willies out of parts of the intended audience. But then, in 1985, scaring the intended audience a little was considered a healthy part of making a film for those in the age ranges depicted here.

They say you cannot have a good protagonist without a good antagonist to bounce off. Robert Davi, Joe Pantoliano, and Anne Ramsey provide antagonists so good that they utterly hose the rule about not working with animals or children. The Fratellis work so well here because they are working with children. The late Anne Ramsey played her part so well that the mere thought of watching her in anything scared the willies out of me for years. Nowadays, as I have fully realised the mechanics behind film for some years, I am keen as mustard to see some of her other work in such pieces as Throw Momma From The Train (now there's a title that brings images to mind) or Meet the Hollowheads. That a performance can produce two entirely different reactions in the same person at different stages of their life should tell you all you need to know about its quality. Robert Davi and Joe Pantoliano are somewhat overshadowed here, but the manic, cackling quality of their introductory act also left quite a lasting impression.

You might have noticed that I have so far only mentioned the special effects in passing while heaping praise upon the acting. This is because unlike films such as the recent Star Wars prequels, the effects complement the acting rather than overshadow it. From what I am able to tell, all of the effects in The Goonies are practical, and some of them quite inventive. There is no use of blood squibs, which may disappoint some viewers, but there are enough mechanical sets and air vents to fill three films. Some of these effects did not turn out so well and were cut from the final film (the squid sequence being the most famous example), but unlike a lot of films that depend on special effects for a crucial element, everything shown in the final cut is in perfect sync here. Suspension of disbelief is never an issue, which is just as well considering some of the preposterous things that roll by the screen with a certain nonchalance.

I gave The Goonies a ten out of ten. Like Superman or the original Lethal Weapon, it shows that Richard Donner knows how to make a classic. Now that it is twenty years old, it stands forever as a relic of a time when the world of those under the age of eighteen was far less oppressive. If you have not introduced your children around the age of ten or greater to its joys and moments, then shame on you.

The Goonies, what a fun movie. I will admit Richard Donner's direction was a little too leisurely and there are some parts in the middle half that are too slow and falls dangerously into cloying sentimentality. Still this childhood favourite of mine is great fun from beginning to end. No matter how thin the story is, it has an intriguing premise and Donner and Chris Columbus keep the action going strong and the adventure fun enough for the younger audience. The script is funny and affectionate, the music is memorable and in general the special effects are good. The image of the pirate ship was mind blowing and the cinematography and costumes are very well done. The performances are very good; while Sean Astin and Corey Feldman are the standouts of the child cast, it is Anne Ramsey who steals the show as Ma Fetali in a effortlessly over the top and deliciously evil performance, very like Diana Dors in The Amazing Mr Blunden. All in all, a fun adventure yarn. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Just prior to graduating with a degree in Film Studies a lecturer asked us, "So what's your favourite film now?" Whilst my peers spouted out Goddard films and obscure German expressionist shorts I sat quietly thinking; my favourite film has been My Favourite Film since I was seven... So when it came to me and I mumbled "The Goonies", I was expecting scorn, ridicule and possibly minor injury, but instead was met with concurring shouts and whoops and cries of "Hey you gu-uys!" from the rest of the class. You see this is the unifying thing about The Goonies; mention it in a room full of twenty-somethings and they'll whell up and utter "Sloth loves Chunk" or adopt a harassed Chinese tone "Thats what I said...Booty traps!". And if that room happens to be a pub, several chairs will scrape back and semi-inebriated grown men will lift their shirts, shake their bellies and revel in the truffle shuffle. People may say it's an Indiana Jones wanna-be I think that is the defining beauty of it all. When we first watched The Goonies it was like watching our dreams come true on screen! We'd loved seeing Indiana's adventures and escapades and in The Goonies we saw kids like us actually doing it! They got to be just like the mini-Indies we imagined ourselves to be in the playground. But its not just the adventure that makes us love the film, we love those Goonies themselves. They were like our friends. We got annoyed with them sometimes, and we wanted to protect them, and we laughed at their jokes and cheered when they had a brilliant plan. Identifying with those kids was what we loved and why, as adults, we quote them and 'become' them when talking about the film. I still want to be like Andy, having a perilous adventure sliding down tunnels and facing the bad guys on a huge pirate ship... but of course also making time to kiss Brand AND Mikey! I also think that this is why Goonies 2 is such a relevant and exciting concept. We've all grown up together and I'd love to see how the guys are doing now...I just hope it doesn't disappoint... So if you've not seen it do it right now, and if you have kids sit them down, hold their hand through the scary bits and enjoy! They'll thank you in twenty years time!

I first saw this in the late 80s on a vhs. Revisited it recently. Only kids from the 80s will appreciate this film cos mayb its nostalgic, bicycling around the neighborhood, working out with a bull worker, etc.

A bunch of kids attempt to save their homes from foreclosure and, in doing so, they discover an old treasure map that takes them on a perilous journey and during the journey they are chased by a family of criminals.

The Walsh family house is a real home n has a lovely picturesque look. Mama Fratelli running around is hilarious. The settings of Astoria, Oregon is serene n very pleasant.

The first time I saw THE GOONIES was at a friend's house right when it was a "new release" on video. After the best times I had in my life watching it, the friend established a "Goonie" club for the fun of it. Perhaps your past childhood memories would have been the same, too! While the movie is a tad heavy on the stupid foul jokes, it does have the imagination of willing to trek around for some perilous adventures, plus a few spooks. There possibly was never a movie like this providing tons of fun and laughter during the time. The characters and their personalities were most original, including "Data" and his supply of gadgets, and "Chunk" with his obese but likeable image (love that "Truffle Shuffle"!). But "Sloth" easily stole the show with his own likeable personality, a goon with the weirdest face I've ever seen in my life! Just think of how fun it is to discover lost treasure, when you know it's only fantasy. Four key things come to mind with THE GOONIES: pirate ships, teenagers, the Frattellis, and Cyndi Lauper. They're actually "good enough" and they go together in this memorable journey! Kudos to Richard Donner for bringing me a movie that I've seen over 100 times and never stop enjoying! After all these years, I'm STILL waiting for a sequel!

HIT PUREE!!!