"The Goonies" (1982)

Rating: PG

Genre: Action & Adventure, Comedy, Kids & Family

Directed By: Richard Donner

Written By: Steven Spielberg, Chris Columbus

Released: November 29^th, 1985

Runtime: 115 minutes

Studio: Amblin Entertainment

Summary:

When two brothers find out they might lose their house they are desperate to find a way to keep their home. They find a treasure map and bring some friends along to find it. They are all out looking for the "X" and trying to get away from a group of bad guys who also want the treasure.

Review:

This little 80s gem has become something of a classic, hasn’t it? Up until just recently it was one that I had not yet seen I’m almost ashamed to admit. Now that I have, I’m torn between whether I think this is all deserved, or whether the film is more mediocre than it’s hyped up to be.  

The story has such lovable characters. These are the driving force of the whole movie. Without them, there would be no The Goonies worth watching. Their adventurous nature and warmth pulls us into an otherwise unexceptional plotline. That being said, at the end of the day it’s all a bit of fun, isn’t it? Who doesn’t want to find a treasure map belonging to pirates in their attack that will lead them to gold and jewels in the midst of deep dark cave? We all want a bit of adventure.And the film is aimed at a younger audience after all. 

The film is action packed and peril infused all the way. This can get a bit cluttered in parts and steer a little off the beaten track. There were parts where I had to stop and think – how did they actually get here? I think the whole pirate-aspects of the film were incredibly clichéd. The whole 'one-eyed-Willie' thing was overdone I think. I wish there wasn't a need to have pirates described in this manner because such descriptions almost become associated with them. Why do pirates always have to be missing a body part? It's always a hand, a leg or in this case an eye - it's unnecessary in my opinion and I found it more distracting in this case than anything else. Why not just call him 'Willie'? 'Willie The Pirate'? What is so wrong with that? He was a pirate, yes, but pirates are people as well. I might be on my own with this little pet-peeve. I mean, with all that said, any form of impairment brought up in the film seemed to be looked up to or portrayed in a light of acceptance, so I guess that's something for kids to be exposed to.  

I wouldn’t go so far as to call this film “charmless”. I’ve heard this word being tossed around to describe it. But there is a certain charm to it – why else would it have captured so many young hearts in its day? I almost wish I had seen it when I was at a younger age, I think it could have captured my heart more than it did now. There is something incredibly endearing about it – even if it is all a bit over-hyped. You can never really go wrong with Steven Spielberg at the realms! 

TRAILER: