Review #255: 'The Goonies' (1985)

With the takeover of his home by the local country club imminent, Mikey (Sean Astin), a member of the 'goonie' gang who live in the 'goon docks' area of Oregon, plans a last adventure for him and his gang when he uncovers a map in his father's attic that may lead to the treasure of legendary pirate One-Eyed Willie. Joining him is Data (Jonathan Ke Quan), who is handy with gadgets, Mouth (Corey Feldman), who always lets his mouth get the better of him, and Chunk (Jeff Cohen), a bungling chubby kid who is famous for his 'truffle shuffle'. Meeting up with them later is Mikey's older brother Brand (Josh Brolin) and two girls, Andy (Kerri Green) and Stef (Martha Plimpton). The map leads them to a seaside restaurant that appears derelict, but they soon find it occupied by wanted criminals who may just be after the loot themselves.

So here it is. When we started the Childhood Memories Project, The Goonies was always high on the list to watch, and why wouldn't it be? Virtually everyone from my generation and the generations around me who owned a television when they were a kid would have seen this film many times, and, like me, loved it. It seemed to be constantly on one of the channels, and is the type of film that you can watch from any point and instantly become engrossed. It has everything a kids film could need - pirates, lost treasure, adventure, boys comradery, monsters (well, Sloth). And it has a sad element that could upset any child - the threat of moving away to the unknown and leaving those childhood friends forever. These things make the film timeless, and a true childhood classic.

This was the first time I'd watched the film since my youth, and the first thing that struck me was how dark the film is. There's some scary stuff in here (if you're a kid!) - skeletal bodies, a frozen corpse with a bullet hole in his head, a huge deformed monster chained in a dark room, and Martha Plimpton. There's also a lot of swearing. It's not the type of thing you get in modern day kiddy shit. Those films are too busy breaking into song or filling the screen with flashy effects to stop the X-Box and iPhone generation from losing concentration for 10 seconds and checking their fucking Facebook account. The Goonies gives us the real dirt, danger and sense of adventure that came with childhood, where an abandoned railway line would provide a whole day's entertainment (in my case).

I also found it extremely moving. I'm not sure if it was the nostalgic man-child in me that was transported back to a time where getting back home in time for dinner was the extent of my worries, or if it was from the many beers that I had. Either way, by the end I got all soppy. The Goonies is by no means a brilliant film, but the legacy it left behind it and the sheer scale of it's cult, nostalgic fan base is there for a reason - because it's the perfect childhood adventure film. And for that reason, and for the fact that I've never felt two hours fly by so fast, I'm giving the film five stars. This is the film that gave us the truffle shuffle and 'hey you guys!' after all. I just hope younger generations get to see it and are capable of appreciating it after being brought up in a world of Pirates of the Caribbean sequels, Miley Cyrus and Michael fucking Bay. Goonies never say die.


Directed by: Richard Donner
Starring: Sean Astin, Josh Brolin, Jeff Cohen, Corey Feldman, Jonathan Ke Quan, Kerri Green, Martha Plimpton, John Matuszak
Country: USA

Rating: *****

Tom Gillespie