Director: Richard Donner
Writers: Steven Spielberg (Story), Chris Columbus (Screenplay)
Running time: 110 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 12
Genre: Adventure/Comedy/Family
UK Release date: 29th November 1985
Watched on DVD Saturday 19th November 2011.
PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.
Ok, so this is a bit of a cult film for people of a certain age. I am (maybe) a little old to have been captured by it (I was in my 20’s when it was released), but having seen it a couple of times I can see why it got the following it did. The first time was on TV and it was a version that had been cut back quite a bit to allow a daytime showing. This didn’t really work (for me) and so I got the DVD which has a much better, uncut, version of the film. I will give you my thoughts after this brief summary.
The Goonies are a bunch of kids who live in Astoria. They are; Mikey, Mouth, Chunk and Data, joined on this particular adventure by Mikey’s brother, Brand, and two girls, Andy and Stef. All of their houses are under threat of foreclosure as the local country club looks to expand. None of the families can afford to stay and it looks like they are all going to have to move away. On their last day the boys are messing about in Mikey’s dad’s attic when they find an old pirate treasure map. Mikey is a bit of a dreamer and persuades the others to go looking for the treasure. Throw in a criminal family, the Fratelli’s, and you got yourself an adventure you just won’t believe! I’ll leave it there or the Spoiler Police (pirate division) will have me walking the plank again.
Beautifully made with some excellent special effects (remember, no CGI back then) and a great score, it’s great to look at. All the kids did an excellent job; Sean Astin as Mikey, Josh Brolin as Brand, Jeff Cohen as Chunk, Corey Feldman as Mouth, Kerri Green as Andy, Martha Plimpton as Stef and Jonathan Ke Quan as Data. The Fratelli's were also pretty good, so honourable mentions go to; John Matuszak as Sloth, Robert Davi as Jake, Joe Pantoliano as Francis and Anne Ramsey as Mama.
With a story by Steven Spielberg and having been made very much in his style, I can definitely see the appeal. The dialogue and the style put me very much in mind of the old 1930’s black and white comedies that featured kids as the main characters. Don’t ask me to name any of them, I lost those brain cells many years ago. If anything, I did find it a little too long and some of the jokes did tend to get a bit tired towards the end. Having said that though, it’s still a fine film and well worth a look if you happen to come across it… Recommended.
My Score: 8.1/10
IMDb Score: 7.5/10 (based on 74,589 votes at the time of going to press).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0089218/
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 63/100 (based on 41 reviews counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/goonies/
FAVOURITE QUOTES:
Mikey: It was a retropactum!
Brandon Walsh: Retrospective!
Mikey: See! That's what I said! You always contradict me... I know what I was saying. It was on the history of Astoria and these are the rejects!
Chunk: Kinda like us... Mikey. The Goonies.
Mouth: I'm not a reject!
Mikey: Take that stuff off, you'll get me in trouble
[Mikey calls for a bathroom break]
Mikey: Okay, this is the little boys' room, and that cave over there is the little girls' room.
[Brandon heads to a different cave]
Mikey: Brand, where're you going?
Brandon Walsh: This is the *men's* room.
Harriet Walsh: [Sirens wailing] Where are my boys?
Harriet Walsh, Irving Walsh: Mikey? Brand?
Mikey: Hi mom. Hi dad. I guess we're in big shit now right?
LINKS:
Trailer:
Posts
3 comments:
I watched this on TV for the first time in ages, and I loved it. My little brother was watching it for the first time and he loved it too, which is great. Anyways, great review Andy
Great review! Never got to seeing this one as it has not interested me until now, you have quite a convincing review!
Love the Goonies! Thanks for sharing!!!
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