My Movie Review on The Goonies · 8:03pm Sep 8th, 2021

Yo, what's up, Kemosabes?

This is your friendly film, TV show, and episode reporter here with another review.

Today, I'm gonna give you guys my take of "The Goonies".

Here's the rundown of this adventure:

During a rummaging the attic of the Walshes' house, a group of kids who call themselves "The Goonies" (which consists of Michael "Mikey" Walsh, Brandon "Brand" Walsh, Lawrence "Chunk" Cohen, Clark "Mouth" Devereaux, and Richard "Data" Wang) discover an old Spanish treasure map that was made by a pirate named One-Eyed Willy. In a desperate attempt to save their neighborhood from being torn down and turned into a country club by a greedy millionaire, the kids decide to follow the map's directions and go find the pirate's treasure.

Along the way, the boys are accompanied by a cheerleader named Andrea Theresa "Andy" Carmichael (who is Brandon's love interest) and her best friend Stephanie "Stef" Steinbrenner.

However, the kids will need to tread carefully. In their search for the treasure, they not only need to be on the lookout for booby traps but be sure to avoid the Fratellis, a family of criminals who certainly aren't afraid of slitting a child's throat.

As with a great many other movies I previously reviewed, "The Goonies" wasn't a movie I planned on reviewing at first. The one time I saw this movie in full was a year or two ago, which was mainly because I was looking for something to be entertained by.

However, after I found out over a month ago that film director Richard Donner passed away, I decided to take the time to review one of the movies he directed as a dedication to him. "The Goonies" was the film I chose to analyze particularly because of its overall significance in the world, so picking a movie was no trouble at all.

So, what are my thoughts on this movie?

Well, there is one nitpick I have regarding it. As with many movies from the 1980s, the film had quite a bit of cussing, which hardly makes "The Goonies" appropriate for children. It's something that I'm also starting to think was pretty commonplace in Richard Donner's directorial works, because I've seen another movie or two he directed that had quite a bit of cussing.

As a matter of fact, I'm surprised this movie wasn't re-rated from "PG" to "PG-13" by the MPAA rating system. Not only due to the cussing, but because there are elements in "The Goonies" that are too intense and scary for the little ones. The elements outside of the cussing that I believe make the film qualifiable for a PG-13 rating are the booby trap sequences, the moments showing skeletons and dead people, and how intimidating the Fratellis are.

Other than that, the film as a whole proved to be a rollicking great time!

For instance, the direction by Richard Donner, the story by Steven Spielberg, and the screenplay by Chris Columbus, were extremely well-done.

Combined together, the three filmmakers created a mystery-adventure that was enrapturing to a tee. I actually found myself hoping that the kids would find the treasure and that the Fratellis wouldn't catch them. The way they also made sure things wouldn't get predictable was fun too, and the film contained thrilling and suspenseful moments that were great enough to put people on the edge of their seats. There was a large amount of heart and emotion as well, which particularly came from the growing friendship between "Chunk" and "Sloth" and the bonds shared between the kids.

The overall comedy was fun too. Every joke was executed with wonderful timing and fluency, and there was an innocence to the humor that helped it be entertaining no matter what. One of my favorite moments in particular was the part where "Chunk" was telling the Fratellis his life story while they were interrogating him, which made me bust out with laughter!

The performances of the cast, characters, and character development were terrific, if I may add.

As I watched the film, I noted that the cast members were playing their parts with incredible authenticity and naturalism. It was like they hardly needed any coaching when it came to getting into character or figuring out how best to portray their parts, and everyone onboard looked like they were having fun being there. Not to mention the characters were all deeply engaging and fun to hang with, especially "Chunk". The character development in articulation was awesome too, especially from that of the Goonies themselves, the Fratellis, "Sloth", Andrea, and Stephanie.

Finally, the music by Dave Grusin was marvelous.

Every melody Grusin made for "The Goonies" was one that I found to be instantly enjoyable and memorable, and the score fit the movie's concept like a glove. As a matter of fact, I'm surprised that Grusin didn't get many offers to compose for other projects thanks to his work on this film.

In conclusion, "The Goonies" isn't a perfect film. But, thanks to having a great sense of fun, humor, adventure, and heart, the movie's definitely worth watching. Even more than once, really.

So, I rate "The Goonies" 4½ out of 5 stars.

Rest In Peace, Richard Donner (August 24, 1930-July 5, 2021).

Regardless of whether or not you always achieved success, you were truly one of the most talented filmmakers in history. Thank you, for sharing your creativity and imagination with the world.