The Goonies - A Movie Review
'The Goonies' is an 80s classic.
It’s time for the next Goonie adventure. Where are we going today?
The Goonies was released to theaters in 1985. A group of kids on one last Goonies adventure. In hopes that they’ll find the treasure of One-Eyed Willie, the kids find themselves on an adventure of a lifetime.
The Goonies is an 80s classic. Adventure is given the ultimate definition. I remember laughing numerous times the first time I watched it. The Goonies is about adventure and friendship. However, after viewing it many times, the film contains a long run-time.
Without the cast of memorable young actors, the film would not be what it is. The boys did a great job in their interactions constantly bickering, teasing, and small moments of comfort. Sean Astin, Corey Feldman, Jeff Cohen, and Ke Huy Quan were excellent. I especially enjoyed Cohen’s humorous deliveries.
There’s also a notable appearance by Josh Brolin. I enjoyed his subplot with Kerri Green. Though part of me feels like she and Martha Plimpton were not necessary for the film. They were mainly there as female leads, to argue with the boys, and in Green’s case, cried too much about the situation.
The late Anne Ramsey has forever left a legacy on the film world with her exceptional character acting. Several memorable characters occupy the screen. Other credits include Robert Davi, Joe Pantoliano, and the late John Matuszak. The bickering between Davi and Pantoliano also got annoying, dragging out the film.
Scattered with multiple subplots, the journey to find the pirate ship is long. The film could have been shorter. Noticeable filler is added. Filmmakers included scenes that didn’t have to be in the final product. And Cohen disappears through the majority of the film and doesn’t arrive back into the story until the climax. He is the highlight of the cast!
Because this is a character film, writers wanted to study the relationship between each character. We get their personalities and relationships as soon as the film starts. It’s a film about childhood. We can all relate to that. It’s important to make friendships and go on adventures.
The sets for The Goonies were great. The caves had an excellent design. One significant set piece in the film was real! It’s honestly my favorite segment. Aside from designs, there were noticeable special effects. I will give a shoutout to the makeup department for a startling makeover for one of the characters.
The Goonies have several behind-the-scenes treasures. Working on this film was a memorable adventure for all. Watch the commentary of the film and you’ll hear many stories from the making of the film.
Richard Donner did a wonderful job enforcing the acting talents of several young actors. He sparked genuine reactions. I like how he let the cast feel what was right for the scene and their characters. Donner could have achieved a better format for the story so it would not have dragged it out. He didn’t bother to fix a scene when a character mentions a deleted scene.
After catching more showings of The Goonies, I feel like the film worked on too much filler. It’s distracting how the boys act more like young children than pre-teens. Instead of calling it treasure, they chose to call it ‘rich stuff.’ That’s something a small child would say. It got annoying. There are too many bickering sequences, often filling the audio.
Still, that doesn’t stop The Goonies from being a cult classic. It’s a fun and gripping adventure until the very end. If you need a laugh and a new adventure, you should watch The Goonies.
About the Creator
Marielle Sabbag
Writing has been my passion since I was 11 years old. I love creating stories from fiction, poetry, fanfiction. I enjoy writing movie reviews. I would love to become a creative writing teacher and leave the world inspiring minds.
Comments
There are no comments for this story
Be the first to respond and start the conversation.