Review: The Goonies

The Goonies was released on June 7, 1985. The film starred by Sean Astin, Corey Feldman and Josh Brolin. The film was directed by Richard Donner and was produced by Steven Spielberg.

Synopsis:

A group of young friends, who call themselves The Goonies, find a treasure map that promises great riches. They set out on an adventure to find the treasure so they can use it to save their hometown from being demolished. The quest puts them up against booby traps, a crime family and other life threatening dangers.

Positives:

• The performances by the child stars are fantastic. The kids are very natural, and that helps them feel like real friends that are on a real adventure.

• The Goonies is an extremely energetic film. It still holds up today because the direction, story and performances are constantly operating at a high level.

• The script does an excellent job of making us care about all the characters involved. None of the characters feel short changed, or unneeded in the plot.

• Negatives:

  • There are small issues with the direction, script and performances. Even when those things aren’t handled well, you look past it because The Goonies is so much fun and has such a big heart.

  In Closing:

  The Goonies is one of the first films you think of when you think about the Amblin tone or style of film. The film has its weaknesses, but you look past them because you are having so much fun. The child performances are all top notch and that makes the charm of the picture impossible to resist. The Goonies is one of the best family films ever made.

  Rating: A