The Goonies

1985 Action/Adventure

Leonard Maltin wasn't alone when he noticed similarities between Goonies and the 1934 Our Gang comedy Mama's Little Pirate. Adapted by Chris Columbus from a story by Steven Spielberg, the film follows a group of misfit kids (including such second-generation Hollywoodites as Josh Brolin and Sean Astin) as they search for buried treasure in a subterranean cavern. Here they cross the path of lady criminal Mama Fratelli (Anne Ramsey) and her outlaw brood. Fortunately, the kids manage to befriend Fratelli's hideously deformed (but soft-hearted) son (John Matuszak), who comes to their rescue. The Spielberg influence is most pronounced in the film's prologue and epilogue, when the viewer is advised that the film's real villains are a group of "Evil Land Developers." The musical score makes excellent use of Max Steiner's main theme from The Adventures of Don Juan, not to mention contributions by the likes of Richard Marx and Cyndi Lauper. more..

Director: Richard Donner

Starring: Sean Astin, Josh Brolin, Jeff Cohen,Corey Feldman, Ke Huy Quan

 15 Reviews  2 Awards

Reviews

  • It has crooks, bats, cobwebs, skeletons, a lovable monster, an underground grotto and a treasure hidden by some of the most considerate, clue-loving pirates who ever lived. Their ghostly ship is the movie's piece de resistance.

    Janet Maslin - The New York Times

    27 April 2013

  • A rolicking good time is had by all in this adventure that is built on archetypal plot strands that tie together oh so well.

    - Empire

    27 April 2013

  • The Goonies, like Gremlins, shows that Spielberg and his directors are absolute masters of how to excite and involve an audience. "E.T." was more like "Close Encounters"; it didn't simply want us to feel, but also to wonder, and to dream.

    Roger Ebert - The Chicago Sun-Times

    27 April 2013

  • But, fittingly, it's the kids who carry this outing. They're led by Sean Astin, who's rightly more of a dreamer than the others. Jeff B. Cohen engagingly handles the most cliched role, the fat kid who keeps stuffing his face. And I couldn't help wondering if Ke Huy Quan, who played Indy's sidekick in the Temple of Doom, knows that not all movies are made in caves. In any case, you can relax. The Goonies is entertaining despite its calculated flavor.

    Jay Carr - The Boston Globe

    27 April 2013

  • As entertaining as The Goonies finally becomes--and its last hour is mostly one pleasure after another--it's a shame that Spielberg, writer Chris Columbus and director Richard Donner felt the need to take the low road in terms of language.

    Gene Siskel - The Chicago Tribune

    27 April 2013

Awards

  • Best Supporting Actress

    Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films (1986)

  • Best Starring Performance by a Young Actor - Motion Picture

    Young Artist Awards (1986)

Lists

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