The Goonies
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Movie Reviews of The Goonies
Movie Review: The Goonies
Summary: 5 Stars
I never tire of this movie, I've seen it dozens of times and still love it.Movie Review: Underrated Gem
Summary: 4 Stars
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I am NOT reviewing the DVD. Just the movies unless otherwise stated.
Please note that the rating above might not accurately reflect my thoughts, you will see a rating sentence at the end of the review.
This movie achieved 3 times it's original budget, but it wasn't nearly one of the top grossing films of the year. Meaning, it had a low budget. It was so lucky to get Steven Spielberg, that guy knows what movie to do weather or not he gets a paycheck. Now, that doesn't always be the case.
Of course I have to talk about S.S. Film for a second, I love that guy. He did infact do E.T., Close Encounters, Gremlins, Jaws, Back to the Future, Blues Brothers Duel, Indiana Jones Tetra logy, Hook, Jurassic Park Trilogy, Saving Private Ryan, Men in Black Duo logy, Schindler's List, Poltergeist, he too me is the best director/producer/writer of all time. However, in his early years and frankly his later years, he hasn't done quite as much as his prime. He rejected offers to do Superman - The Movie, King Kong and Jaws 2, which would have been awesome had Spielberg done it. Don't get me wrong, I love Superman - The Movie and King Kong and Jaws 2 have qualities most people don't talk about. However, if Spielberg directed those films they would have been both more successful and better.
I feel the best films are directed by Spielberg. Lately, he has done a lot more artsy films. I'm okay with these, and some are masterpieces, but some of them bug me. Needless to say, Steve better get back off his @$$ and do some Sci-Fi and Horror. Which, he has, including War of the Worlds, A.I., and the Transformers soon-2-be trilogy, along with the new Indiana Jones [& The Kingdom of the Crystal Scull.] However, his ratio is Dramas:Sci-Fi as is 2.5:1 at mid-range. I also have a problem with one film he directed: the Money Pit. Need I say more? Worst movie ever. That's alright though, everyone has there ups and downs.
A few movies that I would have loved Spielberg talent in :Superman Tetra Logy, Batman Motion Picture Anthology, Jaws Sequel Trilogy, King Kong, The Terminator Quadrilogy, Alien Quadrilogy, Predator Duo logy, AVP Soon-2-Be Trilogy, X-Men Trilogy. X-Men Origins, Cloverfield, Any of the Star Trek/Star Wars Movies, Harry Potter Films, Lord of the Rings Soon-2-Be Tetra logy, Sings, and of course, The Matrix Trilogy+1. @#$%ing He11 any God Dam movie would have been awesome with Spielberg! Now, I do love all these movies, I just think...heck, every single Sci-Fi, Fantasy and Sci-Action-Fi film shoudl have had Spielberg in some form.
Now that you've heard my thoughts about the Producer ans Writer, lemme talk a little about the movie. This movie is a classic, but watching it on a small screen will not do it justice. This is something for you too talk yourself into and immerse yourself. A true trip back to childhood, in a way that nobody expects. You never think of these memories of your childhood that the Goonies go through because you feel "you're to @#$%ing sophisticated to have been such a person." Lighten up Jack! We all asked our mom if we could go out naked when we were 4! Did We? DID WE?!!?!! I think we did. For those who haven't seen the movie, nobody is younger than 10 I'm just using a comparison. There is no nudity.
This movie does appear to be a little dated, which if you're patient, adds to the charm. The characters...well Chunk is the side of us that is clumsy and naive, he is the innocence and dishonestly in our childhood. The one that lies when he knows he's lying yet he thinks he is telling the truth. Chunk is the part of us that wants too live in the dreamworld, replicated as Oz in those Oz films, but since he cannot brings it into the real world. Sloth is the guy who shows us the part that is outcast by the adults and can be accepted by children. This also replicates innocence. He is the feeling we have "why doesn't anybody like me." And on a scale, nobody does. They don't like that part of you. Only you and the righteous like that part of you. And that part of you is what makes you different and special. Here, he is accepted by the Goonies, representing the Goonies as a whole as the good people in the world.
You know, this movie is just as symbolic as the Disney Alice in Wonderland. It's just discredited for being understated.
Ma Fratelli is someone in our lives. That teacher we hate, the times when our mom yells at us, the stranger who asks us for change, the bad neighbor, or just some idiotic creep. Just someone we really, really hate as a kid. That evil person who doesn't give a dam about childhood. She just wants money, and can't even remember being a child. YOU SEE THIS KIND OF PERSON IN CHILDRENS MOVIES ALL THE TIME! Not that this is a kids movie, not by a longshot. Some pretty disturbing stuff in their. A relative of mine went to see this when she was 14 and couldn't stay in the theater. But now I am off topic. The mom is obviously mom, our mom, his mom, every bodies mom, it's just hard to grasp sometimes. Brand (or Troy) is obviously the big brother, he always is the tough guy, always loved, picks on you, you get the picture. However, behind the scenes he is usually in a pickle himself, and just takes his anger out on you. Eventually, you get payback. Weather he learns his lesson or not is not a casual case.
Rosalita Rosalita Rosalita, dang. She represents a baby sitter, or a visitor, somebody who is our mom's friend and is invited into our territory without our approval. She is an unwelcome visitor and needs to leave the premisis before further action is taken. This is what you say in your mind when this character visits you except it translates too "mommy I'm scared." And that's another thing, kids don't understand how to express the great feelings that they have through what we only understand being the English language. Unless you speak another language. But children understand such feelings through thought, but since we have no telepathy, children aren't able to communicate the greatest of things to us. To Kill a Mockingbird (book) tried to express these thoughts through the mind of Scout and through the words of Scout as best as it could, but still there will always be locked away secrets in the mind of a child.
Mikey is our Cocky side as a kid (and frankly life), he is the one who, usually is right, but when he is wrong he pays. But he thinks he's always right and he thinks he can do anything because of his innocence. He is the leader in us, the one who cannot help but want more in life and not just be as great as everyone. Do you know that most Americans don't wanna be rich, but instead wanna be richer than everybody else around them? Incredible, everybody is a 10 year old. Mouth, oh what the heck, I'm just gonna copy it from Wikipedia, it states it so well, "an obnoxious, smart-mouthed Goonie who loves to talk and tends to be a bit of a trickster." Who hasn't had that phase? He kinda ties in with our Cocky side. Data is the side that everybody loves, we all have our talents. But when were young, they are seen by others a lot more because we stand out. Data even exaggerates and makes a joke out of such love for kids.
Stef is our sister, no doubt to that. Young or old, she just got chosen older out of luck. I think we all know our sister, the brat, the so called smart one, the one everybody is proud of but she feels like nobody appreciates her. We all know that person. I could be confusing Stef with Andy.
Okay, I was wrong, it was among the top 10 highest grossing films of the year. But, that's another story. *gets slapped in the face by Mr.Black.* Well, besides the excellent symbolism, this film portrays the first of the awesome tales of the adventures of action-adventures of children. I AM REDUNDANT! You know this movie inspired a genre, such movie example Jumanji.
The Rating? 4/5 would be usual, but I can't help my soft spot for symbolism and give it a 4.4/5
Movie Review: "Goonies Never Say Die!"
Summary: 4 Stars
In 1985, Steven Spielberg (the Indiana Jones films and E.T.) served as an executive producer on the Goonies, an adventure film based on a story by Spielberg and directed by Richard Donner (Superman). Since the film's release, it's become a cult classic of sorts, as well as being a favorite film for nostalgic teens and adults.
The story follows a group of outcast kids growing up in Oregon, who call themselves the Goonies, as they spend their last weekend together before their parents are forced to sell their homes to make way for a golf course. Mikey, the youngest and most precocious of the Goonies, finds a pirate's treasure map in his attic and realizes that if the Goonies can find the treasure then their parents won't have to sell their homes. Mikey and his good friends, Chunk, Mouth, and Data begin following the clues that will lead to the treasure and they're eventually joined by Mikey's older brother, Brand and two high school girls, Andy and Stef. But things become complicated when a family of second-rate criminals, the Fratellis, catch Chunk and find out about the treasure. Jake and Francis Fratelli lock Chunk up in a room with their deformed brother, Sloth. Sloth may be fearsome in appearance but his grotesque exterior hides a heart of gold, and he and Chunk become fast friends. Meanwhile the other Goonies make their way through a series of underground tunnels, all the way avoiding booby traps and following the clues. Little do they know that the Fratellis, lead by Mama Fratelli, are in hot pursuit. But can the Goonies find the pirates' treasure and save their homes, and can they outsmart the Fratellis?
Like many of Spielberg's own films, The Goonies follows a specific formula. The kids, like those in E.T., swear frequently and use vulgar language, so parents be warned. There's also some risqué humor and comic violence, but most of which is simply too funny to be offensive. When inspected closely, the story unravels due to numerous plot holes, continuity errors, and a general lack of realism. But that's all part of the charm of The Goonies.
The ensemble cast is terrific especially Sean Astin as Mikey, Jeff Cohen as Chunk, Corey Feldman as Mouth, Ke Huy Quan as Data, Josh Brolin as Brand, Martha Plimpton as Stef, Kerri Green as Andy, John Matuszak as Sloth, Robert Davi as Jake Fratelli, Joe Pantoliano as Francis Fratelli, and Anne Ramsey as Mama Fratelli.
The excellent DVD includes outtakes (features the infamous missing octopus scene), The Making of The Goonies vintage featurette, a ridiculously silly 12-minute Cyndi Lauper music video, theatrical trailer, and an audio commentary (with video commentary by Richard Donner, Sean Astin, Jeff Cohen, Corey Feldman, Ke Huy Quan, Josh Brolin, Martha Plimpton and Kerri Green). This audio/video commentary is perhaps the most entertaining feature I've ever seen on a DVD and alone makes this a worthy purchase.
Also recommended:
Gremlins
Back to the Future - The Complete Trilogy
Explorers
Flight of the Navigator
The Monster Squad
Home Alone
The Sandlot
Movie Review: They Really Are Good Enough
Summary: 4 Stars
Combining swashbuckling, mystery, murder, pre-teen wonder and teen angst, "The Goonies," is a wonderful film about two brothers and their friends who are about to lose their homes but wind up on an amazing journey that just might save them all. When the Walsh brothers and their friends find a map in the family attic, the "Goonies" set out on one last adventure before having to say goodbye to each other.
What they find is a trail leading to the treasure of the infamous One-Eyed Willie, a pirate who literally protected his gold to his death. The gang has to get past a number of booby traps, including a piano of death, in order to get Willie's treasure. They also have to deal with a rich high school bully and the murderous Fratelli family.
This film is fun from the beginning. Steven Spielberg story and Chris Columbus' screenplay fit well on the screen. Director Richard Donner blends humor, adventure, and a touch of romance into the tale that prevents the story from ever getting boring. Cyndi Lauper's "The Goonies R' Good Enough" sets the musical tone for the film.
The cast features a number of (at the time) up-and-coming actors. Sean Astin plays the younger Walsh son, Mikey. Josh Brolin plays Brandon Walsh. Indie princess Martha Plimpton plays Stef Steinbrenner. Future fight choreographer (and also "Short Round" in "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom") Ke Huy Quan plays Data. Jeff Cohen portrays Chunk. Kerri Green plays Andy Carmichael and future "Two Coreys" star Corey Feldman rounds out the Goonies as Mouth.
The Fratelli clan is filled with the wonderful Anne Ramsey as Ma Fratelli, Joe Pantoliano as Francis, Robert Davi as Jake and John Matuszak as the legendary Sloth.
Be warned that their is quite a bit of strong language in this film. It pre-dates the PG-13 era, and probably would have received that rating if it had been around. The rest of the tale is family friendly, with only mild peril and one murder.
For a solid afternoon or evening of family fun, I highly recommend "The Goonies." It's one of Spielberg's best projects.
Movie Review: Corny in a cute sort of way
Summary: 4 Stars
I don't think I've ever seen a movie so corny yet so cute at the same time. Despite the 1980s special effects and acting, there's a certain charm to The Goonies. It's largely from the energy of the kids - led by The Lord Of The Rings's Sean Astin. The kids are loud - sometimes too loud - but they're also adorable. The movie follows them along on their quest for lost treasure - and maturity. This is a great adventure movie for kids (although Sloth might be a bit scary).