“The Goonies” is one of those 80s films that just rocks. I don’t know anyone that has seen it and didn’t like it. It’s funny, smart and exciting.
Mikey Walsh and his friends live in a development that’s about to be torn down unless they can raise a ton of money in a short amount of time, which doesn’t seem very likely. But when Mikey discovers an old treasure map behind a painting, he convinces his friends that finding the treasure could save their homes.
So Mikey, Mouth, Data and Chunk tie up Mikey’s older brother Bran who’s been charged with babysitting, and head out on their bikes in search of the treasure. The first stop is an old abandoned restaurant that overlooks the ocean. But little do they know that Mama Fratelli and her escaped convict, bumbling sons, are planning to hide out in the same restaurant. Mikey solves the first of the maps riddles, which leads them into a shaft underneath a fireplace. All but Chunk are able to get into the shaft, and he ends up being held hostage by the Fratellis, who scare him into telling them what the others are up to. The Fratellis decided to follow the kids to see if the treasure is real.
And so begins the adventure of the Goonies. Eventually Bran, and two other high-school girls end up helping them on their quest to find One-Eyed Willie’s treasure. The movie is action packed, and Sean Astin (Mikey), Corey Feldman (Mouth) and the others are perfect in their roles. The movie was directed by Richard Donner, who went on to direct such blockbuster action films as “Superman”, “X-men” and “Timeline”. It was written by Steven Spielberg and Christopher Columbus (who, among many other films, helped get “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” to the big screen).
I recommend this movie for ages 10 and up for a couple of reasons. One character, while he has a heart of gold, might be seen as scary for younger viewers because of his deformed face (but this would also be a good way to introduce your kids to the “don’t judge a book by its cover” adage). It also has quite a bit of swearing (nothing too horribly bad, but the kids themselves do swear in the film). If you are at all concerned, please view the film first. But it’s a great action movie that the whole (older) family can and will enjoy.
It is rated PG by the MPAA, probably mostly for language and mild violence.
Related blogs:
Rudy
National Treasure