Codell Rodriguez
Daily Egyptian
Title: The Goonies (1985)
Rated: PG
Director: Richard Donner
Starring Sean Astin, Josh Brolin and Anne Ramsey
Running Time: 1 hour and 54 minutes
Gus heads: 4
Not many movies can pull off the effect of making a movie that can be directed at children but still be enjoyable to an older audience, but "The Goonies" found the X that marks the spot.
The movie centers around Mikey, (Sean Astin) a young boy from Astoria, Ore. whose house is about to be turned into a golf course. He belongs to a circle of friends called "The Goonies," because of being from an area of the town known as "The Goon Docks." After finding a map in his attic, Mikey and his friends decide to go on an ancient treasure hunt, for one last hope to save his neighborhood. Mikey's colorful cast of friends, Mouth, Chunk and Data, are the outcasts of their peers, which makes them that much more endearing.
But the kids are not perfect little angels that are being taken advantage of. They are foul mouthed and dirty minded. Mikey and Data, who is completely armed with inventions of self-defenense and survival, retain some innocence. But Mouth, the son of a plumber that is always shooting his mouth off, and Chunk, a boy with an eating disorder and a need to lie, occupy the film with random spouts of profanity and sexual references.
Their mischief can probably make a few parents gasp and cover their child's ears, but for the most part, it's fine for all ages. If it's any comfort, it's from the same mind that brought us "E.T." While Spielberg took the backseat for this project, (and with good reason. Apparently Richard Donner found working with children to be a bit stressful) his imagination is evident.
And that imagination is what makes the movie fun for older children and even adults. It's the adventure kids always wanted to do while staring out their window on a rainy day. But with the "Goonies," they get to live out that dream.
But every adventure needs antagonists. Those come in the form of the Fratellis, a family of crime made up of a cruel mother (Anne Ramsey) and her two sons. Her third son is the loveable Sloth, who is funny for all the wrong reasons. "Ruth! Ruth! Ruth! Baby Ruth!"
One of the only negative aspects of this movie is some choppy editing. Don't be surprised if Data mentions an adventure the audience never saw.
Another one is the constant product placement. Mouth walks in drinking a Pepsi with the logo in clear sight. Chunk lies about eating his weight in Godfather's Pizza and the list goes on. But it probably shouldn't be a negative aspect because the blatancy almost adds to the comedic aspect.
But despite a few minor flaws, the movie pulls off the difficult task of being fun for the whole family, a trait that is uncommon in a film marketed toward kids.
Reporter Codell Rodriguez can be reached at crodriguez@dailyegyptian.com.
Published on 11/17/05; 12:24:44 PM
