The Goonies (1985)

Director Richard Donner has gone into his wine cellar, retrieved this vintage flick, and poured it out for today's kids who might enjoy it along with a serving of Spy Kids and Harry Potter.Now, what is a goony, they might ask? Well, in this case, it's one of seven kids who find themselves searching for buried pirate loot, and running from the villainous Fratelli family. It's Saturday-matinee serial redux; SEE the Goonies escape from Steven Spielberg death-traps and Rube Goldberg booby traps! LAUGH at the unforgettable 'Truffle Shuffle!' APPLAUD as our heroes save the day, and WISH they'd made a sequel.Donner's wine has improved with age. The rapid pacing, the unraveling mystery, the over-lapping dialogue...and the incomparable Anne Ramsey as Mama Fratelli. Ahhhh, what a great actress. She scared the lice off of me as a kid, and can still do it, sixteen years later. And Sloth, cousin to the Incredible Hulk. How much can one love a misunderstood movie mutant? And Jeff Cohen as Chunk, possibly the greatest juvenile scene-stealer in motion picture history, (although, unlike most kid actors, you WANT him to do it).OVER 21 ALERT: It's not just a kids' movie! Oh, no! There's plenty for the big kids, really! This DVD has for example, several deleted scenes, including the infamous and mysterious 'octopus' scene, subject of much discussion and speculation. Well, now you can see for yourself why it was cut...We have here also the complete two-part Cyndi Lauper "Goonies R Good Enough" music video, guest-starring the Goonies cast, the Bangles as lady pirates, the hibachi chefs, the professional wrestlers, the plastic cow, Dave and Wendy and...(drum roll)...Andre the Giant! Yes, it's all here...the 12-minute video that was almost long enough (and funny enough) to be Goonies II.But never mind all this. What the grown-ups REALLY want to see is the Director's Commentary. That's right, SEE. This special edition DVD occasionally allows you to see the stars and director chat and reminisce about the picture, and...WOW. ALL SEVEN Goonies are here! Chatting, bickering, laughing, remembering. And I KNOW you all want to see how well the Goonies aged over 16 years. Very well, actually. And it's funny to note that Corey Feldman's character was called "Mouth," as he blabs away, hogging most of the commentary himself, (with Martha Plimpton in second place for the Chatterbox award). Interestingly, Sean Astin simply gets up and walks out halfway through the movie. Why? No one could say. Perhaps that will someday be as big a mystery as the 'octopus' scene...

Like many before me, I grew up with The Goonies. I ran around my house as a young one, trying to act like Mouth, or doing the Truffle Shuffle to entertain friends (I lacked on the truffle, but I could do the shuffle).

The Goonies holds something that every kid should find magical, even though the only magic in the movie is the magic of friendship. Steven Spielberg wrote the story about a group of friends who are about to lose their houses so a country club can be built where they leave. They come upon a treasure map that supposedly has a legend behind it, and leads to a great treasure. Mikey and his colorful bunch of friends set up to go in search of the treasure not knowing the villianist trio, the Fratellis, are also out for the treasure. Along the way, chaos ensues, friendships go stronger, and they meet a creature who has nothing but love to share and Baby Ruths to eat.

The characters are all likable . . . are all lovable, and the actors who portray them made them all that they were. The Fratellis are even, in some ways, likable throughout the movie, but in the end, they get what they were asking for. The directing, of course, is awesome. None like it actually. And the sets are amazing. Especially the pirate ship set. That was too awesome, and enough to satisfy any adventure lover.

The DVD should satisfy any Goonies fan with the word of all the extras to be on it. And I'm ready to see the infamous deleted octopus scene. I hope it's on there. I believe I read somewhere that some of the cast had gotten together to do a commentary. Now there's wishful hoping that that did happen!

"SLOTH LOVE CHUNK!" And Josh loves this movie.

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The first thing I was thinking when "Goonies" really kicked into gear was: This is the daydream of an adventure-loving preadolescent boy, full of pirates, bloodthirsty villains, and exotic twists and turns in an underground maze full of booby traps. It's sort of "Indiana Jones" for the kids as well as the adults.

The Goonies (a band of young boys) are spending their last weekend hanging around their hometown, before it's razed for yuppie developers. Then Mikey Walsh (Sean Astin) uncovers a treasure map hidden in an old painting, and becomes obsessed with finding the lost treasure of the pirate One-Eyed Willie. With that treasure, they could save their town.

But the hunt for treasure sends the Goonies, Mikey's long-suffering teenage brother (Josh Brolin), and a pair of teenage girls (Kerri Green and Martha Plimpton) into dangerous proximity to the murderous fugitives, the Fratellis. With the Fratellis on their tail, the Goonies are determinedly navigating the underground, booby-trap-infested tunnels that lead to the treasure -or to a very nasty demise.

The stolidly mature among you may scoff at the improbability of the story, but who cares? This is obviously a fantasy story, harkening back to pirate treasure and childhood adventures, thwarting the evil guys. The classic formulae are what makes it so fun. "Goonies" is like "Indiana Jones" in the sense that it's action-filled, with nasty villains, elaborate booby-traps, and a plotline that is wonderfully improbable. This is just fun. The sets are amazingly complex, full of stone tunnels and enormous waterfalls full of money, thin little bridges and a bone piano that causes the floor to collapse.

Sean Astin (yes, this is THAT Sean Astin, the guy currently starring as Samwise Gamgee in "Lord of the Rings") is endearing and very convincing as Mikey, the gutsy boy that could. Josh Brolin is also good as his overbearing but nice brother; the other Goonies include the incredibly funny Corey Feldman as "Mouth" (the scene where he weirds out the cleaning lady is priceless), comic relief Jeff Cohen as "Chunk" who bumbles from one misadventure to another, and Jonathan Ke Quan (who was also in "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom") as gadget-obsessed "Data," a kid riddled all over with homemade inventions that occasionally save the heroes' behinds.

Though this film was made in the 1980s, it's aged extremely well -now there is affection on top of the original liking for it. It's a funny, entertaining thrillride with pirates, villains, treasure and a band of quirky heroes. Great fun.

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Before I had a DVD player, I heard about the release of this excellent film on DVD. I had to have it when I discovered it included a commentary featuring all of the Goonies with the director. I begged and pleaded with my parents to get a DVD player so I could see it, and finally, my wish was granted.

How could I be disappointed? The movie is fabulous. It is an adventure story and a teen movie mixed into one; it covers the coming of age theme and finding buried treasure at the same time. I know what you're thinking: "Rubies, and emeralds... and diamonds?" Yes! A group of kids who call themselve "The Goonies" are facing their last days in Astoria, Oregon. Their homes are being taken from them by a rich family who wants to extend their country club over the properties. Mikey (Sean Astin) and Brandon Walsh (Josh Brolin) are brooding in their home when Mouth (Corey Feldman), Chunk (Jeff Cohen), and Data (Ke Huy Quan) drop by. In their boredom, they decide to explore Mikey's dad's attic where he keeps all of the rejected museum items. There, they find a map showing where the kids can find pirate One Eyed Willie's buried treasure on the coast. Fueled by boredom and a need for money, the kids set out to find it. Brand tries to stop the boys, but consents to go along on the adventure when they meet up with Andie (Kerri Green) and Steph (Martha Plimpton). However, they run into trouble when they find that the place where the treasure is buried is also the hideout of the Fratellis, a group of murderous criminals. Filled with great scenes and great lines, ("I smell ice cream," "That's my mom's most favorite piece," "I'm setting booty traps!") you'll find yourself quoting this film and talking about it with everyone. It appeals to young and old alike.

The extra features are great. Besides the commentary which adds a lot of insight into the hijinx behind the scenes, there are both parts of the Cindi Lauper "Goonies R Good Enough" music video, a short featurette with behind the scenes information, and three deleted scenes including the famed octopus scene. Even the main menu is beautifully done.

I paid significantly more for this DVD than it is being listed for here, and it was worth what I paid for it and more. Why not take advantage of a great movie with great extras for a great price? You'd be dumb if you didn't!

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Aside from being one of my personal favorite movies of all time, this blu ray box set adds to the awesomeness that is The Goonies! The classic movie comes boxed with some really cool stuff so I'll discuss each item.

The Goonies [Blu Ray] Picture quality is amazing. Looks just as good as newer movies shot with HD cameras. None of that weird grainy looking snow that sometimes shows up (all depends on the film stock used in production). The sound isn't too shabby either. I don't notice a huge improvement with the audio from the dvd version, however it seems a little cleaner.

The Goonies Board Game Haven't played it but I opened the pieces and studied the rules a bit. Seems like a fun to-do on a rainy day kind of game.

Empire Magazine 2oth Anniversary Article Nifty little reprint simply updating what the original cast has been up to since the film was made.

The Goonies Souvenir Magazine 150 pages telling the story of how the movie was made, cast profiles, and lots of other fun stuff.

Storyboards Original Story board mini copies. Pretty neat to compare the boards to what eventually would come to screen.

My only gripe is that the Blu Ray itself really has no new bonus features from that of the DVD. However, this set is a must have for any collection.