The Goonies

Starring: Sean Astin, Josh Brolin, Corey Feldman, Jeff Cohen, Martha Plimpton
Written by: Steven Spielberg, Chris Columbus

Director: Richard Donner
Year: 1985

Rating: * * * * 1/2  Stars       +       (Fan Bonus -  )  Total: * * * * 1/2

Prepare for swashbuckling adventure as a group of kids go after pirate treasure in this wonderful tale for all ages.

The Goonies are a group of tween age friends who live in the poor side of town. A wealthy developer is foreclosing on their homes, and they gather together for a last goonie weekend before they're forced to move. Discovering an old map in the attic, and combining it with a local pirate legend, the gang set off to find "the rich stuff" and save their homes. But several obstacles are in the way. First is the older brother Brand (Josh Brolin) who's tasked with babysitting his brother, and Goonie member Mikey (Sean Astin). There is also criminals to contend with. The entrance to the caves is right inside the gangs hideout. The Fratelli Family, including Ma, and her two criminal boys, Jake and Francis. Plus, once in the caves, they confront more boobie-traps than Indiana Jones ever did. 

What makes this film great is simply its characters. Mikey is a wide-eyed dreamer with asthma. Data (Ke Huy Quan)is an Asian kid caught somewhere between James Bond and Inspector Gadget. Mouth (Corey Feldman) is the obnoxious trouble maker. And the breakthrough character Chunk (Jeff Cohen) who's large and loves food and telling tall tales. They're joined by their older brother Brand, and two girls, one of which has a crush on Brand, Andy (Kerri Green) and Stef (Martha Plimpton). The gang escapes through the tunnels but Chunk is captured by the Fratelli's. They pursue the gang through the tunnels while Chunk is left tied up in a room with a monster, a deformed, retarded 3rd Fratelli brother named Sloth. Sloth's warm hearted nature puts Chunk's fears at ease, and the two form a friendship, and soon pursue the Fratellis who pursue the Goonies.

Steven Spielberg proves his ability at casting as each of these kids put in performances that some seasoned actors couldn't pull off. The final battle aboard the pirate ship is pure movie gold. 

SEE THE TRAILER: The Goonies