Title: The Goonies
Year: 1985
Genre: Adventure | Comedy| Family |
Runtime: 114 min
Director: Richard Donner
Starring: Sean Astin, Josh Brolin, Jeff Cohen
A group of young misfits who call themselves The Goonies discover an ancient map and set out on a quest to find a legendary pirate’s long-lost treasure.
THE STEREOTYPICAL ADVENTURE FILM THAT POPULARISED IT ALL
With today’s modern blunder of films, good or bad, it’s always fun going back to simple a time like the 80’s. A time that gave lots of us younger adults classics that still nostalgic joy and wonder. The Goonies, it’s that kind of movie, the kid adventure that gave a lot of optimistic children inspiration (then and now) to go out and explore the world. A simple story of good vs evil, adulthood vs childhood and most of all optimism vs pessimism. Especially, with the “Spielberg stamp of approval” showing in the opening credits, the theme is very clear.
I must say from the start that I really love the plot, even though it has a lot of tropes that in today’s movie business, which is annoying or even cancelling. It has everything from the over the -top reactions to stereotypical characters, such as “girly girl” and “genius Asian kid.” Even though I clearly registered it while I watched it didn’t disturb the experience, I must say I liked it more thanks to it. Because it was made a while ago, you must some understanding its context. It throws you back to your youth because its focus on the optimism of the kids. The story’s message overcomes the flaws in the story structure – it’s just wants to inspire.
The actors did a good job delivering the message and concept that it’s really a group of kids who only want to save the family house and go out on this adventure that spin out of control and make development as characters.
I must give a rightful credit to John Matuszak for how he played Sloth, the mutant-looking brother of the Fratelli family. He didn’t have dialogue, but he had the hardest job with making this make-up heavy low speech monster a gentle giant for kids, while being new to the acting game. Like the artists behind his make-up, he did an extraordinary job making Sloth the most memorable part of the film, and a surprising hero.
Like the simple story, the production overall has the “grinding filmmaker charm” with not to advance camera-movements, obvious greenscreen moments and simple, except the cave scenes, probs and places. The same comes to effects, the film team keeping most of it visual and on camera, such as the ship in movie’s climax. The Goonies are showing us that the greatest movies keeping it simple.
Very great film, that everyone should watch.
Mackans Film 