The Goonies

The Goonies is a children’s action adventure film. Steven Spielberg had the original idea for the story which was then written into a screenplay by Chris Columbus. The film was directed by Richard Donner and the ensemble cast includes Sean Austin, Corey Feldman, Josh Brolin and Jonathon Ke Quan.

The film was only a moderate box office success but has since gained more of a cult following especially from the home video and DVD releases. It was reasonably well received by critics although they found the film was more for children and not so much for adults.

The films appeal partly comes from the superbly drawn characters which many children will identify with. The well written script allows each character to develop to their full potential which makes the film even more believable, despite the obvious fantasy element. Adults who remember it from their own childhood will enjoy watching The Goonies with their own children.

A group of friends, the Goonies, whose houses will soon be demolished, are looking for one last adventure when one of them finds what appears to be a treasure map. The friends head to an old abandoned restaurant which, unbeknownst to them, is being used as a hideout by a family of criminals. The Goonies are trapped by the family and have to escape into an underground cavern beneath the restaurant. The evil family are hot on their trail when the friends unexpectedly find the ship of the pirate who wrote the map and it is full of treasure.

Cinema release 1985

Certificate 12

Available on DVD and Blue Ray