Flick of The Day: The Goonies

During my review of Super 8 earlier this month, I noted its similarity to classic film's like today's flick of the day The Goonies. Perhaps the biggest link between the two and the strongest aspect of both films is the interaction between the child actors, which gives the film a great sense of being true to life. The dialogue feels lived in. The other similarity is the sense of adventure and this is perhaps why The Goonies is fondly remembered so many years after its release.

The Goonies

From a story by Steven Spielberg, this is the tale of a gang of misfit kids from the "Goon Docks" neighbourhood of Astoria, Oregon who will soon be split up as a group of developers seek to turn their homes into a golf club. The stellar cast includes a very young Sean Astin as Mikey, Josh Brolin as his older brother Brandon and that most 80's of actors Corey Feldman. With nothing to do on their last weekend in the town, they hang about as teenagers are wont to do. While looking through the attic where Mike's historian father keeps some aged local history exhibits, they stumble across a Spanish map belonging to a famous Pirate, One-Eyed Willie. Becoming convinced that Willie's treasure is buried just off the coast of Astoria, they set off to find it. Along the way they fall into the hands of the evil Fratellis, a gang of wanted criminals. This being Spielberg, they eventually stumble onto Willie's trail and have to face a number of quirky and dangerous obstacles and booby traps as they race to get to the treasure before the Fratellis. 

This film is a thrill ride from start to finish with the kind of adventure filled storyline that appeals to all ages. The search for buried treasure is the kind of premise that has filled cinemas from the days of The Treasure of the Sierra Madre to Raiders of the Lost Ark. While the child cast rely on the usual tropes, (the fat kid, the pretty cheerleader, the Asian kid with gadgets), they are so well drawn as clichés and the dialogue so true to life that they remain charming throughout. Their is enough humour to carry things through.

Elgin Perkins: Hello guys. I'm Mr Perkins, Troy's father. 

Richard 'Data' Wang: I know Troy. He's that cheap guy. 

Brandon Walsh: My dad's not home Mr. Perkins. 

Elgin Perkins: Is your mommy here? 

Brandon Walsh: [scarcastic] No, actually she's out at the market buying Pampers for all us kids. 

Elgin Perkins: [feigning laughing] Papers Joe. You can give these to your father to read through and sign. I'll be by to pick them up in the morning.

As usual with Spielberg, this is never a film that talks down to its youthful audience, nothing is sugar coated for a childhood demographic and perhaps that is why it still appeals to adults even today. Perhaps one of the worst development of the last 20 years has been cinema created purely for 5- 10 year old's with no thought for the parents forced to sit through it. One can't help but look back at this film with nostalgia, it is a triumph on all fronts. Its perfectly melds the need for action set pieces with old fashioned storytelling. The film spawned a number of poor imitators in its wake but none had the lasting impact of Richard Donner's film. Donner coaxed performances from the child actors by playing little tricks on them. They were not allowed to see the full scale model of Willie's pirate ship until they filmed the scene for the first time. Thus their reactions were genuine childhood wonder and this feeds throughout the film.

While very few of the cast, Josh Brolin apart, would go on to great fame and success, they each excelled in their own little way in this film. Donner would go on to make all four of the increasingly turgid Lethal Weapon franchise but this is perhaps his best work. All in all, a very enjoyable film and one to seek out if you haven't seen it yet. It is one of those touchstones of growing up in the 80's and 90's.