As a youth, much like still today, I was a homebody and never ventured out much beyond the menial tasks. For me, adventure wasn’t trying to steal from the corner store or sneaking out of the house, but pretending that I was a part of the Goonies. It provided a thrill ride filled with both high drama and intense laughter, all enjoyed without ever leaving my living room.
The Goonies, released in 1985 and directed by Richard Donner is a timeless tale of a search for a hidden treasure. The homes of an Oregon neighborhood are about to be torn down, and a group of clichéd teenagers are desperate to save them. There is the apparent sensible one, Mikey, played by Sean Astin; the obnoxious ‘Mouth,’ named for his endless talking, played by Corey Feldman; the token foreigner, ‘Data,’ an inventor of sub par gadgets and of course, the fat kid known as ‘Chunk‘. Together they are the Goonies and are determined to overcome any obstacle that comes their way.
After discovering a map in the basement of Mikey’s home, to the treasure of an ancient pirate; the Goonies are faced with many obstacles along their path towards finding the loot. Beyond Chunk’s never ending appetite, their main obstruction is from the Fratelli’s, a family of criminals led by Ma (Anne Ramsey). A manly type woman, with a distinct voice the since diseased Ramsey was born for such villainous roles. Her hands are full by trying to control her two bumbling sons, one of which is played by Joe Pantoliano, a familiar character also known for being Ralph Cifarreto on The Sopranos.
It’s a race to the finish, as the two groups explore the underground and overcome several deadly traps; such as needing to play the right keys on a skeletal piano to keep the ground on which they stand from being displayed. It’s very intense, and creates as much musical anticipation as wondering what Lady Gaga is going to wear next.
The Goonies are joined by Mikey’s older brother Brandon (Josh Brolin), Andrea a cheerleader, serves as the sex symbol, and Martha Plimpton plays Stef, who counteracts with ‘Mouth.’
Much of the films comic relief comes from ‘Chunk,’ who gets captured by the Fratelli’s and is paired with ‘Sloth,’ a deformed brother of the Fratelli’s whose kept chained up in the basement and has a fondness for Baby Ruth candy bars. ‘Sloth’ is played by former NFL player John Matuszak.
Before Capt. Jack Sparrow, and even after, (sorry ladies) my favorite all time pirate is One Eyed Willie, whose treasure they are seeking. Finally, the Goonies reach the lavish ship but before they can escape with the riches the evil Fratelli’s arrive. Our heroes are forced to walk the plank but just in time, help arrives with the call of ‘Hey you guys,’ by Sloth and Chunk.
For years, there has been talk of a sequel and while it will be tough to beat the original I will surely go see it. Until then I will continue to get all the adventure I need by watching The Goonies.
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