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The Goonies
review by Ren C.
Rated PG
Studio: Warner
Running Time: 114 minutes
Starring Sean Astin, Corey Feldman, Martha
Plimpton
Written by Chris Columbus
Story by Steven Spielberg
Directed by Richard Donner
Retail Price: $24.98
Features: Audio Commentary, Making-Of Feaurette, Music
Video, Outtakes, Cast and Crew Page, Theatrical Trailer
Specs: 2.35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen, English Dolby
Digital 5.1, English Dolby Surround, French Dolby Surround,
Spanish Mono, English Subtitles, French Subtitles, Spanish
Subtitles, Portuguese Subtitles, Chapter Search
Released: August 28th, 2001
The 1980s are remembered for many things: legwarmers,
Reaganomics and great movies like the Goonies. The Goonies
is one of those movies that has come to define the 1980s,
much like E.T. or Dirty Dancing. The plot is timeworn, and
this movie could very easily have come from the 1970s or the
1990s, except for the unfortunate fashion choices. Nearly
everyone involved in this movie has gone on to other
recognizable endeavors, including Steven Spielberg, the
driving force behind the film.
The plot, as I mentioned is a simple but endearing one.
Two members of a group of social outcasts named the Goonies
are about to be driven out of their homes by developers who
plan to create golf courses on the land. The only way that
they could possibly stay would be to somehow get the money
to pay the developers. The two boys, Mikey (Sean Astin) and
Brand (Josh Brolin) are searching their attic, along with
the rest of the group are searching the attic when they run
across a treasure map. Obviously, they decide to follow it,
and see where it takes them. This leads them through
several adventures, until they run across an abandoned
building. Unbeknownst to them, the building is also housing
a group of criminals known as the Fratelli brothers. Around
this time, two high school girls that have followed the
Goonies on their exploits also join them. With the group
complete, the real adventure begins.
This becomes an adventure that takes the Goonies through
a vast underground labyrinth, a giant pirate ship and
introduces them to a lovable monster named Sloth (John
Matuszak).
While the movie's plot may sound a little light, there is
no shortage of action and adventure. Every minute of the
movie has something going on, and it is guaranteed to please
kids of all ages. The film has the Spielberg mark all over
it, as it goes time and again to his trademarks of family
entertainment and all-out wonderment. The first view of the
pirate ship is definitely a memorable experience. The
actors, as well, are very good for their relatively young
ages. Considering that the majority of them have done other
high-profile projects since "Goonies", it is interesting to
see where they all started out. Director Richard Donner
also does a very nice job of managing a very large, very
young cast and the result is something magical and something
unforgettable.
Anyone seeing this movie for the first time probably
would not be able to tell it is from the mid-80s. The
anamorphic transfer looks remarkably crisp and clear, with
colors remaining vibrant, and blacks deep and rich. There
were only a few instances of grain to be seen, and few to no
artifacts. There were slight shimmering problems noticed in
a few scenes, but not enough to detract from overall
enjoyment. Overall, it definitely looks like the transfer
got the time and care that it deserves.
This can also be stated about the audio, as the Dolby 5.1
mix is utilized very well. Sounds such as wind and water
rushing are appropriately subdued, while dialogue is at the
forefront, as it should be. Dialogue is never hard to
decipher and is very crisp and clear. Also included is a
Dolby 2.0 surround track, along with Spanish and French
tracks.
The ubiquitous special edition tag is nowhere to be found
on the packaging, but Warner has done a very nice job of
providing supplements here. The biggest of these
supplements has to be considered the feature-length Audio
Commentary with director Richard Donner and the Goonies
gang. That's right, Corey Feldman, Sean Astin and everyone
else are all here and they provide a greatly enjoyable
commentary. The unique thing about this is that the film
itself is occasionally relegated to a corner and the
participants are shown on-screen, providing a very
interesting, unique and interactive experience. One note,
Sean Astin disappears about halfway through the commentary
for some reason and never returns.
Also included is a series of "Outtakes" which are
actually deleted scenes. For a movie of this age, any extra
material is nice and deleted scenes are gold. The scenes
actually would have added something to the movie, although
I'm guessing they were cut for running time. These scenes
run about five minutes and are definitely worth a watch.
Next up is the original Making- Of Featurette from
1985. This featurette is nothing but fluff, but is a very
interesting addition if for nothing more than how young
Steven Spielberg looks. We also get a brief glimpse of
Donner's directorial method, and he looks more like an
elementary school teacher than anything else.
A Music Video by Cyndi Lauper is next up, for the
song "Goonies 'R' Good Enough" which appears twice in the
movie. The video is nothing if not a trip down 80s memory
lane, especially considering this was during the "Rock and
Wrestling" period so the WWF's roster also appears in the
video. Cyndi Lauper, Roddy Piper, Andre the Giant and the
Goonies definitely makes for a very bizarre watching
experience. I should also note that both versions of the
video are included back to back, bringing the running time
to around nine minutes.
Wrapping up the features are the Theatrical
Trailer, which looks unbelievably dated and the typical
Warner Cast and Crew page. I also have to mention
the very nice animated menus that were created, which are a
very nice extra touch.
I don't think I can say enough good things about this
movie. Definitely one of the best children's movies to come
out of the 80s, although it has a plot that anyone can
enjoy. The video and audio are both very good, features are
numerous, and the price is right. Pick this one up today.
 (4/5 - NOT included in
final score)
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(4/5,
NOT an average)
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