The Goonies 1985
I was in college when this movie came out, so I was too old to bother with it and the reviews weren’t great, even then. However it seems like it has somewhat of a cult following now, maybe from people who saw it as kids, and made a big splash when it was released in 4k recently. I borrowed a copy using a Screen Pass and it was kind of nice to have something mindless to watch, plus it is neat to see Sean Astin and Josh Brolin so young. There are a few nice touches, but so many things in the movie just feel off, like this restaurant is in the middle of nowhere, but then people just happen by and if you go in the basement suddenly you are under a country club. It feels like it could have been written fine, but they just chose a location that didn’t fit the script. The movie centers on a group of kids and their acting is terrible. Even Sean Astin in the main role is given more than he is capable of. Too often the kids are just yelling. The movie seems to take itself a little too seriously to be as silly as it is, which then makes you reject some of the silly concepts. Making fun of the fat kid just seems mean and another kid is an Asian stereotype (with really stupid and unlikely gadgets that don’t work well in the movie). A lot of the set pieces just look like set pieces, like a long water slide. At one point the kids find a Lou Gehrig baseball card and I’m thinking, well maybe that will turn out to be the real treasure, but then it is never mentioned again. It has some good elements like the criminals, pirate treasure, booby traps, and nice scenery and sets, but it feels like Spielberg at his worst, just throwing a bunch of stuff out there and expecting you to be impressed, with a result that feels like a high budget episode of Gilligan’s Island.
Written: 01 May 2021
Owned on: Digital