Review of The Goonies (1985) by Stefan G — 11 Apr 2014

The Goonies may be popular enough to get their own song courtesy of Cyndi Lauper, but popularity doesn't equal quality. When you really look at it, The Goonies is basically a noisy family adventure flick, but it's not without its quaint, 80's charm.

The characters are actually quite good, but they seem to follow the usual stereotypes. For instance, Data is a stereotypical Asian gadget wizard, right down to his accent. The story allows plenty of room for energetic, matinee-style action, but there isn't a lot of new ground being broken, as if the whole film follows a safe formula.

I suppose there is some humour to be found in the first part of the film, but that's mainly because I quickly noticed that the kids were swearing more than in most PG-rated films I've seen. Perhaps it's good that the Goonies all grew up and moved on, because there's barely anything that makes this film really unique and genuinely artistic.

However, that doesn't mean that this film is completely hollow. It's still enjoyable for kids, and it's not bad as a guilty pleasure for adults.