The Goonies is a group of self-named kids who live in the Goon Docks of Astoria, OR. Their homes are soon to be demolished to make way for a new golf course for the country club and there doesn't seem to be any way around it since the kids' parents are simply middle-class working folks who can't buy the rich guys out. Mikey (Sean Astin, Lord of the Rings) gathers the group up for one last weekend together and while the kids are scrounging around in the attic, they discover a treasure map belonging to a treasure hunter called Chester Copperpot, among the items Mikey's dad has brought home as curator of the local museum. His inventor friend, Data (Ke Huy-Quan, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom), recalls the old pirate lore about One-Eye Willy and his fabled fortune that was never found. So Mikey, Data, their wise-cracking friend Mouth (Corey Feldman) and Chunk (Jeff B. Cohen) go off on the trail of Copperpot, hoping to accomplish what he failed to do and find the "rich stuff" to save their beloved Goon Docks.
The map leads them to an abandoned restaurant called the Lighthouse Lounge, where a gang of counterfeiters is holed up. Led by Mama Fratelli (Anne Ramsey), recent jail escapee Jake (Robert Davi) and Francis (Joe Pantoliano, The Matrix) work to kill off any witnesses and keep their hide-out a secret. When the kids stumble upon it, pandemonium ensues, but the younger set is joined by Mikey's older brother, Brand (Josh Brolin, No Country For Old Men), who is tasked with getting the kids home safely before their parents find out about their latest adventure. Soon, Brand's latest crush, cheerleader Andy (Keri Russell) and her smart-ass friend Stef (Martha Plimpton, The Good Wife) show up as well and the group is able to escape through the fireplace down into a series of dank and musty tunnels leading to who knows where. But poor Chunk gets locked into the freezer by mistake and the Fratellis capture him, throwing him into a dungeon of sorts with a huge, creepy guy named Sloth (John Matuszak), the Fratelli's deformed brother. It's a good thing Sloth and Chunk both like to eat, because they quickly find common ground and plot their escape together.
Meanwhile, the Fratellis are on the hunt for the missing kids, while the Goonies are making their way underground, beneath the country club of all places, wreaking havoc along the way. When they eventually discover not only Chester Copperpot's skeleton and booby traps, but also One-Eyed Willy's huge pirate ship rigged with puzzles, their joy is dampened when the Fratellis find them and force them to walk the plank! Can they escape, saving their own lives and the Goon Docks? It wouldn't be a Spielberg movie from the 80's if they didn't!
This film is 25 years old, but it doesn't look like it's aged one bit based on the fantastic remastering that was done. The picture is crystal clear, even while they are spelunkering in dark caves, and the sound is awesome too, especially noticeable during the bat attack. The Goonies is just a fun and nostalgic treasure-seeking adventure and a total throwback to a bygone era when kids didn't necessarily get their pirate fix with videogames and movies, but actual adventuring and make believe. It's a fun, family adventure (except for Corey Feldman's hilarious Spanish "translation" for the housekeeper of how they want the house things packed - the drugs and torture devices deserve special packing care, naturally) and it comes packed with some nice special features. There's the exclusive board game based on The Goonies: 25th Anniversary Edition, a reproduction of the 64-page 1985 souvenir magazine covering all aspects of the movie, a reprint of Empire Magazine's "The Goonies: Where Are They Now?" which is a must for fans, plus 10 storyboard cards with info on both the front and back. Additionally, you've got Outtakes, Cyndi Lauper's 12-minute music video for "The Goonies 'R' Good Enough" starring a ton of famous wrestlers from the time, and the gem of the entire film, commentary (both audio and video) with Director Richard Donner and the cast members (Feldman, Plimpton, Astin, Cohen and Huy-Quan). This was my favorite part because you could start the film and then it would seamlessly go into video of the director and actors, with the film shrinking to the corner. They'd talk for a while, then the movie would pop back in until they started talking again. While it's not the way you'd want to watch it the first go round, it's stellar for fans and I loved seeing the actors as they look now, talking about what was a momentous time in their young lives. The entire set is nicely boxed together such that all of the goodies are encapsulated and won't fall out when you pull it out to show it to your friends. This means a lot as some of Warner's other Blu-Book releases of classic films weren't packaged as nicely and sometimes your cool stuff could fall to the ground - not what a collector wants.
Even if you already have The Goonies on DVD, the gorgeous transfer to Blu-ray on The Goonies: 25th Anniversary Edition makes it well worth another purchase and the extras that come along with it are just the gravy on top. Highly recommended.
