I am genuinely shocked when I meet people who have not seen The Goonies, I’d say that I am genuinely shocked when I meet people who don’t like The Goonies, but those people just don’t exist.
The Goonies is a Spielberg classic about a group of friends who go on a journey to find One-Eyed Willie’s pirate gold in order to save their neighbourhood. Allow me point out that these aren’t just any friends, oh no—these friends include a young Josh Brolin, pre-LOTR Sean Astin, Corey Feldman (the superior Corey) in his prime, the Asian kid from the Indiana Jones films (Jonathan Ke Quan) and of course, Chunk (Jeff Cohen). Chunk is easily the most memorable character in the film, being part of the film’s most iconic moments—“Sloth love Chunk”, the blender scene (“Everything?”) and of course, the Truffle Shuffle make Chunk an essential element. A decade later, Jeff Cohen was voted Student President of UC Berkeley, and for good reason—his campaign slogan was “Vote for Chunk”.
But more about the movie; pirates, secret underground caves, ‘80s music, friendship (Goonies never say die!), escaped convicts on their tails (The Fratellis—yes, the band took their name from this film), the sweetest waterslide you will ever see on film—this is the adventure we all wish we had as a child. The Goonies is the ultimate nostalgia film for me, the film that throws me back to childhood. But for those of you who missed out, now is not too late! The Goonies is enjoyable at any age; indeed, watching this film at an older age made me realise how many jokes you just don’t get as a seven-year-old.
The Goonies is a fine example of 80s cinema, and a king among children’s movies. As Cyndi Lauper yodels in the background: The Goonies R Good Enough.