Goonies Never Say Die!
Ahoy, me hearties! Grab your treasure maps and dust off your pirate hats because we’re setting sail on a nostalgic adventure with “The Goonies,” It is a timeless classic that’s as full of heart as it is of hidden treasures. I was 57 years old when I watched this the first time with my grandchildren and whoo boy did I not understand what I was missing. The Goonies is a heartwarming story of family, perseverance and friendship, mixed in with excellent humor and delightfully-charming characters.
“The Goonies” follows this group of misfit kids from the Goon Docks neighborhood of Astoria, Oregon, who embark on a quest to find hidden pirate treasure in order to save their homes from foreclosure. Led by the determined Mikey (Sean Astin), the Goonies encounter booby traps, puzzles, and a family of bumbling criminals, the Fratellis, in their quest for riches and adventure.
This movie is a swashbuckling adventure that captures the imagination and spirit of childhood exploration like nothing I have ever seen. Director Richard Donner brings the charming seaside town of Astoria to life, creating a vivid backdrop for the Goonies’ escapades. The film strikes a perfect balance between thrills, humor, and those heartwarming moments, making it a beloved favorite for audiences of all ages.
One of the film’s greatest strengths is its ensemble cast of young actors, each bringing their own unique personality to the Goonies gang. Sean Astin shines as the brave and resourceful Mikey, while Josh Brolin delivers a standout performance as his older brother, Brand. Corey Feldman, Ke Huy Quan, and Jeff Cohen round out the group with their memorable portrayals of Mouth, Data, and Chunk, respectively.
The chemistry between the cast members is palpable, creating a sense of camaraderie and friendship that lies at the heart of the film. From their humorous banter to their unwavering loyalty to each other, the Goonies feel like a real group of friends, united in their quest for adventure. Turns out the cast members still talk and call themselves The Goonies 40 years later still.
Quite possibly the funniest thing in the movie is the statue bit which had my 13 year old Grandson in stitches, while my 11 year old granddaughter was quite embarrassed by it. It was a fun experience watching them watch this movie. Scroll down to see their actual reactions I filmed after the movie.
Easter Eggs:
“The Goonies” is filled with hidden gems and Easter eggs for eagle-eyed viewers to discover. From the iconic “Truffle Shuffle” to the infamous “One-Eyed Willy’s” pirate ship, the film is packed with memorable moments and references that pay homage to classic adventure stories and pop culture. It’s hard to keep up with all of them but this is what I can recall… I count around 25 different ones and I think I am still missing a ton.
The Goonies notable Easter eggs include:
- The octopus scene, which was cut from the original theatrical release but later included in the DVD version as a deleted scene. It is not addressed until the final scene of the movie when it gets mentioned as the kids are being interviewed at the end of the film, Data mentions “The Octopus”.
- The pirate doubloon that leads the Goonies to the treasure is inscribed with the Latin phrase “E Pluribus Unum,” meaning “Out of Many, One.”
- Goonies references an earlier Corey Feldman/Steven Spielberg/Chris Columbus (the film’s screenwriter) movie, Gremlins. When Chunk calls the sheriff (Paul Tuerpe) and tells him everything, the sheriff assumes he’s making it up like “that last prank about all those little creatures that multiply when you throw water on them.”
- The easter eggs continue with other tidbits we see in other films… The rolling rock from Indiana Jones… riding the bike into the forest with its basket looking suspiciously like the basket E.T. rode in… and the hat Jake wears throughout the movie is the actual Fedora from Indiana Jones. Its almost like Spielberg took a piece of everything he had done or planned on doing and stuffed it all in this movie as easter eggs.
- The character of Sloth, the deformed Fratelli brother, wears a Superman shirt as a nod to director Richard Donner and it doesn’t stop there as they even play the Superman theme music on his reveal with the Superman shirt.
- It doesn’t stop there with Sloth though as he is played by ex football player John Matuszak who was a quite famous Raiders football player who also dons a Raiders logo early on and he also had a role as a football player in the film “North Dallas Forty.”
- John Matuszak had to sit in the makeup chair for a painfully long time to become Sloth. For up to five hours everyday, John would sit whilst his makeup was applied, and wait for all of the mechanics that worked his disfigurements to be installed. Sloth’s lopsided eye was operated by a remote control offscreen.
- During the scene where the Fratelli brothers argue and Jake gets slapped by Mama Fratelli, Anne Ramsey was not only told to slap Robert Davi for real, she was also told to hit him as hard as she could. So, the brutal slap we see in the movie was one hundred percent real!
- The cast seem to have just wanted to have fun on set! The water slide that the gang use to enter the cave which contains One-Eyed Willy’s ship was real and functional, with the cast and director often sneaking in after hours for some fun.
- Director Richard Donner forbid the kids to see One-Eyed Willy’s ship before filming. Richard got exactly what he wanted, as all of the kids were completely freaked out by what they saw. Unfortunately, the scene had to be re-filmed, as many of the children were so excited, that they let out a flurry of expletives. They had to redo it to keep the PG-13 rating. The ship was real and all the scenes were really filmed on/in it. When filming ended, it turns out no one wanted to take it, so it ended up being scrapped. That would be such an amazing attraction were it still around today.
- Stay loyal to each other was not the whole oath originally. In the initial cut of the movie, the team had a more extensive oath. It read: “I will never betray my Goon dock friends/ We’ll stick together until the whole world ends/ Through heaven and hell and nuclear war/ Good pals like us will stick like tar/ In the city, or the country, or the forest, or the boonies/ I am proudly declared a fellow Goony.”
- Sean Astin, who played Mikey, kept the iconic Goonies map and took it home with him. Sadly, his mother threw it away years later, after she mistook it for a piece of scrap paper. Sounds like my baseball card collection!
- Jeff Cohen got the chicken pox before filming and was so worried he’d be replaced, he showed up to set anyways. You might be able to see his chicken pox as he’s doing the Truffle Shuffle.
- Robert Davi is a real trained opera singer. It was his idea to sing to his brother, Sloth in the movie.
- The film’s production designer, J. Michael Riva, felt that the first map prop they had didn’t look old enough. To remedy this, he took the map to his hotel room and aged it with coffee and his own blood. that is some serious dedication to craft.
- Chunk’s theater vomit prank was based on a true story. The film’s executive producer, Steven Spielberg pulled this prank when he was a kid in Phoenix, Arizona.
- In the scene where Jake takes away Chunk’s ice cream and spoon and Chunk starts crying, you might be able to hear Richard Donner laugh in the background. He couldn’t help but laugh during Jeff Cohen’s performance.
- Richard Donner was desperate for a well-deserved rest after filming wrapped, but producer Steven Spielberg wasn’t going to let him off that lightly! According to the director, all of the cast and producer began to act strangely in the last week of filming the movie, and distanced themselves from him, leaving Richard confused. Once shooting the picture was over, the director returned to his beach house in Hawaii, only to be met by the entire cast of ‘The Goonies’ and Spielberg, who celebrated with a big cookout!
- Jeff Cohen is now Ke Huy Quan’s entertainment lawyer and he drew up Quan’s deal to appear in Everything Everywhere All At Once.
- Ke Huy Quan is an amazing story in himself as he took a 19 year hiatus from acting before appearing in Everything Everywhere All At Once.
- Speaking of his character Data he also was highly influenced by James Bond themes as his belt is inscribed with 007 and he listens to the theme from Bond. Turns out Spielberg badly wanted to direct a Bond movie but was turned down twice.
- Some of the Goonies’ family members were played by the actors’ real-life relatives. A lot can be seen at the end of the movie and Chunk’s mom was played by Jeff Cohen’s mother, Elaine Cohen McMahon.
Main Actors:
- Sean Astin (Mikey) continued to have a successful acting career, starring in films such as “Rudy,” “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, and the TV series “Stranger Things.”
- Josh Brolin (Brand) became a prominent Hollywood actor, appearing in films like “No Country for Old Men,” “True Grit,” and the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Thanos.
- Corey Feldman (Mouth) continued acting and also pursued a music career. He appeared in films such as “Stand by Me” and “The Lost Boys.”
- Ke Huy Quan (Data) appeared in films such as “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” before taking a break from acting. He later returned to the industry as a stunt coordinator and of course now has an Oscar from Everything Everywhere All At Once.
- Jeff Cohen (Chunk) transitioned from acting to become an entertainment lawyer and founded the law firm Cohen Gardner LLP.
Conclusion:
“The Goonies” is a timeless adventure that continues to captivate audiences with its humor, heart, and sense of wonder. Filled with memorable characters, thrilling escapades, and hidden treasures, the film remains a beloved classic that celebrates the power of friendship and the thrill of exploration. So hoist the sails, grab your map, and join the Goonies on their unforgettable journey to pirate treasure and everlasting friendship. This is now at 57 years old my new favorite kids movie of all time. We are going to have to start going back and looking anew at some of the Spielberg classics.
Below are the AI images for The Goonies from Fotor




Kids review The Goonies
Set Photos from The Goonies








The Goonies Poster
