 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
The Goonies
- Review Date: April 5, 2005
- PG
- Genre: Action/Adventure
- 1985
Common Sense Media says
A classic '80s action-fantasy -- tweens will love!
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know this film is a rambunctious, noisy, pirate-themed treasure-hunt action-fantasy -- all the ingredients that kids will love. Kids are in peril, find a dead body, are being hunted by thieves who are after their treasure map, and fall into all kinds of trouble. Beyond the (now-dated) special effects, cavernous (literally) sets, stunts, hideous skeletons, and outsized props, there's a message about being yourself and bonding with your friends and siblings -- even if they're outcasts. Expect some vulgar humor and swearing (including "s--t"). The movie may be too scary for some kids, so know your kid before you watch.
What's the story?
THE GOONIES is set in a coastal town in the Pacific Northwest, where a homey, slightly ramshackle neighborhood called the Goondocks is threatened with foreclosure and redevelopment by nasty yuppies. Local kids, motley outcasts known as "goonies," are cleaning out when they find a treasure map and clues to the legendary loot of a 17th-century pirate chieftain, `One-Eyed Willie.' With that kind of windfall the goonies could save their homes. Clues lead the kids beneath a closed-down restaurant, lair of a crime family of counterfeiters, who keep a super-strong, monstrously-deformed son, known as Sloth (the late football star John Matuszak), chained in the basement. The bad guys chase after the children, who must negotiate a number of deadly Rube Goldberg booby-traps set centuries ago by One-Eyed Willie, as they explore through a maze of underground caverns and skeleton-strewn chambers (always nicely lit, somehow). Fortunately, a captured goonie, the fat, clumsy Chunk (Jeff Cohen) befriends Sloth, who lumbers to the whole gang's rescue.
Is it any good?
Imagine the Bad News Bears in the Temple of Doom of the Caribbean. That sums up this rambunctious, 1980s adventure romp from Steven Spielberg's production company and screenwriter Chris Columbus (himself later to direct the Harry Potter features). Director Richard Donner (whose Superman: The Movie is made the subject of one gag reference) got solid performances out of an ensemble of young talent -- Mikey (Sean Astin), Brand (Josh Brolin), Mouth (Corey Feldman), Chunk, Data (Jonathan Ke Quan). While Mikey's older sibling Brand tries to disassociate himself from the misfit goonies and hang out with the cooler guys at high school, by the end of the movie he's bonded with his kid brother. Of course, little emotional details like that are sometimes lost with the theme-park-scale waterfalls, waterslides, drawbridges, and a full-sized treasure ship around which the plot is erected.
Jonathan Ke Quan had just starred as the engaging little-boy sidekick opposite Harrison Ford in the blockbuster Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, and it's easy to pigeonhole The Goonies as much the same material, with less onscreen gore and pitched more obviously at the elementary-school and junior-high audience. And while there's nothing too wrong with that, The Goonies does feel every bit as long as its 114 minutes and contains some pretty obnoxious commercial-product placements and "cute" swearing. And no Johnny Depp or Harrison Ford in the cast to outdo the special effects, though the makeup people did a pretty good job on the grotesque Sloth.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about the excitement within the movie. What about the film inspires adventure in your kid?
What kind of bond do these friends have? Are the characters relatable?
- Show:
- All members
- Parents
- Teens & kids
AGE
The Goonies
I think it is an exellent 80's film. following a 1663 map into a spectacular underground passage, its got booby traps and wonderful scenes.Athough I have rated The Goonies as a 12, the film has a few mild swearing like s*** and cr** and may not be suitable for viewers unless parents allow or accompanied by an adult.
Was this review useful?
|
|
AGE
Great adventure for kids! (If you know your little ones well)
I have two boys (4 and almost 6) who are very mature for their ages. They both LOVE this movie like anything else having to do with pirates. At this age, some of the more suggestive / inappropriate moments are over their heads and so are not a concern. As for the language, it's all in passing so if you don't make a big deal out of it they won't either. Introducing this movie to my young boys gives them a marvelous adventure to live through vicariously. It also shows them a good group of role models who decide to work together to protect their parents and families from rich snobs who care little about the people "beneath" them. As they grow, I'm sure they will begin to notice some of the more mature aspects of this film. Any parent who has open lines of communication with their children will welcome this as an opportunity to discuss these issues. I rate this movie as iffy for ages 4 and up because it can be a great movie for younger viewers if you really know your kids.
Was this review useful?
|
|
AGE
It was a good movie, but there was too much swearing that may be OK for older kids. But otherwise, it was a good movie - some of the characters were really funny and it was an exciting story. There were lots of scary
scenes and a weird-looking creature.
Reviewed by 9-year-old boy.
Was this review useful?
|
|
AGE
Not good....
We were excited to watch this with our kids but had to turn it off. Too many inappropriate situations and way too much swearing. Probably not a movie we will watch when they are older either...
Was this review useful?
|
|
AGE
Movie jacket ratings need adjustments I believe.
I can't rate it since I never got to see it completely but to submit I had to fill in the information so it is not truly a fair review.After the seen of a nude statue and the kid walking with genitalia from the statue in his hand that was broken off and then a drug conversation about cocaine I turned it off quickly.Not quite the topics of conversation for an 8 year old.I wish I knew before bringing it home.Now I realize I can't trust the ratings on the jackets I research first.
Was this review useful?
|
|
AGE
The Best! An instant classic
Kids that dont get scared easy love this movie! I loved it, It was a little freaky when the obese kid was stuck in that freezer with that dead guy, but besides that I was rolling on the ground laughing! Not recommended for kids that get lots of nightmares and get scared easy.
Was this review useful?
|
|
AGE
THIS MOVIE IS GOOD ENOUGH
i received thisa film on my 5th birthday, and after nine years it is my favorite movie, this is some language, a deformed person who does have a shining ending, and yeah i bought a baby ruth after watching it
Was this review useful?
|
|
AGE
Great Kid friendly movie!
Swearing is not a big deal! I saw this when I was 4 and it is still one of my favorite movies today!
Was this review useful?
|
|
Kid, 9 years old
January 17, 2011
AGE
great
this is a very good movie because I like how they search for one eyed willy in the caverns and its very interesting.
Was this review useful?
|
|
| Topics: | adventures, friendship, misfits and underdogs, pirates |
| Studio: | Warner Bros. |
| Director: | Richard Donner |
| Cast: | Corey Feldman, Josh Brolin, Sean Astin |
| Genre: | Action/Adventure |
| Run time: | 114 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | April 6, 1985 |
| DVD release date: | September 14, 2000 |
| MPAA rating: | PG |
Review It
Great alternatives handpicked by our editors
Already seen it? What do you think?
More from Common Sense Media
Top advice and articles
