Common Sense Media Review
By Brian Costello
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Low-budget monster movie is pretty much unwatchable.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 9+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Goobers!
What's the Story?
Tommy, the newest cast member of the popular childrens' program "Cap'n Mike's Goobers Show!," is excited and eager to be a part of the show and curious about the special effects employed. He is especially curious about the "Goobers," three strange creatures named Squidgy, Blop, and Esmerelda. Cap'n Mike's (Michael Dennis) off-camera threats and warnings to Tommy to leave him and the Goobers alone merely enhances Tommy's curiosity. While spying in Cap'n Mike's dressing room, Tommy begins to learn that the Goobers aren't special effects, but real. At the same time, Queen Mara (Caroline Ambrose) and her lackey Groon have come to Earth to reclaim the Goobers to reenslave them on their home planet. As Tommy begins to see the goodness inside the Goobers, he must find a way to protect them from Queen Mara and Cap'n Mike, enlisting the help of the other two kids on the show, Susie (Ashley Lyn Cafagna), and the bratty child star Jimmy.
Is It Any Good?
GOOBERS! is a low-budget movie where none of the characters are especially likeable, including the titular monsters themselves. Are they as evil as they look? Or are they misunderstood aliens far from home? They don't get enough time in the movie to make the audience care one way or the other what they are.
The attempts at humor fall flat, the "scares" are laughably tame, and the acting is terrible across the board. All of these elements combine to make this film pretty much unwatchable. Also, the title was changed from the original title (Mystery Monsters) to a title made to look more like the font and packaging of The Goonies. There is nothing worthwhile about this movie.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about bad movies. What are some things about a movie that might make it "bad?"
How does this film compare to other movies in which funny-looking monsters are central to the story?
Why do you think they changed the title of the movie and changed the packaging of the DVD and streaming movies to make it look more like a popular, similar-sounding movie title?
Movie Details
- In theaters : July 29, 1997
- On DVD or streaming : June 19, 2012
- Cast : Ashley Lyn Cafagna , Caroline Ambrose , Michael Dennis
- Director : Charles Band
- Studio : Full Moon Features
- Genre : Fantasy
- Topics : Fantasy
- Run time : 80 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : mild language, violence, and brief crude humor
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate