THE GOONIES (1985) | RICK'S REEL WONDERS | Review & Analysis

Added: 2026-05-25

[00:00:00]Today we're revisiting a film that warned us that if we don't play an A sharp, we'll all be flat. Get it?

[00:00:08]Do you get it?

[00:00:17]>> Break it down.

[00:00:26]>> Hello. Welcome to Real Wonders, a show where we look at some of my favorite films and talk about all kinds of movie magic and nostalgia. I'm your host, Rick Mossi, and today I will be your guide through The Goonies, starring Shawn Aston, Josh Brolan, Corey Feldman, Martha Plimpmpton, Carrie Green, Jeff Cohen, Kay Hoy Quan, written by Chris Columbus, and directed by Richard Donner. The Goonies is a 1985 film that follows a group of misfit kids from a Goonox neighborhood in Atoria, Oregon, who are facing the foreclosure of their homes. When Mikey Walsh, discovers an old treasure map in his attic, he and his friends, the Goonies, set out on a quest to find the lost fortune of the infamous pirate OneEyed Willie. Their adventure takes them through underground caverns filled with booby traps, skeletons, pitfalls, and a water slide.

[00:01:17]Along the way, they are pursued by the Fertelli crime family. Will they find the rich stuff in time to save their homes? If you're one of the initiated who grew up in a generation that feared booby traps more than we probably should have, welcome. If you're a bit younger and just discovering this film, consider this your official invitation to the adventure. The truffle shuffle is no longer required. For many who grew up with this movie, The Goonies represents a time when childhood felt unsupervised.

[00:01:45]For many of us, it's an emotional time capsule. But for the newcomers, I hope you feel that same sense of wonder and adventure because if this movie does anything, it keeps whimsy alive. At the core of this film's production, there was the three-headed monster of Steven Spielberg, Richard Donner, and Chris Columbus. The idea for the story originated with producer Spielberg, who envisioned a pirate style treasure hunt starring ordinary suburban kids. Richard Donner brought his signature sense of scope to The Goonies, making the adventure feel genuinely thrilling, and Chris Columbus' screenplay feels alive and playful. Full of witty teen dialogue that makes each character stand out and the group feel completely real.

[00:02:28]>> Okay, guys, you saw it. Now, let's get out of here. Okay, >> I got you right where I want you.

[00:02:35]>> COME ON, GUYS. IT'S DUSTY HERE. My hay fever's acting UP AND YOU ALWAYS BREAK SOMETHING. WHAT?

[00:02:41]Come here. Make me feel like a woman.

[00:02:43]Come on. Give me a nice wet licky kiss.

[00:02:48]GOTCHA. NOW GET OUT FROM BEHIND THERE.

[00:02:50]YOU'RE RUINING THE PAINTING.

[00:02:51]>> YOU'RE RUINING MY JOB. IT'S already What is all this neat stuff? The museum did some kind of Where'd you get this?

[00:03:05]RIGHT THERE. THEY DID A SHOW. IT WAS A RETRO PACK AND IT WAS ABOUT THAT'S WHAT I SAID. YOU ALWAYS CONTRADICT ME. I was right. I knew what it was about the history of Atoria. And these are the rejects.

[00:03:17]>> Kind of like us, Mike. The Goonies.

[00:03:19]>> Yeah, I'm not a reject.

[00:03:21]>> And honestly, the Fellis are so cartoonishly evil, they almost feel like they wandered in from an episode of Scooby-Doo. Their incompetence softens the danger just enough to keep the movie in that adventurous familyfriendly lane.

[00:03:33]>> Four waters. Is that all?

[00:03:36]No, >> I want the V skele 1981.

[00:03:48]>> The only thing we serve is tongue.

[00:03:57]>> You boys like tongue.

[00:04:03]From the moment Mikey starts talking about OneEyed Willie in his lost treasure, the film hooks us instantly.

[00:04:09]We're curious and ready to follow along.

[00:04:11]I mean, hell yeah. I want to find a pirate ship.

[00:04:14]>> My dad tells me the truth. You know what he said? He told me that oneeyed Willie and his bunch were down there for five, six years, and they were digging all these tunnels and caves, setting booby traps.

[00:04:25]>> Booby traps.

[00:04:26]>> That's what I said. Setting booby traps so that anybody that tried to get in there would die. And then you know what he did? He killed all of his men.

[00:04:32]>> Why?

[00:04:32]>> Why'd he kill all of them?

[00:04:33]>> Well, because he didn't want them to get to his treasure.

[00:04:35]>> That moment sets the stakes and sparks our imaginations, pulling us into the adventure even before the kids leave the attic. I want to take the opportunity here to highlight the production design of this movie. The design plays a massive role in why the film lingers in collective memory. From the clutter, dusty attic filled with the map and other historical artifacts to the cave layout culminating in a fullscale pirate ship. The set feels tactile and real.

[00:05:02]Donner chose to reveal the pirate ship to the cast for the first time on camera, capturing their genuine awe. The physical craftsmanship, practical effects, intricate booby traps, layered cave textures gives the film a sense of being real, yet somehow lifted out of the pages of a novel. By designing sets that the cast can physically inhabit and explore, Donner and crew created a world that invites the audience to experience it as a character.

[00:05:29]>> All solid. Look at this. All solid.

[00:05:32]>> Wow.

[00:05:33]>> What is that?

[00:05:39]>> Disgusting.

[00:05:44]>> E. Wow.

[00:05:46]>> Okay. Quick Mandela-ish effect test. Who here remembers the octopus scene?

[00:05:53]H I'm willing to bet that half of you raised your hand and the other half are like, "Sir, that is not a thing." But it's true. It exists. A fascinating footnote in the film's history is the deleted octopus scene. In the theatrical release, the giant octopus attack was removed because the effects were deemed unconvincing. However, the scene appeared in certain television broadcasts and was referenced by Data at the end of the film when he says, "The octopus was very scary." To which you either subconsciously ignored or you were like, "What is he talking about?"

[00:06:28]So, it all depends on how you watch this film. For years, viewers who saw it on TV remembered it vividly, while others who only saw the theatrical cut believe it never existed, creating an almost Mandela effect confusion among fans. The scene has since been added as bonus footage in some home video editions, but its absence helped fuel decades of debate before we were easily able to look it up on our phones. Okay, I'm going to say something and I'm going to catch some flack for this, but just hear me out before you comment. I've always felt that Mikey's our time speech in the Goonies is a little lame. Our parents, they want the best of stuff for us.

[00:07:09]But right now, they got to do what's right for them. Cuz it's their time.

[00:07:13]Their time up there. Down here. It's our time. It's our time down here.

[00:07:21]>> But, and it's a big butt. It is entirely earnest. I get why it's there and why so many people love it. I have to remind myself that this is a kid. And though it may be simplistic, this is how a kid would communicate this thought. The whole movie is about kids fighting to hold on to their world. And that speech is the emotional line in the sand. It's his hail Mary throw. It's his plea. So while it might not land perfectly for me, I would never take it out. It captures something honest. In conclusion, the story suggests that whimsy and responsibility are not opposites. Every day can be an adventure if you're open to it. The Goonies save their homes not through cynicism, but through wonder and boldness. This movie wants you to keep whimsy alive. And maybe it doesn't need to say anything more definitive than that. Some movies aren't meant to deliver a thesis.

[00:08:12]They're meant to be an experience. And sometimes it's enough to be swept up in that momentum and ride the wave of how it makes you feel. And let that be the meaning. I am Rick Msi with Real Wonders. It has been my pleasure to be your guide through the Goonies. And if you know where I can find a good pair of slick shoes, let me know in the comments below. Until next time, thank you.

[00:08:33]>> But the worst thing I ever done, I picked up all this fake puke at home and then I went to this movie theater, hid the puke in my jacket, climbed up to the balcony, and then this is I made a noise like this.

[00:08:57]And then I dumped it over the side. I had all the people in the audience. Then then this was horrible. All the people started getting sick and throwing up all over each other. I never felt so bad in my entire life.

[00:09:14]>> Mom, they're going to like this kid. M.

[00:09:23]Break it down now. Break it. Break it down now.