The Goonies (1985)

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10/06/2025

The Goonies (1985)

The Goonies premiered on June 7, 1985 and has been a pop culture classic since, celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. Directed by Richard Donner and produced by Steven Spielberg, this beloved adventure film follows a group of misfit kids on the treasure hunt of a lifetime

The story takes place in the Goon Docks neighborhood of Astoria, Oregon, where a group of friends face an unfortunate reality: their entire community faces imminent foreclosure to make way for a new golf course. The core group consists of Mikey Walsh (Sean Astin), his older brother Brand (Josh Brolin), and their friends Data, Mouth, Chunk, Andy, and Stef. These self-proclaimed “Goonies” are about to lose their homes and be separated forever.

While rummaging through the Walsh family attic during one of their last weekends together, the kids stumble upon an old Spanish treasure map, a newspaper clipping, and artifacts connected to local legends of pirate treasure. The map supposedly leads to the long-lost hoard of One-Eyed Willie, a notorious 17th-century pirate. Despite initial skepticism from some members, Mikey convinces the group to embark on one final adventure to find the treasure and potentially save their neighborhood.

Following the map’s coordinates, the Goonies discover that it leads to a seemingly abandoned seaside restaurant. Unbeknownst to them, this restaurant serves as a hideout for the Fratelli family, a group of recently escaped criminals consisting of Mama Fratelli and her sons Jake and Francis. After a close encounter with the criminals, the kids are forced to hide in caverns beneath the restaurant when the Fratellis return unexpectedly.

As the Goonies traverse the cavern, Mikey discovers that it matches up with the map and convinces the rest of the group to continue to follow it to find the treasure. The underground journey becomes increasingly dangerous as they encounter elaborate booby traps set by One-Eyed Willie centuries ago. Meanwhile, poor Chunk gets captured by the Fratellis and meets Sloth, the deformed but gentle third Fratelli brother who has been kept chained in the basement.

They overcome many deadly traps set by One-Eyed Willie, and eventually arrive at a large underground cavern and a lagoon where Willie’s ship, the Inferno, lies waiting. The kids are amazed to find the legendary pirate ship filled with golden doubloons, jewels, and precious artifacts. In a touching moment, Mikey finds One-Eyed Willie’s skeleton and respectfully acknowledges him as “the first Goonie,” leaving part of the treasure with him as tribute.

Just as the kids begin collecting treasure, the Fratellis catch up with them and force them to walk the plank at gunpoint. In a dramatic rescue, Chunk arrives with Sloth, who has become his unlikely friend. Sloth’s superhuman strength helps the kids overcome the criminals. However, when the Fratellis disturb One-Eyed Willie’s final resting place, they trigger a catastrophic booby trap that begins collapsing the entire cave system.

The Goonies escape through a hole in the cave and emerge on a beach, where they’re reunited with their worried families and the police arrest the Fratellis. Just when it seems their adventure was for nothing, Rosalita, the Walsh family’s housekeeper, discovers that Mikey had secretly filled his marble bag with precious gems from the ship. Mikey’s father quickly estimates that its value is more than enough to save everyone’s homes. The film ends on a triumphant note as the families celebrate their salvation, and they spot One-Eyed Willie’s ship sailing free into the sunset, suggesting the pirate’s spirit has finally found peace.

This timeless tale of friendship, adventure, and never giving up continues to resonate with audiences 40 years later, cementing its place as one of the greatest family adventure films ever made.

The Goonies (1985)

The Goonies (1985)

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