The Goonies (1985)

I was nine years old when The Goonies was released, and if you were around that age, this is likely to have been one of your favourites. It’s a classic eighties adventure that hits all the right buttons. In fact, it may be one of the most eighties movies ever made, which is no bad thing, but it has an authentic feeling and look that would be impossible to replicate now.

Watching this as a kid was fantastic, and off the top of my head I can’t think of any movie from my childhood that had the ability to transport me into another world the way The Goonies managed to. Watching it as an adult steals the stardust a little, because you just can’t watch it through those eyes anymore, but even then it’s really difficult to poke anything other than minor holes in the movie.

The Goonies is funny, the plot is magical, the action is cool, and the soundtrack is great. But the biggest thing the movie has going for it is the outstanding cast of character. There really isn’t a dud amongst them. From wiseguy Mouth, to scaredy-cat Chunk with his truffle-shuffle, and Data with all his misfiring gadgets and gizmos – every one is a winner, and a massive part of the reason that The Goonies is so fondly remembered, especially by people of my age.