Most people grew up with a selection of memorable movies that accompanied them throughout their childhood. Some movies have even followed people into adult life as they occasionally dip back in for a nostalgic look at the past. From The Wizard of Oz to Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, there have been a number of iconic releases that have received five star reviews and will be remembered fondly by millions of people around the world. The Goonies is another classic movie that fits the bill in that respect, too.
Brought to life by a cast led by some of the best kid actors from the ‘80s, The Goonies is a truly iconic production that featured some excellent young personalities as they hunted down treasure and created a few comical moments along the way. The movie was such a hit that there’s even a Goonies online slot game named after it, while also providing a solid platform for the likes of Josh Brolin to have a great career in acting. Brolin is well known for starring in the Marvel movies as supervillain Thanos, with his youthful appearance in The Goonies playing a part in his overall rise.
The Goonies’ appeal will potentially never wane, but there are some similar movies that have come to the fore since that certainly deserve more of a mention. While The Goonies inspired some of the releases that followed it, these particular movies are excellent productions in their own right. So, without further ado, let’s look at some other kid-led movies that are similar to The Goonies.
Hook (1991)
Released in 1991, Hook is actually directed by Steven Spielberg, The Goonies writer. A magical take on the classic story of Peter Pan, it’s a fantastic movie to sit back and sample. Robin Williams, who plays Peter, unsurprisingly nails the role, and there are some other excellent performances on show, namely from Dustin Hoffman who plays Captain Hook. A movie that regularly seems to escape praise when assessing some of Spielberg’s masterpieces, Hook is a great film.
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E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
If you haven’t seen E.T. then you’re in for a real treat. Another classic production by Steven Spielberg, it followed the success of The Goonies and helped catapult Spielberg up the director rankings and firmly into the minds of the public. Following the story of a peaceful alien who gets taken in by a boy named Elliot, it’s a movie with a number of comical moments as the creature from another world adapts to human life and Elliotthas to keep it all hidden from his parents.
The Harry Potter Franchise
If there’s a selection of movies that don’t require any extra attention, then the Harry Potter franchise is probably it. A perfect novel to film adaptation, the transformation from a magical movie franchise filled with child actors to a production with a genuinely dark fantasy storyline makes it a classic that will probably never die. The fact that the likes of Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson have gone on to forge successful acting careers is no surprise either.
It (2017)
If you aren’t too keen on clowns, then It will almost certainly provide you with a few spine-chilling moments. A famous Stephen King novel, the movie flips between the past and the present as a group of friends aim to put an end to the horrorPennywise, an evil clown, has put them through during their lives to date. Released in 2017, the exploration element of the movie creates a tense overall watch too, while also offering some similarities to The Goonies.
Paul Greengrass’ "The Uprising," starring Andrew Garfield, opened to $3.2M from 2,068 theaters this weekend. Yikes. The budget hasn’t been disclosed, but is said to be in the $20-$30M range.