Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Looking for a way to save their home from a group of developers, two brothers and their gang of "Goonies" embark on an adventure in search of One-Eyed Willy's hidden treasure. They get more than they bargained for when they cross paths with the Fratelli family, who are looking for a big score themselves.

1985 was quite a year for teen-centric movies—The Breakfast Club, Weird Science, Back to the Future and of course, The Goonies. Four of the five are now available on Blu-ray and those of us who want to relive some of the classics from our youth get to do so with the best picture and sound quality available. This is a fun movie that doesn't take itself too seriously, and director Richard Donner gets the most out of the teenage cast.

Video Highlights

• VC-1/1080p encode on a BD-25 disc
• Average detail
• Adequate color saturation
• Crushed blacks
• Clean print

Audio Highlights

• Dolby TrueHD 5.1 soundtrack
• Surprisingly good robust dynamics and frequency response
• Intelligible dialog
• Active surround mix, especially in the underground scenes

Most of the films from the 1980s don't necessarily translate well in high definition, but the result here are a big upgrade over the DVD. The audio track surprised me with its dynamics and active surround mix and will please most fans.

Bonus Materials

• Commentary by director Richard Donner & some cast members (with hidden video treasures)
• Outtakes
• Cyndi Lauper video
• The Goonies 25th Anniversary Board Game
• The Goonies 1985 souvenir magazine reproduction
• The Goonies "Where are they Now" Empire magazine reprint
• 10 Storyboard cards

The Goonies has a cult-like following of people my age and it's well deserved. While I wish the video quality was a bit better, the entertainment value is top-notch and my kids enjoyed watching it. Recommended.

Release Date: November 2, 2010
Studio: Warner

Movie: 8/10
Picture: 7/10
Sound: 8/10

Review System

Source
Oppo BDP-83 Blu-ray player

Display
JVC DLA-RS1 projector
Stewart FireHawk screen (76.5" wide, 16:9)

Electronics
Onkyo Pro PR-SC885 pre/pro
Anthem PVA-7 power amplifier
Panamax M5400PM power conditioner

Speakers
M&K S-150s (L, C, R)
M&K SS-150s (LS, RS, SBL, SBR)
SVS PC-Ultra subwoofer

Cables
Monoprice HDMI cables (source to pre/pro)
Best Deal analog-audio cables
PureLink HDC Fiber Optic HDMI Cable System (15 meters) from pre/pro to projector

Acoustical treatments from GIK Acoustics