The Goonies is one of the most iconic movies of the 1980s, largely because of its incredible young cast. Writer Steven Spielberg and director Richard Donner sought young actors with natural chemistry and strong improvisational skills to bring the Goonies to life. Many of the child actors were unknown at the time, but would go on to star in films that would shape cinema for decades. The Goonies still holds up today, in part because it featured actual children aged 11 to 17 during filming, which enhances the sense of authenticity, youthfulness, and camaraderie.
The child actors excel within the broad, adventurous tone of the movie, and even in 1985, audiences likely sensed that some would go on to successful careers as adults. However, the range of projects the cast of The Goonies has been in is shocking: from leading billion-dollar franchises to starring in Oscar-winning movies four decades later. While many of the actors have played roles reminiscent of their Goonies characters in other movies, their careers offer a deeper appreciation of the talent they displayed at such a young age.
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Indiana Jones And The Temple of Doom (1984)
Ke Huy Quan As Short Round
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Ke Huy Quan plays the resourceful, gadget-loving Data in The Goonies, whose inventions save the group more than once. Data shares a lot in common with Quan’s role as Indiana Jones’s sidekick Short Round just a year earlier in Spielberg’s Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. Both characters are energetic, fearless, and rely on self-made inventions, like Short Round with his blocks-on-his-shoes for driving and Data with his “slick shoes” for escaping danger.
Data and Short Round both embody the classic Spielbergian trope of kids outsmarting the adults around them.
While Temple of Doom has a darker, more intense tone, The Goonies is lighter, more family-friendly, and often described as “Indiana Jones for kids.” The shared spirit of adventure is undeniable. Quan’s natural charisma, comedic timing, and boundless enthusiasm in Temple of Doom inspired Spielberg to cast Quan in The Goonies, cementing Quan as a memorable child star of the 1980s. Data and Short Round both embody the classic Spielbergian trope of kids outsmarting the adults around them.
9
Stand By Me (1986)
Corey Feldman As Teddy Duchamp
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Corey Feldman played Mouth, the fast-talking wisecracker, in The Goonies. Mouth’s sarcasm and overconfidence provide much of the movie’s humor. Feldman’s role as Teddy Duchamp in Stand by Me just a year later is much darker and more complex, showcasing his ability to play both comedic and deeply emotional characters. Teddy still has a loud mouth and tough-guy persona, but it masks deep emotional scars from his mentally ill, abusive father.
The Goonies embraces a fun, nostalgic adventure, but Stand by Me is a coming-of-age drama based on a Stephen King novella that explores childhood trauma, grief, and loss of innocence. Unlike Mouth, whose humor and attitude are purely entertaining, Teddy’s idolization of his father despite his violent past adds a tragic depth to his character. Feldman’s performance across both movies captures different sides of youthful bravado – played for laughs in The Goonies, and for heartbreaking realism in Stand by Me.
8
The Lost Boys (1987)
Corey Feldman As Sam Emerson
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Corey Feldman’s role of Sam Emerson in The Lost Boys builds on his energetic, motormouth persona as Mouth in The Goonies, but places him in a much darker, horror-tinged setting. In The Goonies, Mouth thrives on pushing boundaries and cracking jokes, especially in inappropriate situations. Sam has that same attitude in The Lost Boys, but with a sharper edge, as Sam finds himself battling against vampires in his new California town.
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While The Goonies is a lighthearted adventure movie filled with childhood wonder and treasure-hunting thrills, The Lost Boys blends horror and comedy, offering a more mature, rebellious take on youth culture. Sam exudes the same over-the-top confidence and comedic bravado that made Mouth so memorable. Both movies feature kids taking on larger-than-life challenges, but The Lost Boys has a grittier, punk-inspired energy that leans into the 1980s horror aesthetic, giving Feldman a chance to transition from child star to cult horror icon.
7
License To Kill (1989)
Robert Davi As Franz Sanchez
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Robert Davi played the comedically ruthless gangster Jake Fratelli in The Goonies. Despite his character’s violent tendencies, the movie’s lighthearted tone keeps him from feeling truly terrifying. Jake Fratelli is more of a classic adventure movie goon, softened by humor, especially through his musical aspirations and dysfunctional dynamic with his family.
Davi’s portal of Franz Sanchez in the 1989 James Bond film License to Kill takes the menacing presence he had as a Fratelli and elevates it to a new level of brutality.
In License to Kill, Davi sheds any comedic elements to create one of the most ruthless Bond villains of the franchise. Sanchez is a drug kingpin who operates with a chilling sense of control, using extreme violence and loyalty tests to maintain power. Unlike the over-the-top Bond villains of earlier films, Sanchez feels frighteningly grounded, exuding quiet intensity rather than theatrics. While The Goonies is an adventure movie aimed at children, License to Kill is a darker action-thriller, and Davi delivers performances that are perfectly attuned to each film’s tone.
6
The Matrix (1999)
Joe Pantoliano As Cypher
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Joe Pantoliano’s character in The Goonies, Francis Fratelli, is a bumbling criminal working alongside his brother and mother. Francis’ incompetence and constant sibling squabbles make him more comedic than truly threatening, fitting the lighthearted, swashbuckling tone of The Goonies. Pantoliano’s role as Cypher in The Matrix is a more sinister and morally complex evolution of the sleazy, self-serving persona he displayed as Francis.
Cypher in The Matrix is a calculating, embittered traitor whose actions have devastating consequences. Resentful of the harsh reality of the war against the machines, he longs to return to the blissful ignorance of the simulated world, leading Cypher to betray Morpheus and his team. The Matrix has a much darker, philosophical, dystopian tone than The Goonies, exploring themes of reality, control, and free will. Pantoliano’s performance in both films captures the essence of a slippery, untrustworthy character —played for laughs in The Goonies, but with deadly seriousness in The Matrix.
5
The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)
Sean Astin As Samwise Gamgee
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Mikey Walsh, played by Sean Astin, is the heart of the Goonies, an optimistic dreamer who refuses to give up, even when the odds seem impossible. Mikey believes in the adventure and rallies his friends to keep pushing forward. Astin brings the same unwavering determination to Samwise Gamgee, who serves as Frodo Baggin’s anchor throughout the perilous journey to Mount Doom. As Sam’s best moments in The Lord of the Rings prove, Sam is not the strongest or the most skilled, but his bravery and faith in his friends make him a hero.
While The Goonies is a much more lighthearted adventure seen through the lens of childhood wonder, both stories share a theme: the power of friendship and perseverance.
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The Lord of the Rings is an epic fantasy filled with war, sacrifice, and deep emotional stakes movies that broke the Oscars’ bias against fantasy to win Best Picture. While The Goonies is a much more lighthearted adventure seen through the lens of childhood wonder, both stories share a theme: the power of friendship and perseverance. Astin’s performances in both roles highlight his ability to be the steadfast, kindhearted underdog who ultimately proves to be the most important figure in the journey.
4
Rudy (2005)
Sean Astin As Rudy
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Sean Astin’s performance as Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger in the biographical sports drama Rudy draws a direct line from his role as Mikey Walsh in The Goonies. Both characters embody the spirit of perseverance, underdog determination, and fighting for a dream. In The Goonies, Mikey is the soul of the group, with an unfailing belief in the impossible. Similarly, Rudy refuses to give up on his dream of playing collegiate football for Notre Dame, despite his small size and lack of natural athleticism.
One of the best sports movies of all time, Rudy is a heartfelt drama that explores themes of grit, sacrifice, and believing in one’s self. Rudy is centered on the journey of one man striving alone while The Goonies is about camaraderie. However, both films highlight the power of hope, and Astin’s performances in both roles demonstrate his ability to embody characters whose hearts are as big as their ambitions.
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No Country For Old Men (2007)
Josh Brolin As Llewelyn Moss
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Brand Walsh, Josh Brolin’s character in The Goonies, is a protective if occasionally gruff older brother, initially resentful at being roped into the treasure hunt but ultimately becoming an integral part of the team. Brolin’s portrayal of Llewelyn Moss in the Coen brothers’ 2007 film No Country for Old Men marks a stark contrast to his role as Brand, reflecting the breadth of Brolin’s range. Brand has a boyish sense of adventure that is different from the surly persona Brolin became known for later in his career.
Moss in No Country for Old Men is a hard-nosed, morally complicated figure thrust into a violent, desolate world after finding a briefcase of drug money. The film’s tone is tense, bleak, and existential, reflecting the Coen brothers’ style that was very different from Spielberg’s sense of childlike wonder. No Country for Old Men won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and sparked a career resurgence for Brolin. Brolin’s transformation from the youthful, adventurous Brand in The Goonies to the hardened, gritty Moss demonstrates his ability to navigate different genres and tones.
2
Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
Josh Brolin As Thanos
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Brolin’s character Brand in The Goonies is introduced while lifting weights, clearly someone who values physical strength, and Brolin would go on to play one of the strongest villains in the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Thanos. Brand is reluctant to join in the adventure, but does so out of a sense of obligation to protect his younger brother.
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Having witnessed the destruction of his home planet due to overpopulation, Thanos seeks to restore what he sees as “balance” in a ruthless, misguided attempt to prevent similar devastation. Though Thanos is a computer-generated character, Brolin’s voice work and performance capture bring an unexpected humanity to a being of incomprehensible power. Thanos is far from the playful, relatable character of Brand, but Brolin brought nuance and empathy to what could have been a generic supervillain. Avengers: Infinity War grossed over $2 billion worldwide, with Brolin’s Thanos as the film’s focal point.
1
Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022)
Ke Huy Quan As Waymond Wang
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Ke Huy Quan became a child star in the 1980s but experienced a long hiatus after Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and The Goonies. Everything Everywhere All At Once created a career resurgence for Quan, who plays Waymond Wang, the quiet, gentle, and deeply empathetic husband trying to reconnect with his wife who is on a surreal adventure. As a movie about multiple universes, Quan was able to play multiple versions of Waymond, demonstrating his range and his stuntman skills.
Waymond’s kindness and willingness to fight for his family is different from the comedic chaos of Data in The Goonies, but the characters are both driven by a deep sense of caring. Quan earned widespread critical acclaim for his role of Waymond in Everything Everywhere All At Once, including an Oscar win fro Best Supporting Actor, marking a triumphant return to acting. Quan’s career is still unfolding, with him again leaning on his stuntman skills in 2025’s action-comedy Love Hurts.
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The Goonies
PG
Family
Adventure
Comedy
9/10
23
9.2/10
Release Date
June 7, 1985
Runtime
114 minutes
Director
Richard Donner
Writers
Chris Columbus, Steven Spielberg
Sequel(s)
The Goonies 2
Cast
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Josh Brolin
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Jeff Cohen
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Category: Entertainment