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TIT

The Goonies: 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital
(Sean Astin, Josh Brolin, Jeff Cohen, Corey Feldman, Kerri Green, et al / 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital / PG / (1985) 2020 / Warner Bros.)

Overview: Following a mysterious treasure map into a spectacular underground realm of twisting passages, outrageous booby-traps and a long-lost pirate ship full of golden doubloons, the kids race to stay one step ahead of a family of bumbling bad guys ... and a mild-mannered monster with a face only a mother could love!

Blu-ray Verdict: Warner Brothers Home Entertainment is expanding their 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray catalog offerings this month with the release of the simply brilliant 'The Goonies’ in the expansive 4K Ultra HD video format this September 1st, 2020.

For my money, this 'The Goonies: 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital' combo pack's sharpness takes a fairly large step forward from others in their 4K Ultra HD catalog and even comes with HDR (High Dynamic Range) for the complete 4K Ultra HD experience, of course.

So, what we have is 'The Goonies' presented to us as a two-disc combo pack with a sheet for a Digital HD Copy. Other stand out points you should know are: Codec: HEVC / H.265, Resolution: Native 4K (2160p), HDR: HDR10, Aspect ratio: 2.40:1 and Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1.

Featuring Dolby Vision and HDR10 for brighter, deeper, and way more lifelike colors, as with most all 4K UHD's, everything that we watch features these qualities - but somehow, this film gloriously shines within them all.

Noticeably crisper with the overall clarity receiving an obvious boost here on this release, what's more is that it's enjoyably noticeable.

For as well as some new nuances to the somewhat drab palette courtesy of Dolby Vision we also get to witness sudden bright pops of color; such as the scenes in the underground cave, where all the walls and water and cracks and crevices were immensely darkly brown or green, now come alive, shimmer and shine! It just all comes more vividly to life, which is amazing to see, in truth.

Indeed, the picture enjoys the fruits of the added resolution in terms of bringing out the aforementioned extremely fine facial and some of the yellow graded material (notably the now infamous Truffle Shuffle scene, where the looks on all the kids faces from the porch as lit up, expressive and not bland and buried within the textures of the old house. Which is interesting, and at least a little different from the 1080p Blu-ray accounting.

As for the audio, well we have: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit), French: Dolby Digital 2.0 (192kbps), Italian: Dolby Digital 2.0, Spanish: Dolby Digital 2.0 (192kbps), Dutch: Dolby Digital 2.0, Spanish: Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono (192 kbps), and Czech: Dolby Digital 2.0.

Overall, this is a very strong 4K HDR Blu-ray presentation, and, for the most part, the audio track remains fairly similar to its DTS-HD counterpart; with much of the action occupying the surrounds with outstanding directionality and placement where effects flawlessly pan between the sides and rears.

Phew! OK, so, as for the movie itself, well, this one gives me the warmest sense of nostalgia every time I watch it. It's the ultimate '80s kid adventure, as a crew of young pals seek lost pirate treasure beneath their sleepy coastal Oregon suburb. Led by a sharp-tongued Corey Feldman, the young actors do a great job of conveying that blend of quick wit and fading innocence. They might occasionally trip over words and step on lines, but that makes the production feel more alive, more real.

Because, let's be honest, in a room full of actual grade-schoolers, there aren't a whole lot of quiet moments.

The opening act, in particular, is a masterpiece of off-the-cuff jokes and effective scene-setting, as we get to know the gang and prepare the stage for their bicycle-powered expedition.

Later chapters can get a bit cute, and pacing is sometimes a problem, but those shortcomings are generally smoothed out by the film's convincing practical effects, sweet character and overwhelming sense of childhood discovery.

Furthermore, the cast is perfect. From Sean Astin's Mikey to Josh Brolin's Brand, all the kids are fantastic in the movie, and they really act like kids, screaming one over the other, insulting each other, doing stupid things and that's a really great thing.

The action and the adventure moments of the movie are fantastic too. It's just pure fun and entertainment and it sure has some of the best moments of this kind of movies.

Personally, I loved the part in the ship and the parts where they're trying to avoid the "booty traps"! Oh, and the she score by David Gruisin only increases the fun-filled, joyous levels of the adventure found within this delightful movie.

But, and again, once 'The Goonies' starts a-rolling, the action and the thrills do not stop! Some people I know always point out that this film has more to it than most action films.

Whether or not that is to your liking will depend on your tastes. The film is loaded with special effects. Some are good, and some ... not too good!

But, overall, 'The Goonies' is a veritable time capsule of the personalities, and production styles, of the period and, well, now I've got Cyndi Lauper running through my head again!

'The Goonies' stars Sean Astin (The Lord of the Rings trilogy), Academy Award® nominee (2009) Josh Brolin (No Country for Old Men, Avengers: Endgame), Corey Feldman (The Lost Boys franchise), Martha Plimpton (TV’s “Raising Hope”), Ke Huy Quan (Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom) Joe Pantoliano (The Matrix) and Lupe Ontiveros (TV’s “Lies in Plain Sight”).

'The Goonies' was directed by Richard Donner (Superman) and written by Chris Columbus (Home Alone, Harry Potter series, Mrs. Doubtfire) from a story by executive producer Steven Spielberg. Donner produced with Harvey Bernhard (The Lost Boys) and Spielberg executive produced with Frank Marshall and Kathleen Kennedy (Indiana Jones series, Back to the Future, Curious Case of Benjamin Button).

As for the Special Features included here on this 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray edition, the stand out for me is easily "The Making of The Goonies" Vintage Featurette.

Running at just under seven minutes, it opens with a now familiar voice shouting "Quiet please. This is a turn over. Rolling. Fade. Ready. Action." and Steven Spielberg pops up, leaning casually against a row of old mailboxes, informing us they are just making an "... ordinary adventure here, an ordinary fantasy, nothing extraordinary happens in this picture at all," and who then goes on to explain who the kids are and why they came together.

Layered atop a funky '80s bass line, we watch behind-the-scenes takes of, amongst other things, a police car diving off of a road into a boat in a harbor, cave antics, and numerous scenes on teaching the kids how to position themselves for the best camera shots.

'The Goonies' (along with 'Beetlejuice', 'Sherlock Holmes' and 'Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows') will be available on September 1st, 2020 on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack for $24.99 (expected retail price) each, and feature an Ultra HD Blu-ray disc with the feature film in 4K with HDR, a Blu-ray disc with the feature film and special features in HD, and a Digital HD* version of the feature film.

Fans can also own the 4 films in 4K Ultra HD via purchase from select digital retailers.

This is a Widescreen Presentation (2.39:1) enhanced for 16x9 TVs via 1080p and comes with the Special Features of:

Cast Audio Commentary
Hidden Treasures Pop-Up Track
"The Making of The Goonies" Vintage Featurette
Deleted Scenes
Cyndi Lauper Music Video - "The Goonies R Good Enough"
Theatrical Trailer

Official 'The Goonies' 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Trailer

'The Goonies: 4K Ultra HD' Blu-ray Amazon Purchase Link

www.WarnerBros.com





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