The Goonies (1985)

Turn on the subtitles for The Goonies, because a pack of kids is about to yell over each other for 114 minutes. Half the dialogue is people interrupting the other half. Some of the jokes have aged badly, too, especially the way the movie treats Chunk and Sloth before it learns to love them. Then the map comes out. Richard Donner builds the best kind of treasure hunt: a map in an attic, booby traps under an old restaurant, a pirate ship in a cave, and a family of crooks one step behind. Sean Astin’s Mikey is a true believer with an inhaler, Ke Huy Quan’s Data gets the best gadgets, and Josh Brolin plays the big brother whose only goal is getting through the day without being embarrassed, and fails. It made $65.7 million worldwide on a reported $19M. A 7.6 because the noise is part of the charm and the adventure still feels like the best weekend of your life. $1,942 says you dig through your parents’ attic this weekend looking for a map that isn’t there.

What works: The practical sets, the booby traps and the kids’ chaotic chemistry make the adventure feel real and handmade.

What doesn’t: Everyone shouts over everyone for most of the runtime, and some jokes at Chunk’s and Sloth’s expense have aged poorly.

Who it’s for: Families ready for a little peril and a lot of yelling, and grown-ups who want to remember what a free summer afternoon felt like.