Three Act Structure

The Goonies 1985, an iconic adventure film directed by Richard Donner is an action movie I have chosen for this three act structure review. Most films comprise of a three act structure as it is simply it foundation to the story. In The Goonies the first act within the film involves the meeting the cast and discovering their quirky personalities and their current situations. In the case of this film, a group of kids, each good friends to one another live in a neighbourhood which is soon to be demolished and turned into a golf course, meaning their friendships will become distanced. Being kids, they try to come up with ways to save their homes and think of different ways to do this. While snooping around amongst Mikey's fathers belongings they come across a 'One Eyed Willy' map, the beginning to their adventure. The first act sets up the story line and sets off the story for the second act. Their fear of having to move and leave home is the motivation for their adventure and the main point which drives their story.

The second act is where the adventure and action begins to start, the group encounter criminals, a deformed man and begin to unravel the map. Decoding the map is where it all starts for the action, in order to find the treasure the group must use the map and the odd shaped coin to find align where it aligns with the landscape -the clue to the entrance of the trail towards the treasure. From this the kids enter an old restaurant, inhabited by 3 criminals and a deformed man chained up. Certain that the entrance is inside the restaurant the group enter once the criminals have left but soon run out of time as they return and not all of the group managed to make it into the tunnel. The last one on his escape to warn the police is captured and the criminals soon find out what the kids wanted and follow them down the trail to find the treasure. Along the trail they are all challenged by obstacles and each of the intelligent personalities help them solve their way to One Eyed Willy's treasure. As they come close to the end, the criminal pose a different kind of obstacle than the boobytraps left by One Eyed Willy. Whilst the adventure continues on the trail, Chunk befriends the deformed man and realises his good nature and that he is only changed up to not be a bother to his mother, Chunk and Sloth escape their bonds and Sloth decides to go down the trail with Chunk reluctantly following to catch up with the group. As the group try to escape they find them selves at a dead end and trapped by The Fratelli's until Mouth falls down a hidden slide.

The third act finds the group within the cave with encases One Eyed Willy's Ship -the treasure. As the kids explore the ship and pick up gold and jewels they fail to see The Fratelli's board the ship and pick up weapons, they are then bound and thrown from the ship. The group are then saved by Chunk and Sloth, who swoop in with the iconic quote "Hey you guys!", he defeats his mother and brothers but not before they set off the trap with releases the ship back out into the ocean. The kids escape  through an opening with the help of Sloth who stays behind to save them. The group walk along the beach, wet and worn and are found by 2 officers. The film then progresses to the group surrounded by each of their families who believed their kids went missing, as they all sit on the beach being attended to, Sloth appears in the horizon and as he approaches officers try to apprehend him but the group are quick to defend him and Chunk offers him a home with him. As this goes on someone notices a pirate ship in the distance, The group believing they lost the treasure sit together watching it sail away in remorse. The developer of the golf course presents Mikey's father with the deeds to his home, mid sign he is interrupted by their temporary help - a spanish lady- who presents him with jewels from the ship from Mikey's marble bag. They succeed in saving their neighbourhood and homes as they present the money to pay for their homes.