How "Jaws" and "The Goonies" Are Alike



My two favorite movies “The Goonies” and “Jaws” actually do it for me because they have many of the same elements. I can literally watch them once a month and not get sick of them. It wasn't until I watched them back to back one day that I realize...these two movies have much in common.

Let's look at the characters:

"The Goonies"
Mikey: Asthma inhaler, nervous, reluctant leader
Mouth: The sassy, ballsy, confrontational one
Data: The stumbling gadget guy

"Jaws"
Chief Brody: Scared of water, nervous, reluctant leader
Quint: The sassy, ballsy, confrontational one
Matt Hooper: The stumbling gadget guy

Yes, yes, we know the basic comparisons like they both take place on the waterfront and involve boats. What really intrigues me is a kind of holy alliance that works for movies in which the plot involves a great thing to overcome. The trinity is this: leader who wants to do the right thing but lacks self esteem, he is the conscience of the group. The tenacious fighter in the group who is confrontational and often gets them into more trouble while trying to defend them. Then, the brains behind the group that must be protected from his own distractions and yet he has a piece of the puzzle they need to make it all work.

Heart: Brains: Brawn: Tin Man, Scarecrow, Lion...


Hmm... I'm thinking I'm onto something.

Can you name another holy alliance of the three in a movie?

Comments

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  2. nostalgia :D
    As a child I was afraid of these movies xD

    ReplyDelete
  3. "Yame to you, buddy" Hope it's a howling good one, LW!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Sucio;
    Very good. I just have trouble figure out if Hermione or Ron was the brawn? Hee hee

    ReplyDelete
  5. Pangs;
    I gotta take your word on that, pal. I've never seen it.

    ReplyDelete
  6. It has three main characters, who could easily fit the trio of head, heart and brawn and is also known as "The Deadly Three" :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Well, of course. Pangs you should be able to name a shitload. I think you've seen more movies than me and that's hard to do.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I was thinking Larry,
    Moe,and Curly.
    I don't know why ???

    Gawd, I hate the damn Goonies !
    Where was the shark for that
    movie, I might have liked it.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Max;
    It's such a nostalgic movie! It reminds me of the ragtag boys I was hanging with as a little tomboy. We were always having adventures, looking for treasure, building tree forts. I think it captured childhood well and I admit to liking the soundtrack. I'm such an 80s dork. Hey, it could be worse, instead of the stooges, Charlie's Angels could have come to mind, but somehow Sabrina had the brawn and the smarts and was kind of the reluctant leader too. Why the hell did they have the others? Oh yeah, I remember why....

    ReplyDelete
  10. Ned, Dusty, and Lucky.

    (¡Three Amigos!)

    I guess it doesn't really apply, they were just three idiots. However, I love that movie.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Doc;
    You are one weird bird. I was trying to figure out who was the brains, who was the brawn and who was the reluctant leader...

    ReplyDelete
  12. Well, I'll cover the unholy three: Otis, Baby, and Captain Spaulding from "The Devil's Rejects". Haven't seen this movie, but I REALLY want to!

    ReplyDelete
  13. HN;
    I tried to watch it one time and didn't have the patience. I don't know why. I hear it's really good, but I guess it was a bad day for getting my attention. I should probably go back and try again. You know, I was just wondering if Bones, Kirk and Spock might fit the trinity?

    ReplyDelete
  14. Moe, Larry, and Shemp.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Echo;
    I actually saw a little bit of one episode of that with Shemp. I admit I have never actually watched 3 Stooges other than the blips on TV upon occasion when people refer to them. I never really got the humor. It's one of those things that either hits you or doesn't. I think it reminded me too much of my siblings and their annoying antics. Hee hee

    ReplyDelete
  16. Bella, Jacob & Edward, lol. I just thought I would toss that one in. We also have Winnie, Sarah, and Mary the Sanderson sisters in Hocus Pocus. That is all I have for now.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Bella, Jacob and Edward, Is there a brain between the three of them? But, I must say Jacob's brawn does it nicely.

    The hocus pocus sisters had sort of all those features in Bette Midler, but not so much in the sisters.

    ReplyDelete
  18. First of all I am shocked - Dr. Heckle actually took the time to comment on someone's blog. Amazing.

    Second, Goonies was filmed in Astoria, Oregon so it is doubly special.

    Third, Tin Man the series actually bested the original WoO. (just one man's opinion). Scarecrow being my favorite character regarless of which Oz we enter.

    ReplyDelete
  19. MM;
    The doc is a sweetie. I get comments on here from time to time and for such a busy fellow, that's an honor.

    Astoria is absolutely unreal and I'm not sure who I have to kill to live there, but I would go in a heartbeat. I love cold rainy beaches the most.

    I never saw Tin Man, but I worried it would totally miss the mark. I like your taste, though, so I will have to see it now.

    ReplyDelete
  20. What about these sis:
    Val, Earl & Burt Gummer
    Shrek, Donkey & Puss 'n Boots

    ReplyDelete
  21. Now you're thinking, sis! I love those choices! I'm laughing so hard!

    ReplyDelete
  22. goonies, jaws... both steven speilberg projects? and the tri-fect-a
    i was going to go with
    luke, han, chewbacca...

    all i could think of
    ray, egon, peter... who ya goin' call?
    :)
    jeremy

    ReplyDelete
  23. Jeremy;
    I think you got it on Ghostbusters--yeah! Vapor was right too, Luke, Han, Chewy

    ReplyDelete
  24. I guess you learn something new everyday.

    ReplyDelete
  25. It's always in groups of 4, not 3, but the forth, the bad guy, is always overlooked. They're what makes the story complete, but they aren't a 'main' character.
    You've got Chief Brody, Quint, Hooper and the shark. You've got Harry, Ron, Hermione and Voldemort. You've got God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit and the Devil.
    (I just did a paper on this stuff in regards to the Jungian Archetypes. These interpretations aren't quite right and I could go into it more, but it's sooo wordy)

    ReplyDelete
  26. Les;
    You're right, we want to see the "good guys" win. Of course, there has to be (to drive the plot) some antagonist.

    ReplyDelete
  27. I go with Vapor. Or star trek. Kirk, spock, McCoy. BTW...there was also a giant sea monster cut in goonies. The squid. It's the flub when they mention it at the end.

    ReplyDelete
  28. CB;
    Seriously? I didn't notice that. Oh jeez! Cool info. Man, now with all this talk about The Goonies I'm in the mood for it, but every time I watch it, I must also see "Lost Boys." It's like a weird association I always make.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment