How A Deleted Scene In Goonies Made Data Look Like A Filthy Liar
With so many websites and YouTube channels solely dedicated to pointing out movie-mistakes and plot line holes, it's no surprise that the scrutinization of an iconic film like "The Goonies" has already surpassed its limit. But, that's not to say that these 37-year-old issues aren't still constantly discussed in conventions, online discussions, or anywhere else the movie is analyzed. And when it comes to movie flubs, tiny or significant, just about anything is subject to being called out. Whether it's missed wardrobe continuity, out of place dialogue, or a boom mic entering from the top of a scene, if a mistake happens in a movie, fans will notice.
Such is the case in "The Goonies," when Data, (Ke Huy Quan), joins in with the treasure hunters' explanation of events to Astoria police officers and local reporters. In this ending scene, different kids reveal specific moments that they all experienced during their quest to find One-Eyed Willy's "rich stuff." Andy (Kerri Green) talks about walking the plank. Brand (Josh Brolin) mentions finding the pirate ship and Chunk (Jeff Cohen) goes on about being chased by the Fratellis. However, this group explanation kicks off with Data claiming that "the octopus was very scary." The glaring issue with this, for viewers, is that in "The Goonies," there was no octopus.
With the octopus, Data's line becomes highly suspect
Every beat of the 1985 film "The Goonies" has been thoroughly analyzed over and over by dedicated fans for years. Data referring to an octopus attack that never occurred, at the end of the film, seems so out of left field that many viewers probably assumed he was simply lying to everyone there. However, the truth is, the character is actually referring to a deleted scene.
CinemaBlend explains that this missing scene was to occur right around the time the kids discover One-Eyed Willy's pirate ship. While battling the Fratelli during the film's climax, the Goonies simultaneously fend off a rogue octopus occupying the cave-enclosed lagoon. "Well it was in the original Chris Columbus script," star Sean Astin explained at BoroughCon 2017. "Yeah, the octopus was terrible," Astin admitted, referring to how bad the 32-foot sea creature puppet looked while filming the scene. Rob Burman, who helped design the fake octopus told the Daily Astorian how he was relieved that the scene was ultimately cut. This proper omission, however, left fans wondering why Data's line was left in, essentially making the character look like a liar.
As for why the line was kept in the final cut, the film's Director, Richard Donner, explained to AssignmentX, "It was fun and it baited the audiences." Donner goes on to say how that line of dialogue, along with a few other missteps was left in purposely. "So I figured, just leave them in, it keeps people guessing." Well, it's not clear how acceptable that explanation will be for the biggest "Goonies" fans out there, but at least we were all spared the now-infamous octopus scene debacle.