Booby trap

“	That's what I said! Booby traps!	”
–Data, while setting down his own traps

A booby trap is a type of trap designed to injure or kill a person once it has been activated through different means. One-Eyed Willy employed various booby traps throughout his underground caverns.

Booby traps in The Goonies

Falling boulders

A series of boulders were hung to a very tall ceiling, rigged to fall when a cord strung along the ground was snapped or pulled. Chester Copperpot became a fatal victim of this trap; the trap was somehow reset before the Goonies stumbled across it.

Mikey was the one who activated this booby trap, causing everyone to have to outrun them as they slammed to the ground.

Firecrackers

Set by Data before the boulders dropped, these are simple firecrackers on the floor, which ignite and pop loudly when stepped on. The Fratellis encounter these as they pursue the Goonies, with Francis stepping on almost all of them.

Pit of spikes

A dropaway floor with a pit of spikes below, set to go off after someone activated it with the copper medallion discovered on Chester Copperpot's corpse. The medallion sets off a small Rube Goldberg-like machine, consisting of an iron ball rolling down a set of tracks. The pit doubles as the way down to go deeper into the caves.

While Mikey, once again, set off the trap, Data was the one nearly to succumb to it, only being saved by his trusty Pinchers of Peril. The Goonies used the uncovered pit to continue on their way.

Bone Organ

Main article: Bone Organ

An organ constructed entirely from human bones. When played properly three times, based on notes on the back of One-Eyed Willy's map, it opens the door to the lagoon where the Inferno is. Mistakes cause the floor to fall apart chunk by chunk into a massive cavern covered in sharp rocks and spikes.

As the only one with any training with organs or pianos, Andy took up the task, deciphering the keys on the back of the map. She makes three mistakes, with Mouth, Brand, and Data nearly falling off the platform to their deaths.

Treasure scale

A scale, with one side weighed down with pirate doubloons. When gold is removed or the side is lifted up, a series of pulleys and winches activate, which reel in the Inferno's anchor.

This trap was avoided by Mikey, instructing his friends to leave that gold for One-Eyed Willy behind. Instead, led by greed, it is activated by Mama Fratelli.

Behind the scenes

A booby trap cut from the film is a "drowning pool" or "compass room". The former name suggests the room would have nearly drowned the Goonies, while the latter name represented the compass-like design built in the floor. The trap was removed from the movie early on, but concept art for it exists.

Trivia

• While not a booby trap, Andy sets off a mechanism that reveals the final way to the treasure within the Inferno.
• It's unknown why One-Eyed Willy set a trap to make the Inferno sail? It could be that it was made to escape the cave.

Gallery

Concept art depicting the "drowning pool"/"compass room".

Concept art depicting the "drowning pool"/"compass room".