Before making it big by directing Macaulay Culkin in Home Alone, Chris Columbus wrote the screenplay from a story by a certain Steven Spielberg for this good-natured romp, in which a gang of children tackles a family of crooks while searching for a hoard of missing pirate treasure. The tale rattles along like a juvenile Raiders of the Lost Ark and the young leads - including Martha Plimpton, Sean Astin and Corey Feldman - are a likeable bunch. There's also some nice hamming from villains Anne Ramsey, Joe Pantoliano and Robert Davi.

Young teen Mikey Walsh and his friends set off on a quest to find Pirate One-Eyed Willie's treasure in hopes of saving their homes from demolition. However, on their quest to find the treasure, they run into a family of recently escaped criminals, determined to capture the kids and reach the treasure first.