Welcome back to ZooFlix Classic Movie Review, where we track down the wildest, most iconic beasts in the cinematic jungle. Today, we’re diving headfirst into one of the greatest crime sagas ever made: Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas.
Based on the life of mob associate Henry Hill (played brilliantly by Ray Liotta), Goodfellas isn’t just a gangster movie — it’s the gangster movie. Sharp dialogue, gut-punch betrayals, and scenes so iconic they’re burned into pop culture forever. You can stream it now on Max (formerly HBO Max) or rent it wherever you get your films.
Time to let our sharpest claws tear through this classic — first up, Ricky the Reel Raccoon, followed by Fifi the Film Frenchie.
🦝 Ricky’s Review – “As far back as I can remember…”
Look, not gonna lie — this movie feels like pure adrenaline cooked in marinara sauce. Goodfellas hits different because it’s not just about mob life — it’s about addiction. Addiction to money, power, status, bad decisions, and cocaine-laced paranoia. And watching it all collapse is chef’s kiss.
Ray Liotta is absolutely electric as Henry Hill, starting out wide-eyed and hungry and ending up a sweaty, twitchy wreck you wouldn’t trust to babysit your iguana. His narration pulls you into the belly of the beast like you’re riding shotgun on a heist gone sideways.
And can we talk about Joe Pesci as Tommy DeVito? That dude is a feral alley cat with a switchblade. The “Funny how?” scene still makes my fur stand on end. You can practically smell the moment the whole room freezes — and you just know someone’s about to catch paws.
One of my all-time favorite bits?
🐾 Scorsese’s own mom popping up during the “trunk in the car” scene — all sweet and innocent, feeding the boys pasta while there’s a half-dead body kicking in the trunk outside. And that weird painting she shows off? With the guy and the dog looking two different ways? Iconic. Straight-up dark comedy gold.
And don’t even get me started on Tommy’s “promotion” scene — you know, when he thinks he’s about to be made… but instead, they whack him. Quick. Brutal. Ice-cold. And Henry’s voiceover says it all: “It was among the Italians. It was real greaseball stuff.” Absolutely savage.
By the end, everyone’s either dead, flipping, or rotting, and Henry’s eating ketchup noodles in witness protection — complaining that he’ll never get a decent cut of veal again.
🗑️ Ricky’s Rating: 5 Trash Cans
This ain’t just a movie — it’s a fully loaded dumpster fire roaring at 90 miles an hour, and it’s beautiful.
🐶 Fifi’s Review – The High-Society Meltdown of the Century
Darling… Goodfellas isn’t just a crime drama. It’s a perfect storm — style, substance, swagger, and total collapse all rolled into one glorious furball of bad decisions.
Lorraine Bracco is absolutely pawsitively phenomenal as Karen Hill. She’s not just “the wife.” She’s the soul of the meltdown, the slow descent from glamour to chaos. And her standout moment? When she finds out Henry’s shacking up with Janice Rossi.
🐾 That glorious scene where Karen storms into the building, buzzing every single apartment, screaming, “Janice Rossi is a whore! She’s living in 2R!”
I nearly spilled my iced coffee! That’s the kind of unhinged energy you cannot fake. Bracco deserves a standing ovation — preferably while brandishing a revolver.
Martin Scorsese’s direction is pure kinetic perfection — the camera never sits still, and neither do you. That legendary Copacabana tracking shot? It’s not just stylish — it’s a flex. It’s a flex that even 30+ years later still leaves new directors barking up the wrong tree trying to imitate it.
And let’s not forget the soundtrack. Darling, it’s a howl. From Tony Bennett to The Rolling Stones, every song hits harder than a blackjack behind the ear. 🎶
By the time Henry’s spiraling in coke-fueled paranoia, helicopters swirling overhead, and sauce burning on the stove, it’s almost tragic… almost. But deliciously so.
🐾 Fifi’s Rating: 5 Paw Prints
A brutal, dazzling, darkly hilarious masterpiece. One paw in the gutter, one paw in the stars.
📢 Final Thoughts – Legends Never Die
Goodfellas is a perfect mob movie because it never forgets: crime isn’t just dangerous — it’s messy, ridiculous, and heartbreaking. Ricky and Fifi agree: if you haven’t seen it (or if you need a rewatch), drop everything, grab some pasta, and buckle up for one of the wildest rides Hollywood ever unleashed.
📢 Now streaming on Max, or available for digital rental.
Just remember… never rat on your friends, and always keep your mouth shut.
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