Muppet Treasure Island (1996)

Fantastic!

As Good As It Gets

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

Alright, so this isn't very good. The kid is in over his head, the songs are fairly mediocre, & the direction is egregiously lazy. But can we just appreciate how perfect Curry is within the Muppet universe? He totally buys in to the idea of talking puppet-creatures, and he makes such a charismatic pirate. Still, neither he, nor the sardonic and anarchic Muppet humor, can make this any better than "meh".

Hold on tight...I'm gonna say something that will no doubt shock many of you. I don't particularly like "Treasure Island". I think it's a bit silly and there have been way too many versions. So, I wasn't exactly excited when my daughter suggested we see the film. Fortunately, this Muppet version offers enough to make it worth seeing--unlike the typical version of this classic (but dull) tale.The plot is very similar to the original story but with (fortunately) many Muppet touches. When the film sticks to the original plot and (especially) the original style of language, the film lags a bit. But, when silly stuff is tossed in, the audience's interest is piqued and the film becomes quite clever. A few of the very funny touches are the rats you see throughout the movie, the Swedish Chef's cameo and the truly nutty but wonderful 'Cabin Fever' song! It doesn't always work, I will admit, such as perhaps one song too many and some painful singing by the child playing young Jim Hawkins. Nothing against the kid--I am sure he's a swell person, but here he is a but underwhelming--and this would be true of many child actors given such prominence in a film.Overall, though I was predisposed to dislike this one, I didn't. There was enough for this curmudgeon to like and it's actually one of the better Muppet films. Surprise, surprise.

I don't think there's a 'children's' franchise that has more appeal to adults than Jim Henson's Muppets. I liked them as a kid but as an adult I love them. Their humor has so much nuance and clever wit that the jokes and characters get better with age. 'Muppet Treasure Island' might just be my favorite Muppet film and that is a hard thing to truly say because the Muppets have so much re-watch ability. I think what I like here is how sincere the story is while exploiting bizarre Muppet humor. It takes an audacity to adapt Robert Louis Stevenson's classic novel with Kermit and the gang. The movie is a hoot and I laughed a lot here but at the same time there's a great deal of heart and emotion involved. That's what has always been so wonderful about the Muppets and this swashbuckling adventure is no exception.What's so impressive here is how much integrity the original Stevenson story keeps while adapted in Muppet form. There are no cheap laughs at the expense of Long John Silver or Jim Hawkins. They blend seamlessly into the narrative. While Kermit, Fozzie, Piggy and the gang fill the outer cast and provide us with the classic humor, they never take away from the plot. Kermit is especially good as Captain Smollet. He gets some really heavy character motivation no doubt taken from the Stevenson novel and Kermit relays it very well. As do all the other characters. It doesn't feel out of place or thematically schizophrenic when we go from scenes showcasing the menace of Long John Silver to a rip roaring musical number affectionately called 'Cabin Fever'.Tim Curry is brilliant in this film. His interaction with the Muppets is seamless. In some of the lesser Muppet entries the human actors seem to be making fun of the Muppets (Charles Grodin in 'The Great Muppet Caper' is particularly bad'.) Curry treats them like they are real actors. This seems like it should be a no brainer but it is critical for this story here. Curry's band of buccaneer Muppets are actually quite menacing and some of the scarier creatures in a traditional Muppet film because the interaction is so good. The film isn't just an adaptation of 'Treasure Island' all the great Muppet humor and heart is intact and in some instances as funny as ever. Frank Oz's Fozzie Bear steals every scene he is in as Squire Trelawney(well in actuality the half witted son of Squire Trelawney). I particularly love how they use Gonzo and Rizzo in this film. They become Jim's companions on this voyage. Jim Henson always liked to portray the Muppets as dreamers and the excitement these characters relay over this pirate adventure is so in tune with the Muppets. 'Muppet Treasure Island' is not to be missed. It is funny and smart. I'd love to see the Muppets tackle another piece of literature because they really make it come alive in a new way. Highly recommended

I remember watching this movie probably when it first came out and then every once in a while on the Disney Channel. I remember laughing every time. Eventually the movie slipped my mind and I hadn't watched it for about 6 years. When I rediscovered it I fell in love all over again! This movie is fantastic and very memorable. I read reviews about Muppet Treasure Island and it seems that it gets overlooked or is underrated. Any Muppet fan needs to see this movie, you will love it. Tim Curry as Long John Silver is wonderful. You can see how much fun he is having with the role. He put his heart into that role and has even been quoted as saying that this role is one of his favorites that he has ever done. Being able to act along puppets and make them seem real by interactions seems like a tough job and Tim Curry pulls it off wonderfully. The songs, cast, writing, jokes and everything with this movie makes it a classic for any Muppet fan of any age. My 4 year old cousin picks this movie whenever she can and she dances and laughs at the movie. 10/10 for any Muppet fan!