Review of Muppet Treasure Island (1996) by Dillon L — 26 Sep 2014

Following the successful MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL, Brian Henson directed another literary adaptation with the Muppets, this time Robert Louis Stevenson's TREASURE ISLAND. The marriage between the two isn't quite as smooth as in the former film, though, mainly because Dickens' tale, in a way, had a "spiritual" connection to the Muppets' humor.

In that case, the blend was well suited. Here the results seem at odds, because Stevenson's tale is rather gritty and doesn't really call for humor. As such, MUPPET TREASURE ISLAND can feel somewhat schizophrenic at times, featuring surprisingly dark bits (a character dies at the beginning) at one moment, and sidesplitting humor the next (the "Cabin Fever" sequence, arguably the funniest scene in the picture.

) That said, this film still offers a lot of entertainment value: the songs, as usual, are excellent and well-suited to the fabric of the story, and Tim Curry is delightfully devious as the villainous Long John Silver.

He tears into the role with zest and villainy, and the chemistry between him and young Kevin Bishop as Jim Hawkins is great. The Muppets seem more like side-characters here, however, since the narrative arc focuses mostly on the Jim-Silver conflict.

(One could say the same about MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL, too, but again, that's only because the match was ideal.) Still, it's fun to watch Kermit as a ship's captain having a sword fight with Curry at the film's climax, and as usual, Gonzo and Rizzo are a riot.

Despite the sometimes jarring mixture of the material with the silly humor and uneven tone shifts, MUPPET TREASURE ISLAND is nonetheless great fun.