Matt Greene
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".
Matthew_Capitano
Anyone with brains knows that Hollywood has never made an honest movie in its life . . . . and muppet creator Jim Henson's handy relation, Brian, keeps the b.s. of Hollywood alive by occupying Jim's position as muppet movie director just because he's related.Typically claustrophobic muppet mess which seems to lack a script -- or at least a coherent one. Brian Henson's choppy direction remains a sore spot accompanied by the usual patented muppet movie noise and confusion. Tim Curry expectedly overacts as 'Long John Silver' and he looks adequately embarrassed while he does it.Jim Henson was a genius who was responsible for the rise of the muppet empire, but that empire should finally fall by disappearing from American movie theaters for good.
studioAT
After the so-so 'Muppet's most wanted' it was nice to go back and watch this film, which really does show the beloved characters off at their best.Using a lot of the same techniques as the earlier success 'Muppet Christmas Carol' the Muppets give their own fun filled interpretation of Treasure Island.Tim Curry holds the film together with a fabulously over the top performance, that more than makes up for the rather slow beginning. In typical Muppet fashion there are cameos and songs, as well as some now rather dated pop culture references that kids won't get but it doesn't matter.If you feel a bit let down by their recent outing, then a look back at this truly classic Muppet film could be what you need.
Electrified_Voltage
This is the fifth theatrical Muppet movie, and the second one made after creator Jim Henson's premature death. For this one, they took a 19th century story and incorporated the Muppets into it, just like they did with the first 90's movie featuring the famous puppet performers. "The Muppet Christmas Carol" is an adaptation of "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens and "Muppet Treasure Island" is an adaptation of "Treasure Island" by Robert Louis Stevenson. I didn't see this film in the theatre, but first saw it around the time it was released on VHS later in 1996, and remember seeing it more than once in the 90's. I watched it for the first time in many years in 2007, and again three years later. I still think it's a good comedy adventure after these two viewings.Jim Hawkins is the orphaned son of a former first mate. He lives a dull life, working for a hot-tempered boss named Mrs. Bluveridge at an inn with Gonzo and Rizzo. Jim and the two Muppets live off table scraps. Billy Bones is an ex-pirate who lives at this inn and has a treasure map hidden away. After a pirate named Blind Pew comes and gives Billy a black spot, meaning the pirates are coming to kill him tonight, he plans to flee, but has a heart attack! Just before he dies, he tells Jim to take the map and to beware of the "one-legged man!" Pirates then come and invade the inn, and the place is soon set on fire, so Jim, Gonzo, and Rizzo all leave with the treasure map and set out to a nearby town. This is where they meet the half-witted son of Squire Trelawney (Fozzie Bear) and convince him to fund a voyage to find the treasure. They set out on a ship with Captain Smollet (Kermit the Frog), First Mate Samuel Arrow (Sam the Eagle), and many others. The cook on this ship is Long John Silver, a seemingly friendly man who has only one leg, which means that he could be the one Billy Bones was talking about! The opening sequence features the first song in the film, "Shiver My Timbers". I really liked this song as a kid and still do. It's an intense tune with a great melody. The film then goes from there to the inn, and there certainly are funny moments here. Gonzo and Rizzo, the first two Muppets that appear in the film, are definitely a part of the humour, and it helps that Billy Bones is played by Billy Connolly, a talented comedian. It also isn't long before the story gets exciting. After Jim, Gonzo, and Rizzo leave the inn, more Muppets soon appear, starting with Fozzie Bear as Squire Trelawney's son, who soon mentions Mr. Bimble, an imaginary man who lives in his finger. Even though this is very silly, it still made me laugh. As usual, the Muppets generally don't fail to provide laughs, and while most of the characters in the film are played by Muppets, there are some played by on screen actors other than Connolly. Tim Curry really stands out as Long John Silver. In addition to the humour, characters, and performances, this is also a movie with a lot of excitement and very impressive visuals. Most of the songs are not great, unlike the first one, but none of them are that bad. Also, the humour may get a BIT kiddish at times, the Mr. Bimble jokes may not always be that funny, and I didn't care much for certain moments in the movie with Miss Piggy as Benjamina Gunn, but other than that, there really aren't too many problems I can think of.This was the Muppets' last feature film before "Muppets From Space", their sixth film, which was released three years after this one. The only time I've even seen that 1999 film was in 2008, and I remember finding it kind of hard to believe that came only three years after "Muppet Treasure Island". Now that I've seen the other five theatrical Muppet movies again since seeing the 1999 effort, I honestly think that's the only bad one! Unlike the rest of them, I really thought it wasn't that funny and was also too dark for the Muppets. The other five are good, even though some are better than others, and "The Muppet Movie" is probably the best of them all. As the Muppets' second flick made after Jim Henson's sad passing, "Muppet Treasure Island" may not be as good as the first 90's film featuring the famous puppets, but at least it comes very close. I know it's far from being the most popular film in the franchise, but I thought it was a good family adventure movie when I was around ten years old and still do now.
