Muppet Treasure Island

After the success of "Muppet Christmas Carol", Jim Henson Productions decided to create a similar film. This time however they "muppetized" a classic adventure novel as opposed to a Charles Dickens' holiday fantasy book. Before "Muppet Treasure Island", the last American film adaption of Robert Louis Stevenson's book was in 1972. Even though director Brain Henson and the rest of the Muppeteers were playing out a story that had not been on the big screen in a while, television adoptions were numerous. This allowed the filmmakers to add the comedy that the Muppets are known for but still have some originality in their movie. This film was quite enjoyable as a teenager and it still is. While not as good as "Muppet Christmas Carol", it has some really funny moments.

The goal of this movie appears to be similar as the last Muppet film: maintain the spirit of the original novel but balance it with Muppet-style comedy. It worked somewhat in that the film is adventurous. An important factor in an adventure movie however is that there has to be hope that our heroes will survive the adventure. There must be high stakes. If you know the protagonists will succeed, where is the adventure? It is difficult to be concerned for the lives of the Muppets because subconsciously, we know they are not real as they act alongside human beings. Good thing the main characters are played by human beings but the casting could have been better when it came to Long John Silver. Tim Curry is the perfect actor for any other Muppet movie but after Michael Caine's performance in "Muppet Christmas Carol", a new bar had been set. Caine provided genuine drama in that movie. In order for "Muppet Treasure Island" to have genuine adventure, there needed to be a great performance from the actor playing Silver and Curry is a B actor. Because of all this, the level of adventure does not match the level of drama in "Muppet Christmas Carol". The spirit of "Treasure Island" is there but it is not as pure as I would have liked it. While "Muppet Christmas Carol" quoted the original novel a lot, "Muppet Treasure Island" does not. Having said this, the movie is still enjoyable to watch because of the humor and spirit.

The opening shot of the movie mirrors that of the last Muppet film. The design of "Muppet Treasure Island" resembles the Disney version from 1950, which itself is based on the illustrations from the original novel by N. C. Wyeth. There are a lot of browns and reds in the colors. The musical score by Oscar winner Hans Zimmer is the ultimate source of the film's adventurous mood. Another source would be Billy Connolly's performance. Billy Bones as a result come across as the quintessential live action pirate (with the exception of Captain Jack Sparrow and Dustin Hoffman's Hook). Connolly's voice is so unqiue and I remember his role on "Pocahontas". This Muppet movie was my introduction to Jennifer Saunders. The running gag of "How does she do that?" is very hilarious and I really love her comedic battle with the pirates. The pairing of Gonzo and Rizzo worked so well in the last film that they are paired up once again as Jim Hawkins' life long friends. Billy Bones' death is an important part of the original tale and so Rizzo breaking the fourth wall to remind kids that it is just a movie is a nice touch. Statler and Waldorf continue this Muppet cinematic tradition of breaking the fourth wall to humorous effect. Preceding Bones' death is the gag with Henry Kissinger's book. It sure comes out of nowhere and that makes it very funny. I also love the line "Oh, wolf" that immediately precedes an explosion. This is one of Fozzie Bear's most memorable movies because of the Mr. Bimbo gag. It is interesting how the name of every classic character that Kermit plays on the movie screen rhymes with his (this in turn makes it convenient for Miss Piggy to translate her affectionate nickname for Kermit to "Smollie" in this case). This film contains a great set up and reveal of Kermit as Captain Smollett by the way. I enjoy the song "Sailing for Adventure" in that it kicks off the rising action of the film very well. The reprise of "big, blue, wet thing" is really funny. One of the best sequences in the movie is roll call. The "Big Fat Ugly Bug-Faced Baby Eating-O'Brien" gag is sidesplitting. As Sam Eagle reads that name, Kermit even looks at the paper to see if that name is actually written. Their combined reaction to the woman is priceless. Another funny source of humor is the rats that think they are on a cruise. It becomes less funny as the movie progresses but I do like the dance they have and the water skiing gags because of contrast with the setting.

An important part of the original story is the relationship between Silver and Jim. Other film adaptations depict this aspect much better unfortunately. For kids who don't know the original story, the realization that Silver is to be feared comes gradually in "Muppet Treasure Island" so that is good. One noteworthy moment in the show is when Kermit gets serious and orders Jim to give him the map. This is where the story overrules Kermit's true personality. Probably my favorite song in the whole movie is "Cabin Fever". I was one day filming a 14 hour-long children's dance competition and this song was one of the dance numbers towards the end of the night. Because I did have cabin fever of sorts, it was the perfect song to hear at that moment. It is a great show stopping number. I love the extreme long shot of the ship with the spotlights. It would have been really funny to see the reaction of another ship that sailed past that sight. It is a really great contrast to the period setting. I also love the end when the crew get their senses back suddenly. Another Muppet movie tradition is a romantic subplot between Kermit and Miss Piggy. Piggy's entrance is a little too long for my taste. Oh, well. I'm not going to be the one to tell her. I love how the native boars call guns boom boom sticks by the way. I like the editing cut from the pirates laughing to Smollett and Benjamina both hanging off the edge of the cliff. Then comes the song "Love Led Us Here" and this is one of my favorite songs that Kermit and Piggy have ever sung. The climax is fun to watch but due to the aforementioned lack of believability, it isn't perfect. I love how Gonzo uses starfish from his pants to pin the pirate to the ship. I also enjoy how during the diminuendo, Silver's boat ironically sinks.

By 1996, the use of blue screen had become common in moviemaking so the special effects we see in "Muppet Treasure Island" are not as the last movie. Still, the long shots of Kermit and Piggy hanging upside down and singing are quite impressive. This was Muppeteer Bill Barretta's first feature film by the way. His character Pepe, which he created after this movie, is a favorite Muppet of mine. In the decade following this film, Disney would bring pirates to the big screen multiple times with "Treasure Planet" and the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise. "Muppet Treasure Island" is still in the consciousness of every Muppet fan however. It has a sense of adventure and is a lot of fun to watch but the Muppet film preceding this one had a much better balance of storytelling and humor.

3.5 Stars