The Muppets are back into action in another movie based on a novel written by Robert Louis Stevenson. Kermit the Frog and his colleagues go on a warfare against ruthless pirates. They also share their problem-solving journey on sea to rescue a treasure. After telling the story of Flint's last journey to young Jim Hawkins, Billy Bones has a heart attack and dies just as Jim and his friends are attacked by pirates. The gang escapes into the town where they convince Squire Trelawney to hire out a boat and crew to find the hidden treasure, which was revealed by Bones before he died. On their voyage across the seas, they soon find out that not everyone on board can be trusted. I keep thinking these "Muppet Movies" are going to be just for little kids but I am usually pleasantly surprised that I enjoy most of them, too. In this one, there were a lot of modern-day expressions and referrals to things that only adults would appreciate.<br/><br/>Meanwhile, the special-effects with the puppets is the normal high-quality. Actually, this was my first look at a Muppet film, although I've reviewed several others, so I was downright amazed at what I saw. After I had seen others, and then viewed this one again, it wasn't as appealing. It was okay, but I liked a few others better. As I found with subsequent episodes, Rizzo The Rat and The Great Gonzo had the best lines even though Kermit and Miss Piggy have always been the best-known of these puppet characters. I've never been a fan of Miss Piggy so I was glad to see her with a minor role here.<br/><br/>Tim Curry played "Long John Silver" and he was entertaining, as was young Kevin Bishop as "Jim Hawkins." The songs were okay: not outstanding, but not bad. There weren't that many and they were brief enough not to interrupt the flow of the story. The movie is a little loud the first 20 minutes but settles down after that. What do I mean by that? I mean that this movie is SPECTACULAR. I mean, we've got pirates, Muppets, swordfights, comedy, musicals, and Tim Curry, who steals every single scene he's in.<br/><br/>It's more or less the same story we've heard before: Jim Hawkins finds a map to the treasure of Captain Flynt and manages to get himself a ship, captain and crew to go look for it. He befriends Tim Curry a.k.a. Long John Silver and after a bout of Cabin Fever explodes into the craziest song ever put on film, they find the island, Long John is torn over his bond with Jim, yadda yadda you know how it goes.<br/><br/>But you don't. What makes this my favorite rendition of Treasure Island is the Muppets. Gonzo and Rizzo play co-cabin boys alongside Kevin Bishop as Jim Hawkings, whose singing voice can be a tad annoying at times but helps show how much he needs to treat that Disney Princess Syndrome he suffers from.<br/><br/>"Disney Princess Syndrome" - a common disorder among physically weak Disney leads, the only known treatment for which is a sword fight. Symptoms include: 1) Tendency to burst into song about wanting more. 2) Effeminate demeanor. 3) Developing Stockholm Syndrome towards overly charismatic villains. 4) Tendency to get kidnapped and/or locked up.<br/><br/>Don't worry, he'd cured by the end of it.<br/><br/>The celebrity guests are kept to a bare minimum like with the Muppet Christmas Carol, Billy Connolly and Jennifer Saunders getting bit roles in the beginning as Billy Bones and Ms. Bluberidge at the inn. Tim Curry steals the show as Long John Silver, his performance confirming long-time fans of his that he is, indeed, actually a Muppet. How else could one explain how his obnoxious and over-the-top personality blends so well with the other Muppet characters in the film?<br/><br/>Viewer beware: you might not be able to watch another Muppet movie after seeing this one. It is the apex of everything glorious about the Muppets, and continues to be my absolute favorite film of all time.<br/><br/>And, hey, at LEAST it's better than that recent rendition of rank and rancidness known as Muppets Most Wanted. Miss Piggy may not be Babe, but she sure packs a good oink. Her garish performance in the last third of "Muppet Treasure Island" is one of the highlights of this pleasant, cuddly addition to the world of Muppet fantasy. [16 Feb 1996, p.55]
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