Muppet Treasure Island
Muppet Treasure Island is a 1996 American musical adventure comedy film directed by Brian Henson, produced by Jim Henson Productions, and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures. It is the fifth feature film to star the Muppets and is based on the 1883 novel Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson.
Similarly to its predecessor The Muppet Christmas Carol, the key roles were played by live-action actors, with the Muppets in supporting roles. It stars Tim Curry, Billy Connolly, Jennifer Saunders and, in his feature film debut, Kevin Bishop, alongside Kermit the Frog as Captain Abraham Smollett, Fozzie Bear as Squire Trelawney, Sam Eagle as Mr. Samuel Arrow and Miss Piggy as the castaway Benjamina Gunn. Following their success as the narrators of The Muppet Christmas Carol, The Great Gonzo and Rizzo the Rat were given specially created roles as Jim Hawkins' best friends.
The film was released on February 16, 1996, grossing $34 million on a budget of $31 million, and receiving generally positive reviews from critics and audiences.
Plot
is a young orphan who lives in an inn in England with his best friends Gonzo and Rizzo. Jim listens to Billy Bones' tales about the pirate Captain Flint, who buried his treasure trove on a remote island and executed his crew so only he would own the island's map. One night, Bones' crewmate Blind Pew arrives, giving Bones the black spot. Just before dying of a heart attack, Bones gives Jim the treasure map and begs him to go after the treasure and keep both it and the map safe from pirate hands. Just then, an army of pirates attack the inn, destroying it, but Jim, Gonzo, and Rizzo escape with the map.The trio takes the map to the half-wit Squire Trelawney, who arranges a voyage to find the treasure. The boys are enlisted aboard the Hispaniola as cabin boys, accompanied by Trelawney, Dr. Livesey, and Beaker. The ship is commanded by Captain Abraham Smollett and his overly strict first mate, Mr. Arrow. The boys meet the cook Long John Silver, a one-legged man whom Bones warned them of, but Jim and Silver become good friends. The ship sets sail, but Smollett is suspicious of the crew, believing them to be of shady character. After Gonzo and Rizzo are kidnapped and tortured by three of the crew who have turned out to be pirates, he has the treasure map locked up for safe keeping.
It is revealed that Silver and the secret pirates in the crew had been part of Flint's crew and want the treasure for themselves. Silver fools Mr. Arrow into leaving the ship to test out a rowboat, claims he drowned, and has his minions steal the map during Arrow's memorial service. Jim, Gonzo, and Rizzo discover Silver's treachery and inform Smollett. Arriving at Treasure Island, Smollett orders the entire crew save the officers to go ashore, planning to keep himself and non-pirate crew aboard the ship and abandon the pirates on the island. However, his plan falls through when it is discovered that Silver has kidnapped Jim to have leverage against the captain. On the island, Silver invites Jim to join them in the treasure hunt using his late father's compass. When Jim refuses, Silver forcibly takes the compass from him. Smollett, Gonzo, and Rizzo land on the island in an effort to rescue Jim. However, unbeknownst to them, Silver had hidden a squad of pirates aboard the Hispaniola before leaving, and they capture the ship in Smollett's absence. On the island, Smollett and the rest of the landing party are captured by the native tribe of pigs, where Smollett reunites with his jilted lover Benjamina Gunn, the tribe's queen.
The pirates find that the cave in which Flint hid the treasure is empty, leading to a brief mutiny against Silver. Silver reveals that, even though he is a pirate, he cares for Jim and allows him to escape. Smollett and Benjamina are captured by Silver, and Smollett is hung from a cliff to fall to his death. In an effort to save Smollett, Benjamina reveals the treasure is hidden in her house, but when she spits out a kiss from Silver, he hangs her off the cliff as well. Jim rescues his friends and with Mr. Arrow, the group regains control of the Hispaniola, and rescue Smollett and Benjamina. The group engages the pirates in a sword fight until only Silver is left standing, but he surrenders when he finds himself outnumbered. While the pirates are imprisoned, Silver discovers he still has Mr. Arrow's keys and tries to escape with the treasure. Jim confronts him and threatens to give his position away, while Silver draws his pistol. In a tearful standoff, neither can bring themselves to follow their threats and Jim allows Silver to leave as long as they never cross paths again, much to their disappointment. Silver rows away, but not before returning Jim's compass to him and complimenting his kind heart. However, Mr. Arrow informs Jim and Smollett that the boat Silver used was not seaworthy, and Silver is stranded on the island with no gold.
The crew of the Hispaniola sails away into the sunset, but not before sending some scuba-diving rat tourists recover the treasure from the sea, ending the film.
Cast
- Kevin Bishop as Jim Hawkins, a good-natured orphan boy who, for most of his life, has worked at the Admiral Benbow Inn under the strict rule of Mrs. Bluveridge, but has always dreamed of nautical adventures. He is an incredibly trusting boy, which proves to be somewhat of a downfall for him, as he forms a bond with the ship's chef Long John Silver, who is ultimately revealed to be a pirate.
- Tim Curry as Long John Silver, a deceptively charming pirate, posing as a chef, who befriends Jim at first until he is overheard by Gonzo, Rizzo and Jim as he reveals his dastardly plans to his fellow pirates aboard the Hispaniola. During his siege on Treasure Island, it is suggested that Silver and Benjamina Gunn share a romantic history. Despite his villainous nature, his fondness for Jim is sincere.
- Jennifer Saunders as Mrs. Bluveridge, a loud, plump woman who owns the Admiral Benbow Inn where Jim and his friends work. She has an uncanny ability to hear conversations from far away, which leads to various characters exclaiming, "How does she do that?" Though rough with the boys, she does show a genuine concern for Jim and his friends, helping them escape the pirates before seeing them off herself.
- Billy Connolly as Billy Bones, an ex-pirate, previously a member of Captain Flint's crew who witnessed the burial of gold on Treasure Island and informs Jim that he still has the map to the treasure before he suffers a fatal heart attack. During a 2002 live performance in Dublin, Connolly jokingly claimed to be the only man to ever die in a Muppet movie.
Muppet performers
| Performer | Muppet character | Treasure Island character |
| Dave Goelz | The Great Gonzo | Himself |
| Dave Goelz | Dr. Bunsen Honeydew | Dr. David Livsey |
| Dave Goelz | Waldorf | Figurehead |
| Dave Goelz | Zoot | Crew member |
| Steve Whitmire | Kermit the Frog | Captain Abraham Smollett |
| Steve Whitmire | Rizzo the Rat | Himself |
| Steve Whitmire | Beaker | Dr. Livsey's assistant |
| Steve Whitmire | Original | Walleye Pike |
| Jerry Nelson | Statler | Figurehead |
| Jerry Nelson | Lew Zealand | Crew member |
| Jerry Nelson | Floyd Pepper | Crew member |
| Jerry Nelson | Originals | Mad Monty |
| Jerry Nelson | Originals | Blind Pew |
| Jerry Nelson | Originals | Old Joe |
| Jerry Nelson | Originals | Calico |
| Jerry Nelson | Originals | Old Tom |
| Jerry Nelson | Originals | Spotted Dick |
| Frank Oz | Fozzie Bear | Squire Trelawney |
| Frank Oz | Miss Piggy | Benjamina Gunn |
| Frank Oz | Sam Eagle | Mr. Samuel Arrow |
| Frank Oz | Animal | |
| Kevin Clash | Fozzie Bear | Squire Trelawney |
| Kevin Clash | Miss Piggy | Benjamina Gunn |
| Kevin Clash | Sam Eagle | Mr. Samuel Arrow |
| Kevin Clash | Animal | |
| Kevin Clash | Originals | Polly Lobster |
| Kevin Clash | Originals | Spa'am |
| Kevin Clash | Originals | Real Old Tom |
| Kevin Clash | Originals | Black Dog |
| Bill Barretta | Mudwell the Mudbunny | Himself |
| Bill Barretta | Jacques Roach | Himself |
| Bill Barretta | Originals | Clueless Morgan |
| Bill Barretta | Originals | Angel Marie |
| Bill Barretta | Originals | Mr. Bitte |
| John Henson | Sweetums | Himself |
| Louise Gold | Brool the Minstrel | Himself |
| Louise Gold | Original | Tourist Rat |
| Don Austen | Originals | Background Pirates, Native Pigs |
Production
Following the release of The Muppet Christmas Carol, it was decided that the next Muppet film would be an adaptation of a classic story. Co-writer Kirk R. Thatcher stated: "There were a whole bunch of ideas out there and I was most keen Treasure Island and a King Arthur story with medival dragons and knights, in the end we all agreed as a group that Treasure Island was a better story for the Muppets to take on." In the first draft, Gonzo and Rizzo were initially written to portray two characters named Jim and Hawkins, but Thatcher explained that "the studio was nervous that they couldn't hold the emotional heart of the movie, so eventually the human Jim Hawkins was written in, and we cast Gonzo and Rizzo alongside him." About a hundred actors auditioned the role of Jim Hawkins, but Kevin Bishop, who did the very first audition, received the part.In May 1993, Brian Henson announced that the Muppets would appear in a loose film adaptation of Treasure Island. Filming was slated to begin in the fall in London with a tentative release date slated for spring 1994. While the film did not have a distributor at the time, Walt Disney Pictures did have a first-look deal. Veteran Muppet performer Frank Oz was unavailable for most of shooting, so fellow Muppet performer Kevin Clash puppeteered his characters, while Oz dubbed the voices in post-production. Oz had already participated in a recorded read-through of the script; Clash used these recordings to help prompt his performances. According to Clash, Oz gave him a brief description of each of his characters prior to shooting. Oz described Miss Piggy as "a truck driver wanting to be a woman", and Fozzie Bear as somebody similar to Jerry Lewis.
Music
The Muppet Treasure Island: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack features an instrumental score by Hans Zimmer, with additional music by Nick Glennie-Smith, as well as songs written by pop songwriters Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil. The film's ending includes the reggae number "Love Power" performed by Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers, which was released as a single and promoted with a music video featuring Marley and some Muppets with dreadlocks.Musical numbers
- "Shiver My Timbers" – The Pirates
- "Something Better" – Jim, Gonzo and Rizzo
- "Sailing for Adventure" – The Hispaniola crew
- "Cabin Fever" – The Hispaniola crew
- "A Professional Pirate" – Silver and the Pirates
- "Boom Shakalaka" – Island Natives
- "Love Led Us Here" – Smollett and Benjamina
- "Love Power" – Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers
- "Love Led Us Here" – John Berry and Helen Darling
Release
Home media
Muppet Treasure Island was the second Muppet film co-produced and released by Walt Disney Pictures, following The Muppet Christmas Carol. It has been made available on home video formats. Walt Disney Home Video and Jim Henson Video first released the film on VHS on September 10, 1996. During its initial home video release, it had sold an estimated 5 million VHS copies. The film was re-released on a "Special Edition" DVD in Region 1 on August 8, 2000.The first DVD re-release in the U.S. was on June 4, 2002, and was a fullscreen-only version. Other releases of these were in widescreen only format. The DVD release has 3 bonus features added like "Hidden Treasure Commentary", "The Tale of the Story Behind the Tail" and "Treasure Island Sing-Along". Walt Disney Home Entertainment re-released the film on DVD on November 29, 2005, in conjunction with Kermit the Frog's 50th anniversary celebration; this time the DVD contained both full-screen and widescreen presentations. The film made its debut on Blu-ray Disc on December 10, 2013 as part of a two-movie bundle with The Great Muppet Caper.
Reception
Box office
Muppet Treasure Island opened on February 16, 1996 in 2,070 venues and earned $7.9 million over the weekend, ranking third at the North American box office behind the second weekend of Broken Arrow and fellow newcomer Happy Gilmore. At the time, it held the record for having the biggest opening weekend gross for a Disney film in February. It ultimately grossed $34.3 million domestically.Critical reception
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 73% based on 26 reviews, with an average rating of 6.2/10. The website's critical consensus reads: "Though less Muppet-centric than the original trilogy, Muppet Treasure Island is an energetic, cheerful take on Robert Louis Stevenson's classic adventure, with typically solid gags." Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average rating of "A-" on an A+ to F scale.Stephen Holden of The New York Times praised the playfulness of the Muppets as keeping "the story amusingly off-kilter. The mood is perfectly in keeping with the notion of the Muppets as contemporary children dressing up and improvising their own versions of classic tales." Ken Tucker, reviewing for Entertainment Weekly, gave the film a B+ noting that "the film is notably handsome in a dark, foreboding way. The Muppet action blends seamlessly with the human actors, and adults will be kept giggling with wittily anachronistic jokes about codependence, water-skiing, and Henry Kissinger."
Roger Ebert, reviewing for the Chicago Tribune, gave the film two-and-a-half stars out of four. While he was favorable to Tim Curry's performance, he summarized the film as being "less cleverly written, and for moi it's a near miss." Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune gave the film two stars out of four writing that the film was a "boring Muppet adventure that doesn't successfully meld the Muppets into a conventional buried-treasure story. I wanted the Muppets to play themselves rather than phony pirate-related characters."