Starring The Muppets, Tim Curry, Kevin Bishop, and Billy Connolly
Directed by Brian Henson
Music by Barry Mann; Lyrics by Cynthia Weil
Muppet Christmas Carol wasn't a huge hit on release in November 1992, but it did well enough for Jim Henson Productions to consider a second adaptation of a classic British novel. This was hardly Disney's first go-around with Treasure Island. Their adaptation was their first live-action film in 1950. Robert Newton went over so well as roguish buccaneer Long John Silver, he was associated with the role for the rest of his life. Does the Muppet version reach the heights of that film and their previous movie, or should it be abandoned on a desert island? Let's begin over the credits as the infamous pirate Captain Flint buries his treasure and find out...
The Story: Young orphan Jim Hawkins (Bishop) and his peculiar friends Gonzo (Dave Golez) and Rizzo (Steve Whitmire) long to visit exotic places far from the inn where they work and demanding Mrs. Bluveridge (Jennifer Saunders). They get their chance when former pirate Billy Bones (Connolly) dies of a heart attack, leaving them the map that leads to Flint's treasure. They're barely able to dodge pirates after the map and get it to Squire Trelawney (Frank Oz), a sweet but rather clueless noble who talks to the little man in his finger.
Trelawny and scientist Dr. Livensey (Golez) hire the sailing ship Hispaniola to get them to the island where the treasure is buried. Captain Smollett (Whitmire) and strict first mate Samuel Arrow (Oz) are trustworthy, but as Smollett points out, the rest of the crew is not. Jim does manage to befriend cook and former pirate Long John Silver (Curry) and his lobster Polly (Kevin Clash), who teaches him how to navigate by the stars and talks about his father to him.
Silver, however, has ulterior motives. Jim and his two friends help Smollett avoid a mutiny, only for Jim to be captured by pirates and everyone else to be taken by pig natives. Turns out the natives are led by Smollet's old girlfriend Benjamina Gunn (Oz) and may be willing to help them find the treasure...if Silver and his crew don't get there first!
The Song and Dance: There's some very funny moments in this rip-roaring Muppet swashbuckler. I'm glad Fozzie and Sam have more to do in this one. They get some of the film's best lines as the silly squire who lets his thumb do the talking and the rules-obsessed first mate. In fact, this is probably Sam the Eagle's best role in any of the theatrical films, and one of Oz's best performances as the character. Curry's having an absolutely marvelous time as one of the most famous fictional buccaneers in history and milks his performance for all it's worth, especially after he outs himself as a pirate in the second half. Once again, terrific costumes and sets that (for the most part) accurately depicts seaside England and the Caribbean in the 1780's.
Favorite Number: We open with "Shiver Me Timbers" under the credits as we see Flint and his men bury their treasure and what happened afterwards. Jim, Gonzo, and Rizzo know they want "Something Better" than waiting on sailors at a seaside inn. Jim, Silver, Smollett, and the crew of the Hispaniola are excited to be "Sailing for Adventure" when they shove off. By the time they lose their wind mid-way through, they're all suffering from "Cabin Fever" in a wild Latin spoof that includes neon puff-sleeved shirts and sombreros.
Even Silver flat-out says he wants to make the most of his big number with the pirate chorus as he encourages Jim to become "A Professional Pirate." Jim, of course, is having none of it. The natives get their own wacky chorus number, "Boom Shakalaka." as they prepare to roast the Hispaniola crew...until the head of their tribe gets a load of Smollett! Benjamina and Smollett are literally hanging by a limb when they sing the movie's big love ballad "Love Led Us Here." The movie ends with the Ziggy Marley reggae number "Love Power" over the credits as the tourist rats whom Rizzo brought on board retrieve the sunken treasure.
Trivia: Frank Oz was busy elsewhere, so that's Kevin Clash operating his usual Muppets. Oz dubbed his voice later.
Tim Curry had been a huge Muppet fan for years. He relished working with them and later called Long John Silver one of his favorite roles.
Billy Connolly was proud to be the first person to die in a Muppet movie.
What I Don't Like: Due to this being a Muppet adaptation for children, this isn't quite as accurate book-wise as Christmas Carol was. Jim wasn't an orphan, for one thing. His mother was the one who ran the inn. Mr. Arrow really was pushed overboard, not just tricked. Benjamin Gunn was a former pirate who had been stranded on the island for so long, he'd gone crazy.
While they got away with inserting Gonzo and Rizzo as narrators in Christmas Carol, they work less well as Jim's sidekicks here. Other than a scene where the pirates torture them to find out where the map is (and Gonzo enjoys it!), even they complain mid-way through the movie that they don't have much to do. Piggy's role as Benjamina is kind of shoehorned into the end to give her a better role than acting crazy.
The Big Finale: I mildly prefer Christmas Carol, but this one has many charms as well for fans of Curry, pirate yarns, or the Muppets.
Home Media: Easily found on DVD and streaming, often for under $5. Disney Plus has it with a subscription.
No comments:
Post a Comment