Jason's Disney Movie Review: 'Muppet Treasure Island' (1996)

The next movie in my quest to watch and review all the movies and films made by Disney is the 1996 feature film 'MUPPET TREASURE ISLAND.' Not sure how long this will take or if I will be able to complete it but I am going to have some fun trying and hopefully watch some some great movies! All the movies and films will be chosen at random and right now come from the Walt Disney Pictures library which will include Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar movies as well as the True-Life Adventure movies. It will not include at this time movies and films from Touchstone Pictures or Hollywood Pictures or from any of the studios that were acquired by The Walt Disney Company such as Marvel Studios, LucasFilms and 20th Century Studios to name a few. Those may come later. My goal is to post at last one review a week and possibly more in some weeks. For each movie I review I will include some basic information such as release dates, synopsis, cast and crew as well as my thoughts and a rating or score that can be used to put together my all-time favorite Disney movie list.

'Muppet Treasure Island' was released on February 16, 1996. A Walt Disney Pictures and Jim Henson Productions and distributed by Buena Vista Distribution Company, Inc. Adapted from the 1883 novel Treasure Island by Robert Stevenson. When young Jim Hawkins (Kevin Bishop) inherits a long-lost treasure map, he hires the great ship Hispaniola to seek his fortune. With the good  Captain Smollett (Kermit the Frog), at the helm - and the greedy Long John Silver (Tim Curry)  at the heart of a dastardly plot - they set sail for adventure only to discover danger at every turn. 

Directed by Brian Henson. Produced by Martin G. Baker, Brian Henson, Michael Jablow (Associate Producer), Frank Oz (Executive Producer), Vesco Razpopov (Associate Producer), Selwyn Roberts (Line Producer) and Halle Stanford (Creative Executive). Written by Jerry Juhl, Kirk R. Thatcher and James V. Hart. Music by Hans Zimmer. Starring Tim Curry (Long John Silver), Billy Connolly (Billy Bones), Jennifer Saunders (Mrs. Bluveridge), Kevin Bishop (Jim Hawkins), Dave Goelz (Muppeteer and Voice of The Great Gonzo, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, Waldorf, Mudwell the Mudbunny and Zoot), Steve Whitmire (Muppeteer and Voice of Kermit the Frog, Rizzo the Rat and Beaker), Jerry Nelson (Muppeteer and Voice of Statler, Blind Pew, Mad Monty, Floyd Pepper, Lew Zealand, Tomato, Pirate, Skulls, Trelawney's Butler and Screaming Cat), Kevin Clash (Muppeteer and Voice of Bad Polly, Black Dog, Spa'am, Chicken, Miss Piggy [assistant], Fozzie Bear [assistant], Sam the Eagle [assistant], Animal [assistant], Walleyed Pike, Monkey, Pirate and Real Old Man), Frank Oz (Voice of Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Sam the Eagle and Animal), John Henson (Muppeteer and Voice of Sweetums), Danny Blackner (Short Stack Stevens), Peter Geeves (Black eyed Pea), Harry Jones (Easy Pete), David J. Nicholls (Captain Flint as David Nichols) and Frederick Warder (Calico Jerry).

'Muppet Treasure Island' is the fifth film in the Muppet's franchise and the second to be co-produced and released by Walt Disney Pictures, following The Muppet Christmas Carol in 1992.

Film Technical Specifications - Rating: G | Runtime: 1 hour and 39 minutes (99 minutes) | Sound: Dolby Digital | Color: Color | Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1.

'Muppet Treasure Island' Theatrical Trailer

Jason's Thoughts

This is not my first time watching this movie but it has been many years, so many that I cannot remember when I did see it last. I watched this movie most recently on Disney+ on April 24, 2023. The third adaptation of Robert Stevenson's Treasure Island by the Walt Disney Company, Treasure Island (1950) and Treasure Planet (2002) being the others. I think Tim Curry and Billy Connolly are great in this movie. I am also a big fan of The Muppets. One of my favorite lines was between Gonzo, Long John Silver and Polly the Lobster when Polly the Lobster says, "What an imagination. First pirates, now talking parrots, what's next - a singing, dancing mouse with his own amusement park." That's just one of the many funny one liners I enjoyed. Statler and Waldorf have their funny moments! Overall an enjoyable 99 minutes, and who doesn't love The Muppets?

Here are some fun fact(s) about 'Muppet Treasure Island' you may or may not know: 

- Kevin Bishop went trough puberty during the filming, so they had to over-dub his singing performances with older recordings of the songs. 

- After the success of The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992), Jim Henson Productions decide to cast Kermit and friends in another period piece. According to screenwriter Kirk R. Thatcher, it was a toss up between a Treasure Island adaptation or a take on King Arthur.

My Score: 80.00 (Check out the Jason's Movie Review page to see all the movies I have watched and reviewed.)

Have you seen 'Muppet Treasure Island' . . . what are your thoughts on the movie? Share in the comments below, I’d love to hear them!