Muppet Treasure Island

Muppet Treasure Island
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Brian Henson
Produced by	Brian Henson Martin G. Baker
Screenplay by	Jerry Juhl James V. Hart Kirk R. Thatcher
Based on	Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
Starring	Kevin Bishop Tim Curry Jennifer Saunders Billy Connolly Muppet Performers: Steve Whitmire Frank Oz Dave Goelz Jerry Nelson Kevin Clash Bill Barretta John Henson
Music by	Hans Zimmer
Cinematography	John Fenner
Editing by	Michael Jablow
Studio	Jim Henson Productions
Distributed by	Walt Disney Pictures
Release date(s)	February 16, 1996 (1996-02-16)
Running time	95 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Box office	$34,327,391

Muppet Treasure Island is a 1996 American musical film based on Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island. It is the fifth feature film to star The Muppets and was directed by Jim Henson's son Brian Henson.

Similarly to the earlier Muppet Christmas Carol, the key roles were played by live-action actors, with the Muppets in supporting roles. The live-action actors consisted of Tim Curry as Long John Silver, Billy Connolly as Billy Bones, Jennifer Saunders, and Kevin Bishop in his feature film debut as Jim Hawkins. Kermit the Frog appeared as Captain Abraham Smollett, Fozzie Bear as Squire Trelawney, Sam the Eagle as Mr. Samuel Arrow, and Miss Piggy as the gender-flipped castaway "Benjamina" Gunn. Following their success as the narrators of The Muppet Christmas Carol, The Great Gonzo and Rizzo the Rat appeared in specially created roles as Jim's best friends.

Plot

Jim Hawkins is a young orphan living with his friends Gonzo and Rizzo at the Admiral Binbow inn. Dreaming of sea voyages, Jim only has the tales of Billy Bones to help, Bones telling Jim and the inn patriots of Captain Flint, his old captain, burying his treasure on a remote island and killing all of his crew. However, it turns out that Bones' tales are indeed true when Blind Pew, a fellow pirate, arrives and gives Bones the black spot. Bones dies of a heart attack but gives Jim, Gonzo and Rizzo his treasure map beforehand. Blind Pew returns with an army of pirates, but the boys escape with the map.

Going to a harbour town, the boys meet the half-wit Squire Trelawney (Fozzie Bear) who decides to fund a voyage to find Treasure Island and Flint's fortune. Accompanied by Dr. Livesey (Dr. Bunsen Honeydew) and his assistant Beaker, the boys and Trelawney hire the Hispaniola, commanded by Captain Abraham Smollett (Kermit the Frog) and his overly strict first mate Mr. Arrow (Sam the Eagle). The boys meet the cook Long John Silver, a one-legged man who Bones warned the boys about before dying. The ship sets sail, but Smollett is concerned by the pirate-like crew, learning they were hired on Silver's suggestion. Jim and Silver bond, but Gonzo and Rizzo are captured by three of the pirates, Polly Lobster, Mad Monty and Clueless Morgan, who demand they surrender the map but Mr. Arrow catches them in the act and imprisons them in the brig. Smollett locks the map in his safe.

Eventually it becomes apparent that Silver is leader of the pirates and plots a mutiny, fooling Mr. Arrow into leaving the ship to test a lifeboat for safety precautions, and faking his death. Jim, Gonzo and Rizzo learn of Silver's plan and inform Smollett. However, Silver captures Jim upon arrival at Treasure Island, the other pirates stealing the map from Smollett's safe. Smollett, Gonzo and Rizzo go to save Jim but are captured by the local tribe of wild boars, ruled over by Benjamina Gunn (Miss Piggy), Smollett's ex-fiance who he left at the alter. Jim, Silver and the pirates find the hiding place of Flint's treasure only to find the treasure missing, Silver sending Jim away as a fight breaks out among the pirates. The pirates come across Smollett and Benjamina who are suspended from a cliff until Benjamina tells Silver the treasure is hidden in her home, but the two are left to dangle, allowing the pair to fall in love again.

Jim, Gonzo and Rizzo find Mr. Arrow who aids them sneaking onboard the ship and scaring off the pirates still onboard and freeing Trelawney, Dr. Livesey and Beaker, before the figureheads of the Hispaniola (Statler & Waldorf) save Smollett and Benjamina (though Waldorf notes that they "didn't save the movie"). A battle breaks out between the heroes and the pirates, until Smollett fights Silver but loses. Jim and the others rally to their captain's aid, Silver surrendering honourably. All the pirates are stuffed into the brig but Silver escapes using Mr. Arrow's keys. Jim catches him in the act, but allows Silver to leave for the sake of their friendship. However, Mr. Arrow informs Jim and Smollett that the longboat Silver took was damaged, forcing Silver to abandon ship and swim to Treasure Island. The crew of the Hispaniola sale off into the sunset with the treasure, whilst Silver is marooned with only a wisecracking Moai head for company.

Cast

Live-action actors

• Kevin Bishop as Jim Hawkins, a good-natured orphan boy who for most of his life has worked at Mrs. Bluberidge's inn but has always dreamed of nautical adventures. He is an incredibly trusting boy, which proves to be somewhat of a downfall for him.
• Tim Curry as Long John Silver, a deceptively charming pirate who befriends Jim Hawkins at first, until he is overheard by Gonzo, Rizzo, and Jim as he reveals his dastardly plans to his fellow pirates aboard the Hispanola. During Silver's siege on Treasure Island it is suggested that Long John Silver and Benjamina Gunn share a romantic history. At the end of the film, Long John makes off with whatever treasure he can in what is later revealed to be a leaky lifeboat - but not before saying a rather touching goodbye to Jim Hawkins, where he declares he could "never hurt" Jim, because he is "honest and brave and true".
• Jennifer Saunders as Mrs. Bluberidge, a loud, plump woman who owns the Admiral Benbow Inn where Jim and his friends work. She has an uncanny ability to know when people are not doing what they should be doing, which leads to various characters exclaiming, "How does she do that?!" Though rough with the "boys," she does show a genuine concern for Jim, helping him 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 tells Jim he still has the map to the treasure before he suffers a fatal heart attack. (During a live performance in Dublin in 2002, Connolly jokingly claimed to be the only man to ever die in a Muppet movie. In fact, in the movie, Rizzo points this out: "He died? And this is supposed to be a kids' movie!")
• David Nicholls as Captain Flint, a pirate who buried the treasure at his own island years ago, and abandoned his crew.

Muppet performers

• Steve Whitmire as:
  • Kermit the Frog as Captain Abraham Smollett: A responsible, professional captain who rarely loses his temper, contrary to alarming warnings Samuel Arrow gives to Jim Hawkins.
  • Rizzo the Rat as Himself
  • Beaker as Himself
  • Bean Bunny as Himself

• Frank Oz as:
  • Miss Piggy as Benjamina Gunn: Captain Smollett's ex-fiancee, who lives on Treasure Island and is worshiped as "Boom Shakalaka" by a tribe of primitive boars. She makes a notably inept entrance which does nothing to cement her reputation as a sex symbol.
  • Fozzie Bear as Squire Trelawney: A half-wit son of the real Squire Trelawney who has trouble grasping the concept of what the ocean is. He also says he has an imaginary man in his finger named Mr. Bimbo, who tells him everything. Kevin Clash performed Squire Trelawney; Oz provided his voice.
  • Sam the Eagle as Mr. Samuel Arrow: The overly formal and rather melodramatic First Mate on the Hispanola.
  • Animal as Himself.

• Dave Goelz as:
  • The Great Gonzo as Himself
  • Dr. Bunsen Honeydew as Dr. David Livesey: An eccentric doctor who is fond of experimental treatments and often tests these on Beaker.
  • Waldorf as Ship Head.
  • Zoot as Himself.

• Jerry Nelson as:
  • Statler as Ship Head.
  • Lew Zealand as Himself: He appears as one of the pirates on Long John Silver's side.
  • Blind Pew: A blind pirate that comes looking for Billy Bones. He later takes part in the attack on the Admiral Benbow Inn.
  • Floyd Pepper as Himself
  • Island Heads: A bunch of Moai-like sculptures that are seen on Treasure Island.
  • Mad Monty: One of the pirates that is one of Long John Silver's henchmen alongside Polly Lobster and Clueless Morgan.
  • Robin the Frog as Himself.
  • Monkey: A monkey seen in the opening number who would become Sal Minella on Muppets Tonight.
  • Old Tom: An old man who is one of the pirates on Long John Silver's side.

• Kevin Clash as:
  • Polly Lobster: A lobster who serves as Long John Silver's "parrot" and is one of Long John Silver's henchmen alongside Clueless Morgan and Mad Monty.
  • Spa'am: The chief of the native pigs on Treasure Island.
  • Real Old Tom: A mummified person who is one of the pirates on Long John Silver's side.

• Bill Barretta as:
  • Clueless Morgan: A goat who is one of Long John Silver's henchmen alongside Polly Lobster and Mad Monty.
  • Dr. Teeth as Himself
  • Flaubert: Benjamina Gunn's pet anteater.
  • Mudwell the Mudbunny: A character from Fraggle Rock who makes a cameo as one of the pirates on Long John Silver's side.
  • Rowlf the Dog as Himself.
  • The Swedish Chef: Dressed as a pig chef for the native pigs. A talking vegetable quips, "How else were we going to get him into this movie?"

• John Henson as:
  • Sweetums as Himself: One of the pirates on Long John Silver's side who defects to Abraham's side.

Soundtrack

Track listing

1. "Treasure Island"
2. "Shiver My Timbers" (Jerry Nelson, Dave Goelz, Steve Whitmire, Brian Henson, Frank Oz, Kevin Clash, Bill Barretta, and John Henson)
3. "Something Better" (Kevin Bishop, Goelz, and Whitmire)
4. "Sailing for Adventure" (Curry, Bishop, Nelson, Goelz, Whitmire, Brian Henson, Oz, Clash, Barretta, and John Henson)
5. "Cabin Fever" (Nelson, Goelz, Whitmire, Brian Henson, Oz, Clash, Barretta, and John Henson)
6. "Professional Pirate" (Curry, Nelson, Goelz, Whitmire, Brian Henson, Oz, Clash, Barretta, and John Henson)
7. "Boom Shakalaka" (Nelson, Goelz, Whitmire, Brian Henson, Oz, Clash, Barretta, and John Henson)
8. "Love Led Us Here" (Oz, Whitmire)
9. "Map"
10. "Captain Smollett"
11. "Land Ho"
12. "Compass"
13. "Long John"
14. "Rescue"
15. "Honest Brave and True"
16. "Love Power [As Used in the Film Muppet Treasure Island]" (Ziggy Marley, Melody Makers)
17. "Love Led Us Here" (John Berry, Helen Darling)

Scores not on the soundtrack album

1. Isn’t That a Story Worth the Hearin’
2. Lighting the Lamp (Segues into "Something Better")
3. Blind Pew
4. The Hispaniola
5. Many a Dark-Hearted Scoundrel/One-Legged Man
6. This Voyage Has Begun (Seuges into "Sailing For Adventure")
7. Moonlit Dance (Played by Electric Mayhem Band)
8. Waiting to Pounce
9. Give Me the Map/No Wind
10. Mutiny
11. Never Get Involved in Politics (Electric Mayhem Band)
12. "A Professional Pirate" (Full version, with instrumental interlude)
13. Benjamina Gunn
14. Treasure Hunting
15. You Dare to Give ME the Black Spot?
16. Return of Mr. Arrow
17. The Pirates Attack/Sneaking Aboard/Where’s the Bloody Treasure?!
18. Long John Escapes
19. Sailing for Adventure (Finale)

Reception

Muppet Treasure Island received generally positive reviews; Rotten Tomatoes reported that 70% of critics gave the film positive reviews. The film was also a commercial success, grossing $34,327,391 during its theaterical run and surpassing the grosses of The Muppet Christmas Carol, The Muppets Take Manhattan and The Great Muppet Caper.

Distribution

This is the second Muppet film co-produced and released by Walt Disney Pictures, following The Muppet Christmas Carol. The film has been made available on home video formats. It was released on VHS September 11, 1996, and twice on DVD in Region 1. The first DVD release on June 4, 2002, was in a fullscreen-only format. The film was re-released on DVD November 29, 2005, in conjunction with Kermit the Frog's 50th anniversary celebration; this time the DVD contained both fullscreen and widescreen presentations.

Lawsuit

The Hormel Foods Corporation, who are the creators of Spam, sued the production company for using the name "Spa'am" for one of the film's warthog characters. Their suit was defeated on September 22, 1995. The judge dismissed it after a trial for failure to prove damages, noting, "one might think Hormel would welcome the association with a genuine source of pork."

External links

• Muppet Treasure Island on Muppet Wiki, an external wiki
• Muppet Treasure Island at the Internet Movie Database
• Muppet Treasure Island at AllRovi
• Muppet Treasure Island at Box Office Mojo
• Muppet Treasure Island at Rotten Tomatoes