When my daughters were roughly kindergarten age, one of my favorite mindless movies to watch with them was “Muppet Treasure Island.”
I just saw it again to decide if my younger son was ready for it – not quite, too rich in plot, too scary in parts – and enjoyed it all over again.
If you think the human stars were mailing in their roles for the Muppet movies, get a load of Tim Curry in pirate get-up as Long John Silver. Curry was a longtime Muppet fan, and in “Treasure Island” he exploits his penchant for camp while swashbuckling his way through a wide range of emotions and shipboard high jinks.
The Muppet films and TV skits are always smart about dropping their quirky characters into familiar settings. The juxtaposition of a lanky frog playing Bob Cratchit in “A Christmas Carol” or Miss Piggy playing Benjamina Gunn creates instant visual comedy. The screenwriters take off from there, layering sophisticated adult humor on top of vaudeville wisecracks and juvenile slapstick.
“Treasure Island” follows Robert Louis Stevenson’s story fairly closely (if, that is, you can accept a puppet lobster as a cruel pirate). Young Jim Hawkins (Kevin Bishop) acquires a treasure map sought by the dreaded Long John’s crew, leading to a chase across the ocean and a series of intrigues near a tropical island. Though Disney and the Muppets tend to keep things light, an initial fight scene where the pirates break into Jim’s roadside pub is a noisy battle for toddlers.
Curry delights in the costumes and the rogue accents, just as he did in “Rocky Horror.” He’s the definition of a showman, and he elevates “Muppet Treasure Island” into a fun afternoon at the movies.
Each Tuesday, Michael Booth uncovers a movie gem for rewarding family entertainment. Send your suggestions to mbooth@denverpost.com.
