Customer Reviews

Treasure Island [VHS]

5 star:		(87)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Brilliant, wonderful adaptation of R. L. Stevenson's classic seafaring tale -- this is beyond doubt THE best pirate film to have yet been made. Bar none. If you don't clap this one to your heart, ye be a false-sworn landlubber, by thunder, and here's my affydavy on that!

Update, October 2010: See the comments section -- it is being reported that a DVD release may finally come in 2011. Yarrr! And about time, too. Tremendous cast, sterling production values, brilliant cinematography, rousing musical score, crack screenplay, and vibrant performances make this an enduring classic.

I also want to put in a plug for the greatest pirate film to star a swashbuckling female, "Anne of the Indies" (aka "The Pirate Queen"), which has sadly never been released to home video in No. America but has aired on cable TV and is available on PAL Region 2 DVD (as Die Piratenkonigin) in Germany. If you have an all-region DVD player, you should run, not walk, to Amazon Deutschland and pick this up. It's the original English-language release, just switch off any German language options or subtitling. Jean Peters stars as Captain Anne Providence and gives her all in a wonderfully engaging, if corny, color production from about 1951. Peters is genuinely athletic, beautiful, and obviously loved this role. Anne of the Indies beats all other pirate queens hands down.

Now, if only they'd make a film about Grania O'Malley, we'd be splicin' the mainbrace!

A terrific telling of Robert Louis Stevenson's adventure, Christian Bale as the young Jim Hawkins and Charlton Heston as Long John Silver are both superb, and head a great cast: Richard Johnson, Oliver Reed, Clive Wood, and Julian Glover among the many actors that bring the story to life. Filmed in Jamaica, as well as the Hispaniola, a beauty of a ship, the scenery and cinematography by Robert Steadman are marvelous.
The soundtrack is by Paddy Moloney and performed by The Cheiftains, and is also very effective.

Christian Bale, so moving two years earlier in "Empire of the Sun", is here courageous and strong; only fourteen at the time this was made, he is quite remarkable, and Heston does a turn as the bad guy, and is sensational as old wily Silver, saying things like "I'll have yer liver for breakfast !".
Director Fraser Heston, who made his cinematic debut as the infant Moses in the 1956 "The Ten Commandments" his father starred in, keeps the pacing fast and though there are a lot of sword fights and shooting, it is mostly sound effects and there is very little in the way of gore, making the film suitable for children. The dialect of the sailors sounds foreign at first, but one soon gets used to it.
Originally made for television, this is rousing, exceptional story-telling, that will keep one's interest for numerous viewings.
Total running time is 132 minutes.

If you would like to see this version of Treasure Island released on DVD, as I do, then please go to this link:

http://tcmdb.com/title/title.jsp?scarlettTitleId=14882

and vote for it (on the right hand side of the screen).

If the link does not work, then do a Google search for Turner Classic Movies, then search on the site for Treasure Island (1990). Maybe if enough people vote for it, it will actually be released on DVD. It can't hurt.

Okay....CLEARLY, there are many of us who have vehemently and emphatically stated how badly we want this movie to be RELEASED ON DVD! So, Mr. Turner....what's the deal? My wife and I saw this movie when it was first aired on TV, and INSTANTLY fell in love with it. It is, as others have mentioned, THE BEST PIRATE MOVIE EVER! As we all know, the TV and movie industries are all about $$$, and the bar silver surely awaits Turner Home Video should they release this AMAZING MASTERPIECE on DVD! We turned various family members on to this movie when it first aired, and we all agree that Charlton Heston IS LONG JOHN SILVER.

So, Mr. Turner, whatever your beef is with the NRA or what have you, as a man who is synonymous with movies, you have to admit, this movie is the BEST version ever of TREASURE ISLAND, and it is BEGGING to be released on DVD. So as Dr. Livesey stated to Billy Bones, "LET THAT SUFFICE."

Set in the 1790s, young Jim Hawkins (Christian Bale), after finding a map of Treasure Island that leads to the prodigious treasure of Captain Flint, immediately notifies Doctor Livsey (Julian Glover). Within a short time a large ship, the Hispanola, has set sail for the island. Once there, Jim Hawkins discovers a secret about the ship's cook, Long John Silver (Charlton Heston), that changes their quest for gold into a fight for survival on the treacherous Treasure Island.

This movie, although made in 1990, has spectacular scenes and sequences, and beautiful shots of the Hispanola. (It may be noted that a real ship was used for the production of this film.) With a beautiful re-creation of 18th century exploration, this movie is great for all ages. This movie is laid out in nearly perfect accordance with Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island (One of the greatest novels of all time.).

Finally, a film worth watching that has a plethora of action, suspense and fighting, with a great story-line, and without a glut of blood and violence. This is an adventuresome, action-packed movie suited for nearly all ages. This, although I do not have a large interest in 18th century exploration, is one of my favorite films. Any true movie fan can acknowledge the scrutinization, meticulosity, and perfection that went into the production of this film to make it what it is. I only wish this were released on DVD.

Brought to you by Turner Home Entertainment, Treasure Island has all the thrills, chills, suspense, and heart-pounding sequences needed to make any film worth watching. As one of Charlton Heston's best films, Treasure Island is a film that, no matter what the date, keeps your attention from the first scene to the last. If you haven't seen Treasure Island, you don't yet know the true definition of adventure.

I was hooked on this film from the first time I saw it on television almost 10 years ago. I had never actually read the book, but it didn't matter. From the opening sequence of Billy Bones (a very excellent Oliver Reed)'s arrival at the Admiral Benbow, through young Jim Hawkins (the even more excellent and underrated actor Christian Bale)'s adventure on the high seas in search for buried treasure, all the way up to the climactic battles between the good guys and the pirates led by the fearful Long John Silver (Charleton Heston, in what I consider his best role ever!), this film is nonstop action, adventure, and great fun! It has a great plot, great characters, and even some comical moments. It will make you want to pick up the book and read it all over again. Every person of every age and gender can appreciate this movie. It is an essential modern classic.

Although the 1934 and 1950 (Disney) versions of "Treasure Island" are both quite good and still worth watching, I believe that this is the definitive version of the timeless story of piracy and high seas adventure. Charleton Heston is the best Long John Silver that I have ever seen on film ("Them that dies will be the luckey ones!"), better than Robert Newton or Wallace Beery. The supporting cast is excellent. I can only imagine that acting luminaries such as Oliver Reed and Christopher Lee must have had great fun making this movie. Christian Bale was excellent as Jim Hawkins, although possibly a year or two old for the role. But why carp? Very few liberties are taken with the original story in this film version and that is good because the original book is hard to improve upon. One of the most striking aspects about the Fraser Heston version of "Treasure Island" are the remarkable visual effects and the apparent care given to recreate the look and feel of N. C. Wyeth's famous illustrations of Robert Louis Stephenson's book. Possibly some of the language and violence may not be suitable for young children, but have you ever heard real sailors talk? This movie is no more violent than the daily fare on CNN. I have a videotape of this film recorded off of television but I would love to buy a copy if it were on DVD.

This is a great pirate film. Based on a great novel. Though it lacks a love interest it is none the less a fine story. Superbly acted. Heston really did a great job. Superbly costumed. Excellent sets. Beutiful scenery.

Movies rarely live up to the book they were based on. This one breaks that rule by being exceptionally faithful to the book (down to quoting many lines of dialogue right out of the book). The acting brings out the essense of some truly memorable characters (Charlton Heston, like Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Carribean, should have won an Oscar for this but I guess Hollywood has something against pirates). The props, clothing, and music add to the atmosphere beautifully. If I have any complaint, I would wish that it was a little longer.

This movie tops my list of titles that are long overdue to come out on DVD.

Although Ms. Sandy, UT said there was "quite a bit of profanity", I think she's crazy. I have seen this movie several times and would never feel bad about anyone of any age watching it. There is, however, one time that Billy Bones was talking to blind pue and said "Flint's dead goddam him" Blind Pue: "yes dead and damned". This may not be the "gee golly" language that she wants, but this movie isn't as bad as she makes it sound, remember, the movie is rated G.
I thought Charlton Heston was a perfect Long John Silver. I also thought the music was perfect too. It really helped to enhance the film. The music is done by The Chieftains. I don't know if there is an actual soundtrack, but the chieftains have an album out titled Film Cuts. This disc has songs from Treasure Island, Rob roy, and Far and away. I have listened to the CD as well. I rate the disc at a 10. I rated this movie as a five, but I would actually rate it as a 10 if the scale went higher. Please give this movie a chance, it will make its way into your heart as it has into mine.