TrueJoshNight Truly Dreadful Film

GurlyIamBeach Instant Favorite.

Melanie Bouvet The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

Sameer Callahan It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

Steven Patterson This is probably the closest adaptation from the novel, slightly marred by a tendency to linger over scenes inspired by iconic illustrations of NC Wyeth and others. The pacing when establishing characters is like a too-slow striptease, especially Billy Bones (Oliver Reed), Blind Pew (Christopher Lee), and John Silver (Charleton Heston). Heston's delivery, like Christian Bale's (as Jack Hawkins) is understated, which removes a little of the fun and all of the mercurial affection established by Robert Newton and Bobby Driscoll in th e1950 version. Both Bale and Heston are just a bit too cold to perform the Tango of a sonless rogue and a fatherless boy, so their path to grudging admiration plays out more like a chess game. I'd rather have Reed and Heston exchange roles, but what's done is done. Lee's vocalizations, usually so plummy, are disappointingly squeaky, a surprising choice for such a sinister role, but his physical acting superb. Julian Glover as Dr Livesey, Richard Johnson as Squire Trelawny and Clive Wood as Captain Smollet all capture their characters, though again, Glover's expressiveness is a tad subtle. The Chieftains...well, certainly there are many points in the film where the strident fiddling is extremely appropriate, but but what's missing is a few melancholy bars and some strains of sober suspense. Surely the Chieftains had a plaintive flute or something that could have done the trick. A bit of thumping drums delightfully prefigures "the Battle" music from Master & Commander, but the gunnery work in the assault on the blockhouse is unconvincing visually, especially the recoil effects and explosions. This is a film that could benefit from a little CGI tinkering, since the special pyrotechnics budget was apparently so frugal. The locations are really quite good, and the Hispaniola looks good on the outside, sometimes appearing to be actually sailing. The interior scenes are a bit too stable and a bit roomier than they should be.

Steve This version of the classic Treasure Island novel is without a doubt a classic. It is not only the best film based on the Stevenson classic, but it is also the best pirate film ever. What makes it good enough to be given such honors? Listed below from order of most important to least important are some of the reasons. 1. I would say the most important factor would be this: the pirates sounded and looked like real pirates. In a pirate movie, this is the most crucial piece in making the movie worthwhile. If the pirates are not believable, then the movie really seems cheesy and unrealistic. Seriously- take a second to think this to yourself: "What is a pirate?". There is nothing romantic about them. A pirate is nothing more than a rogue on a ship who has turned to a life of crime and murders and loots and spends all day on a ship surrounded by other crude, dirty, vulgar ruffians. It stands to follow then, that they would be dirty, unsightly, muscular, coarse people with ruff voices. This movie did the best job of any pirate movie in portraying them as just that. 2. This movie also had amazing actors. With a cast that includes Charlton Heston, Christian Bale, Oliver Reed, and Christopher Lee, how could the acting not be superb? All the actors, whether in a supporting role or a leading role, were amazing. 3. The script writers nailed the attitudes of all the characters perfectly. When you heard Captain Smollet you could easily find yourself believing that you were hearing a captain from the olden days speaking to you. 4. The props and costumes were excellent. While I was terribly disappointed by many versions of Treasure Island for their bad costumes, this had perfect costumes. 5. The musical score was absolutely incredible. The music (performed by The Chieftains) was not only beautiful, but it fit the mood of every scene perfectly. I would say more, but then I'd need to add a spoiler alert, and since I don't want to do that I'll content myself with giving only that small amount of praise.

hattjam8 This is one of my favorite movies. I was introduced to it by an old family friend who had copied it when it was originally broadcast on cable. My sisters and I ruined the tape with watching. My father has declared this movie his very favorite, and we all have the music from it (yay, Chieftains!). It is an incredible movie, which was my introduction to Christian Bale. I like this one even better than Empire of the Sun. My only gripe is that they have stopped printing this movie, even on VHS. It is a bear to get hold of a copy, let alone a decently-priced one. I hope that someday, a DVD will be made for all of us devoted fans of this brilliant movie.

joeisele In my opinion, this movie is the best film rendition of Treasure Island to date. I must however preface that comment with the fact that I was eight years old when it came out and still watch it today from time to time. I fell in love with this film at a young age, without the wisdom to realize that this movie stands the test of time as a rich and well crafted rendition.The story is of course of the famous the R.L Stevenson book and uses a somewhat older Jim Hawkins played by a young Christain Bale. Charlton Heston seems born for the role of Captain Hook and a host of other famous actors play great characters as well. Everything is tied in together with excellent scenery and a wonderful soundtrack by the Chieftans in the flavor of Irish folk music.I watched the movie again at the age of 18, having been exposed to a wide array of films and upon seeing this again, I couldn't believe how much I still loved the film. When remakes are done of films, it's sometimes the first rendition one sees that sticks as the 'prototypical' version to which all others are compared. This film is such for me, that I cannot see another version of the story and find anything of value in it. Call it stubborness or simply childhood attachment, but one must see this movie to understand. Don't listen to the rants and raves of a grown up eight year old, rent it yourself and make your own decision.