Die Schatzinsel

Excellent film adaptation of the famous novel made in England at Denham Film Studios and using much of the Denham lake and the river Colne in the location sequences. Wonderful 50s technicolour and matte shots from Peter Ellenshaw to enhance the scenery. Robert Newton in great form as Long John Silver and Bobby Driscoll equally good as Jim Hawkins - not to mention the fine British cast of top rate character actors The latest Disney video is supposed to show the original full version BUT this is not the case - for one thing the death of Pugh under the coach wheels is left out as well as the other sequences cut for the '70s re-issue of the film. This is a great shame. I am not sure whether or not the DVD recent release is also produced minus these scenes

Sure, it had its shortcomings, and it wasn't as dark as it could have been, but this is certainly the best version of a book that has been retold time after time. As a child, this was one of my favorite books, and I always felt this was one of the best, if not the best adaptation of the book. Maybe someday someone will make a better version, but until then, my vote goes to this one.

Because practically everyone knows the story of "Treasure Island", I don't bother summarizing it here...especially since this is a rather direct telling of the classic story with no weirdness like you'd find in "Treasure Planet".

So is this Disney-fied version any good? Yes. While I still prefer the MGM version of the 1930s, this one is quite nice with its full color and the fun (and far from subtle) performance by Robert Newton as Long John Silver. Nothing particularly out of the oridinary....just a solid incarnation of the old Robert Louis Stevenson novel and a decent movie you can watch with your family.

Robert Newton sets the standard for all pirate movies. His performance as Long John Silver is a grand spree in scenery chewing. He is a delight to watch.

Even though it does not stick 100% to the novel, it stays true to the spirit and idea of the book. A light-hearted and well done adaptation of a well-loved book. Casting is brilliantly done, particularly for the parts of Long John Silver and Squire Trelawney. Locations are amazingly picturesque and make the watcher feel like they are in the right world for a swashbuckling pirate adventure, thereby making it all the better for them. For Disney's first foray into the arena of live-action films, it is extremely well done and hopefully they will be able to recapture their former glory and go back to the days of Treasure Island, Mary Poppins, and other live-action masterpieces of their illustrious past.