Die Schatzinsel

Jack Palance is magnificent as Long John Silver in this sparkling new adaptation of an old classic. Packed with a stellar cast of great British character actors and three Hollywood stars, it must rank among the top 5 versions ever made of Robert Louis Stevenson's legendary novel. Shame there's only one sexy female, but at least she was well cast - Sarah Holland played the saucy strumpet with a charm, power and sincerity that made me wish we'd seen more of her. It's true that the Isle of Man location left a lot to be desired, but it was fresh, different and added a surprise zing to the action. All in all, a cracking film worthy of more than a passing nod.

Ain't Treasure Island the best story ever about a bunch of adults trying to kill a child? This is a version from the nineties that I picked up for seven pence, with Jack Palance as Long John Silver. I'm still holding out for a copy of that Italian one set in space, because there's no way that can't not be not good.

You know the story: Some fud called Jack works in a doss house in Cornwall while his mum lies in bed claiming Employment Support Allowance. One day this tosser turns up and gets wasted and tells Jack to watch out for a guy with one leg (whom I'd imagine is also claiming some sort of disability benefit). Then this blind guy turns up (more disability benefit) and curses the other guy. Before you know it loads of guys turns up and try and kill everyone and Jack ends up with a map and so on and so forth.

After nearly being killed several times by various pirates, Jack ends up on a ship with a small crew of English gentleman and a much larger crew of obvious pirates who are definitely not just waiting to kill the gentry and get a hold of that map. Jack Palance shows up as definitely not the leader of the pirates and they all head of for some island.

Following some man on man love action that was cut from most versions of this film (they are at see for months you know and no one likes to be alone), they all finally get to the island so they can start killing each other. By this time Jack's run off and met this arsehole called Ben Gunn, Silver's got his pirates up against the gentry, and there's a battle on the beach where only a few live to travel the sea once more. The End.

What you'll notice first is that the island is this version of treasure island is a bit…Nothern European. I had it pegged as Ireland but it turns out to be the Isle of Man (you know, that island where everyone has three legs). You'll also notice that they didn't bother doing anything with Bristol and just used the city as it looks today (including the hookers). This story can't be ruined so it's a fair bet you'll enjoy this one.

Now go away, I'm overdue my injection of smack. (The preceding is a transcription of the 1996 episode of FILM '99 with Barry Norman)

Treasure Island seems to draw the attention of movie and TV people at reasonably regular intervals and it has even been "muppetised".This is easily the worst version of the lot,mainly due to a tired and lethargic stab at Long John Silver by the usually relaiable and compelling Jack Palance,who simply looks too old and frail to be right for the part..I see no reason ,other than the American film and TV industry'S anti-Englishness for so radically altering the characters of the Squire and Doctor from the stalwart types of the book to the cynical opportunists they are portrayed as here.I am enormously pro-American but hate the way Englishmen are shown in the media in the States.This particular instance is just another example of this The Isle of Man is a poor stand-in for the Caribbean and everybody seems to be going through the motions Perhaps it is time to give this particular book a rest until somebody comes up with the money to do it properly

In "Treasure Island" 1999, Jack Palance follows such notables as Robert Newton, Orson Wells, and Charelton Heston as Long John Silver with this second-rate knock-off of the R.L. Stevenson classic novel. An unfortunate attempt at film making, this version plods along dutifully telling the story without the passion, mystery, and intrigue penned into the pages of the novel. Pretty much a waste of time unable to live up to the precedent set by Disney.

Very free version based on the appealing adventures starred by two fabulous and unforgettable characters , Jim Hawkins and Long John Silver , in which a young boy sets off on a voyage armed with a map to buried treasure. This astounding adventure with an attractive and fantastic starring , Jim Hawkins, and a nasty as well as likable pirate called Long Silver in search of the buried treasure of the buccaneer Captain Flint . Middling retelling filmed in television style with the literary heroes Jack Hawkins and the pirate Long John Silver undertaking several and risked adventures . Again we live the roaring adventure , this time set in a far island . We share the struggles , the heartaches , the laughter of courageous souls who leave their houses they love to dare the wrath of the angry pirates . Jim Hawkins encounters a map that leads to a distant Caribbean island where is a buried treasure . Enchanted by the idea of locating treasure buried by Captain Flint , a group formed by Captain Smollett , Squire Trelawney , Dr. Liveesy and Jim Hawkins charter a sailing voyage on a ship called La Española to a Caribbean island . Upright men and greedy pirates in conflict with their destiny by re-enacting the Robert Stevenson's thrilling story in search for the legendary loot of Captain Nathaniel Flint . Then , the young boy join forces with his friends and , of course , a boisterous , rogue Long John Silver (Jack Palance) sailing to the island of hidden bounty . The young cabin boy Hawkins (Kevin Zegers) has a treasure map and a boatload of kill-crazed pirates eager for the riches hidden on Treasure Island . Unfortunately, a large number of Flint's old pirate crew are aboard the ship, including Long John Silver himself . Jim Hawkins matches with stick-legged , a notably snarly Long Silver and adventures go on . But even greater dangers lie ahead when Hawkins finds out that his trusted colleague Long John is actually a nasty pirate with mutiny on his mind . As young Jim Hawkins is torn between his loyalty to his benefactors and his affection for lovable rogue Long John Silver in their struggle to recover a buried pirate treasure . Along with Hawkins and Long John Silver also appears some classic but modified personages , such as : Squire (Christopher Benjamin) , Captain Smollet (Malcolm Stoddard) , Doctor Livesey ( David Robb) , Billy Bones (Patrick Bergin) , Ben Gun (Sparrow).

So-so and regularly paced story with plenty of thrills , adventures , intrigue , fights and noisy action . The whole piece of adventure teems with emotion , humor , exotic atmosphere and being pretty amusing, but extremely mediocre . Resulting to be an unappropriately adventurous rendition of Robert Stevenson's often-filmed and spine-tingling tale . In the picture there is humor , rip-roaring adventures , swashbuckling , but resulting to be extremely average . Jack Palance's last feature picture , playing in his usual style , I miss Robert Newton's vintage acting , his featured performance as Long John Silver is so iconic that it is thought by many to be the origin of today's stereotypical laced pirate patois, including Sparrow's Jonny Depp . Evocative cinematography shot on various locations in Castletown, Isle of Man , Colby Glen, Isle of Man , Port Erin , The Sound ,Isle of Man , Ireland . Functional as well as moving musical score composed by means of synthesizer . This very free adaptation of the Robert Louis Stevenson adventure classic was regularly directed by Peter Rowe . Rating : 4.5/10 .

Other renditions -being multitudinous remakes- , as there are many films made of it and based on this classic novel, turning out to be the following ones : Classy version (1934) by Victor Fleming with Jackie Cooper , Wallace Beery and Lewis Stone. Walt Disney take on (1950) with Robert Newton, Bobby Driscoll, directed by Byron Haskin , being a respectable full-blooded second-best the classic Fleming version ; it was followed by a sequel titled ¨Long John Silver¨ also directed by Byron Haskin with Robert Newton , Lloyd Berrell , Grant Taylor , Rod Taylor ; in addition , ¨Lux Radio Theater" broadcast a 60 minute radio adaptation of the movie on January 29, 1951 with Bobby Driscoll reprising his film role . Furthermore , European retelling (1974) by John Hough with Orson Welles , Angel Del Pozo , Lionel Stander and Kim Burfield. This ¨Treasure Island¨ (1999) with Jack Palance , Patrick Bergin and Kevin Zegers. TV recounting by Fraser C Heston with Charlton Heston , Christian Bale and Richard Johnson . ¨Muppet's Treasure island¨ (1996) and recent rendition (2012) by Steve Barron , starred by Eddie Izzard , Rupert Penry-Jones , Daniel Mays , Donald Sutherland and Elijah Wood . Besides , "Treasure Island in Outer Space", TV miniseries (1987) set in space directed by Antonio Margheriti with Anthony Quinn as Long John Silver , David Warbeck as Doctor Livesy and Philippe Leroy as Squire . And Disney top-notch cartoon-Sci-Fi version Treasure planet (2002) splendidly directed by John Musker and Ron Clemens .