Lt. Robin Crusoe, U.S.N.

I really liked this movie. I think it was the first Dick Van Dyke movie I can remember seeing. It was hilarious. I highly recommend it for a rollicking good time!

This is an all time classic Disney flick, and TOTALLY underrated. I used to watch this all night long when I was sick. The humor and silliness of the film always made me feel better. Now, as an adult, I see so much more in the film. Of course you have Dick Van Dyke, who is a comic genius, who steals the show with his physical comedy, but underneath it, the film takes on some serious issues. I've used the film to teach about the women's rights movement in the USA, and even to explain the spread of democratic ideals, and the effect it can have on a society. Really! The most important thing is that this is a wholesome, family fun comedy. It makes hardened teenagers laugh, and I always get comments about how good it is. They always say "I thought it was going to be stupid, but it was really ________ (good, funny, cute, fun, fill in your own positive). High praise indeed! I was frequently told that "The guy from Mary Poppins is funny, but Floyd steals the show!" I absolutely recommend this flick. It is one of the all time best!

While flying over a remote area of the Pacific Ocean, a U. S. Navy pilot named "Lt. Robin Crusoe" (Dick Van Dyke) is forced to bail out after his fighter jet develops engine problems. After drifting at sea for several days without food or water, he eventually washes ashore on a deserted island and, thanks to his remarkable survival skills, makes the most of the situation. However, as time passes, he becomes increasingly lonely. It is then that he discovers the remnants of a Japanese submarine and, to his delight, finds a friendly chimpanzee named Floyd residing inside. Yet, it isn't until he finds human footprints on his island that he realizes he is not truly alone. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this could have been a much better movie had it not relied so heavily on the slapstick comedy provided by Dick Van Dyke--especially considering that much of the comedy fell flat. On a more positive note, having an attractive actress like Nancy Kwan (as "Wednesday") along with the beautiful tropical scenery definitely enhanced what, in my opinion, would have been a rather drab comedy otherwise.

This silly, family-friendly (although a lot more friendly for the teenage boys in the audience) Disney flick is extremely entertaining. In case you're thinking of skipping it, think again. Dick Van Dyke parachutes from his Navy plane and survives on a pint-sized blow-up raft for four days, then he drifts along to an island - finally living up to his name, Robinson Crusoe. His very funny survival manual only gets him so far, but once on dry land, he doesn't seem to need it. What a handy fellow! He builds a bamboo hut, fashions clothing, constructs a sundial, sextant, and calendar system. I would have been perfectly happy if the entire movie showed all his ideas and inventions - but the boys in the audience wouldn't. . .

After a very long time, Dick finally finds footprints in the sand that aren't his own. He investigates an abandoned Japanese submarine and finds - a chimpanzee. After that, he sees more footprints and finally bumps into Nancy Kwan. She shows off far more skin than acting, which is too bad. She had a promising start with The World of Suzie Wong, but within a few years, she was only given "look but don't act" roles. But she does look very cute!

The last part of the movie gets pretty silly, when Nancy's sisters come to the island and start chasing Dick around. The boys will probably wonder why Dick would run away from all those pretty girls, but I was just marveling at how many beautiful girls with great figures came from the same family. If you think you'll like a comic stranded-on-an-island movie, you probably will. Dick Van Dyke is very cute, and he's always very funny in Disney movies.

Odd, not in a good way.

In a lot of parts, 'Lt. Robin Crusoe U.S.N.' does feel like a retread of 1960's 'Swiss Family Robinson' - the plot has differences, but you could possibly make a case for it being a paint job on that aforementioned film. Too cynical? Probably.

For a comedy, there's a real lack of entertainment and humour. I don't think I laughed once. As for the cast, Dick Van Dyke is the best part of this film, though his character is rather forgettable. Nancy Kwan is decent but hardly gets to show off any of her acting abilities to be honest.

I'm not sure I entirely get the message, either. Women's rights? The ending, which kinda comes out of nowhere, goes against that. As a whole, this is too slow paced and uninteresting for me.