Muppet Treasure Island (1996)

Robert Louis Stevenson gets the musical Muppet treatment in this 
swashbuckling story of a boy, a rat, and a Great Gonzo who find 
adventure on the high-seas, under the judicious green thumb of a 
gracious Captain (Kermit the Frog), and the watchful eye of a 
particular pirate (Tim Curry, as Long John Silver).  There's a 
surprisingly solid story to go along with the expected in-jokes, 
asides, and anachronisms; credit one of the writers, James V. Hart, 
who also co-wrote HOOK.  But just as Renny Harlin and Geena Davis 
failed to patch the leaks in CUTTHROAT ISLAND, so have Brian Henson 
and Frank Oz sunk themselves with MUPPET TREASURE ISLAND.  They've 
made a fine kid's movie that's *way* too slow for anyone over the 
age of eight.  Even the songs are dull.  Except, that is, for 
"Cabin Fever," an amusing number in mid-film that most adult 
viewers will be able to relate to.  Arrgghh. (Rated "G"/99 min.)

Grade: C-

Originally posted to triangle.movies in MOVIE HELL: February 18, 1996