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Muppet Treasure Island is the fifth Muppet Movie (Muppets from Space wasn’t made until 1999) and I must say, I think it edges out even A Muppet Christmas Carol. So far, only the original Muppet Movie has been better. Which is to say, this is one fantastic movie..
Loosely based, and I mean LOOSELY, on Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel Treasure Island, this version takes the story’s outline and completely makes it its own. Which works surprisingly well. Part of it is because it is so silly and everyone leans into that silliness. It also helps that Tim Curry as Long John Silver just throws himself into the role and drags you along with him. He makes you think “Well, if Tim Curry can act like this then the least I can do is enjoy the silliness”. It takes chops for that.
While not a huge hit financially, it helped revive interest in the Muppets and I suspect propelled the Muppets Tonight show onto the silver screen (which failed. Without Jim Henson or Frank Oz, the Muppets are missing their soul). What this movie did correctly was show that the current Muppet creators need a good, already existing story for the Muppets to hang their frame on. Could you imagine Muppets 20,000 Leagues under the Sea, or Muppets Don Quixote? Of course, I am well read. I’m not sure if the average American would have any interest or even know what the stories were based on. But come on, can’t you see Kermit as Don Quixote and Fozzie Bear as Sancho and Miss Piggy as Dulcinea? I tell you, it’s just money waiting to happen!
But that is getting off track.
I had a lot of fun watching this and even Mrs B enjoyed it because of the many musical interludes. Some were stupid and sappy, like soprano Jim Hawkins (ugh) singing about adventure but then you have Cabin Fever, probably the song I remember most from any Muppet adventure, movie or tv. Below is the youtube embed of the song and about a minute and a half of the movie after it. This is the tone of the movie and if you don’t find it hilarious, you probably won’t enjoy the movie as a whole either.
Since this movie was so good, I want to keep the good times rolling. I’m going to be starting in on the Fraggle Rock tv series for next month. I’ve heard good things about that and since it was done by Jim Henson in the early 80’s I’m pretty sure it WILL be good.
Onward!
Bookstooge's Reviews on the Road 
Billy Connolly is pretty amazing in this too, knows just how to share the screen with the Muppets. Super film.
Who is the lighthouse keeper in your version of Fraggle Rock? You know it’s different in every territory?
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He did do a fantastic job. It would have been nice if he could have played another part and stayed in the movie longer.
I haven’t started watching it yet so I don’t know. I’ll be sure to keep an eye out though. I wonder why they did that.
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I hear there’s an expert on Fraggles somewhere around here . . .
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Yeah, I’ve heard that Legend too. I hear she moves through the night silently, like a ninja. Cleaning out people’s ears while they sleep!
Creepy, eh?
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It’s all true! 🤣
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I knew it!
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Muppets Don Quixote! Genius!
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There is just SO MUCH material that the Muppets could go with. I don’t understand why they haven’t done more.
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I’m getting a bit of deja vu here. Oh well, all together now: “Dance your cares away, Worries for another day, Let the music play, Down at Booky’s Rock!”
I’m very curious to see how Fraggle Rock holds up all these years later. It was a childhood favourite for me. Great fun!
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Goodness, it would seem every one but me has seen fraggle rock 🙂
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I’d forgotten about the different actors playing the human part for each region. Thanks FilmAuthority! A quick check on wiki reveals: “Gerry Parkes as Doc (Canada and US), and Fulton Mackay as The Captain (UK).”
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We watched Christmas Carol this weekend and my only comments on the movie was that penguins do not go quack and that I did not know how you manage to sit through the musicals… Ooof…
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Hahaha! You really are grumpy.
What’s stressing you out?
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Guess I am just missing my family that are on the other side of the globe.
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That would do it this time of year, for sure.
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Not very proud of the way I was. sucks to be that way.
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Well, if you need to apologize to anyone, man up and do it. Awkward as it is, it will only make things worse in the long run if you don’t.
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Well, I must say, I wasn’t expecting Carmen Miranda. Or a hoedown. Or an oompah band.
I think Cookie Monster would make the best Don Quixote.
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Good stuff!
Maybe if Cookie Monster was one of the official muppets and not part of the Sesame Street crew I’d look at him for the part.
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Really glad to see that you found a Muppet movie to top those that you loved in the past! What are the odds of that? 😀
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Yeah, this is pretty much the Gold Standard for Muppet movies now. I don’t expect anything else to live up to this.
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This is an excellent review of the movie. I agree that it’s loosely based on the book. Unfortunately, my kids didn’t love it, but they thought it was okay.
I had some fun looking up Frank Oz because I totally forgot he was in Blues Brothers. 😆
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Well, no accounting for tastes 😉
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