Product Description

Ahoy, mateys! Come aboard the good ship Hispaniola and set sail in search of buried treasure in one of Disney's most critically acclaimed adventure classics -- presented in its original, uncut theatrical version! In his first all-live-action feature, Walt Disney has vividly brought to life Robert Louis Stevenson's timeless tale of buccaneers and buried gold. Authentic locales, rich color photography, and musket-roaring action set the stage for the stouthearted heroics of young Jim Hawkins (Bobby Driscoll) -- and the skullduggery of that wily, one-legged pirate of all pirates, Long John Silver. Aye, for the kind of excitement that only treasure and treachery can bring, there's no better destination than TREASURE ISLAND!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3109 in DVD
• Brand: BUENA VISTA HOME VIDEO
• Released on: 2003-04-29
• Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Live, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 96 minutes

Amazon.com
Strap on your pantaloons and prepare to travel with Jim Hawkins and Blind Pew to one of the most famous fictional islands in history. Walt Disney's 1950 adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's swashbuckling masterpiece has held up extremely well, with action and characterizations that feel freshly minted (although it's unlikely that the Mouse of today would sanction the high level of booze flowing throughout the picture). Great fun, with nary a wasted frame and, in the character of Robert Newton's much-imitated Long John, one of cinema's most boisterously crowd-pleasing villains ever. (Proving that you can't keep a good--er, bad man down, Newton would return with director Byron Haskins for the enjoyable sequel, Long John Silver.) Watching this classic is like having a flashback to some perfect Technicolor childhood. --Andrew Wright

Customer Reviews

Interesting and captivating
When Captain Billy Bones (played by Finlay Currie) give young Jim Hawkins (Bobby Driscoll) a pirate's treasure map, he sets him off on the trail of adventure. When Long John Silver (Robert Newton) gets wind of what's going down, he positions himself to be ship's cook, and fills the boat with his pirate friends. Befriending Jim, Silver plots to get the gold for himself. But someone will prove quite capable of foiling Silver's plans - young Jim Himself! [Color, released in 1950, with a running time of 1:36.]

This is a great movie, one that is surprisingly good in spite of its age. Indeed, for me this will always be the very touchstone of Treasure Island movies. Robert Newton does an excellent job of portraying Long John Silver, and to this day, whenever I imagine a pirate talking, I hear his voice and accent. Now, don't take this movie too lightly. Even though it was created by Disney Studios, it has a lot of gunplay, blood, men hit with swords, and just the sort of violence you would associate with pirates.

But, don't get me wrong, this is not a modern blood-and-gore movie; it's an interesting and captivating movie that you will want to watch with your whole family. My family loves this movie just as much as I do, and highly recommends it to your family!

Lackluster release of a classic Disney film
There's no doubt about it-Disney's version of Treasure Island is a classic (particularly the iconic perfomrance of Robert Newton as Long John Silver, a role that people *still* identify as the quintessential pirate), and the restoration of this movie is pretty good, and that's why I've rated this disc 5 stars.

*But*, the extras stink. Actually, who am I kidding? There are no extras! None, not even a trailer (like the oldest Gold Collection releases even had). There's no mistaking that this disc is meant as a tie-in to Trasure Planet, but you'd think that Disney, which has gotten *a lot* better with its DVD releases in the last 18 months, would put out a disc with at least cursory features (trailers, a classic short, and maybe some vintage intro or something by Walt himself). Apparently, I'm wrong.

Disney's first live-action feature is one of their best!
Robert Louis Stevenson's tale of treachery on the high seas comes to life in Disney's first fully live-action feature film, Treasure Island! The always wonderful Bobby Driscoll, Disney's star of Song of the South and So Dear To My Heart, plays young Jim Hawkins, the son of a local tavern keeper woman. The ocean brings all sorts of seamen into the tavern where the small boy lives and works, filling his head with ideas of adventure and excitement on the open sea. But fantasy becomes reality when a pirate treasure map comes into Jim's possession. Suddenly, he and his adult friends, the sensible Dr. Livesey and the pompous and careless Squire Trelawney, are planning there own adventure on the good ship Hispanola, in search of the treasure of the infamous Captain Flint. But before they can sail, they need a crew, and the foolish Squire allows their strange new friend, innkeeper and retired Navy cook Long John Silver, to sign one on for them. Long John quickly befriends Jim Hawkins and immediately gathers a crew, but rather than recruiting former Navy men as promised, Long John Silver hires on his REAL shipmates, PIRATES! Pirates of every shape and size! Soon, the crew of good guys, and bad guys in disguise, heads out to sea in search of Treasure Island. However, by the time they reach the isle, Jim Hawkins has overheard the mutiny Silver and his men are planning. Now it's good guys versus bad pirates in a battle over life, liberty, and untold riches! No one is sure of the outcome, but the real question is, is Long John really Jim's enemy, or his friend?
No child should go through life without experiencing this Disney classic! Treasure Island is truly one of the best films to come out of Disney's wonderful vault. It's full of fun and adventure, with great characters and settings, a perfect mood, and a superb cast. Robert Newton OWNS the role of Long John Silver! There will never be another loveable villain like him! For more fun with Robert Newton in the role of Long John, search for the 1953 film "Long John Silver Returns To Treasure Island," a sequel made by some other studio in an attempt to cash in on Disney's Masterpiece. Like I said, Robert Newton plays Long John again in that film, so for that reason alone, it's worth checking out. Also, pick up Muppet Treasure Island if you're a fan of Tim Curry and the Muppets! It's great fun!