by Joey Guerra
Daily Cougar StaffThey've been to Hollywood, London and Manhattan, been cherished by audiences for years and have their own syndicated television shows. They're the Muppets, and now the adventure begins on the high seas.
In Muppet Treasure Island, loosely based on Robert Louis Stevenson's classic novel, those lovable, furry characters are back to cause mayhem and save the day, but this time, there's an added bonus: buried treasure!
You can't really say a bad thing about Kermit, Piggy and the rest of the crew, since they're all so immediately lovable. Director Brian Henson has kept his father's true vision alive with this latest incarnation, which, as usual, includes a few actual humans.
Jim Hawkins (Kevin Bishop) works at a local inn along with friends Gonzo and Rizzo the Rat. Jim dreams of a better life, filled with adventure much like those his deceased father set out on regularly. With the help of Billy Bones (Billy Connolly), Jim gets a little more than he bargained for.
Billy gives Jim a treasure map, and the three chums set sail, accompanied by Squire Trelawney (Fozzie Bear), Captain Smollett (Kermit the Frog) and the mutinous cook/pirate, Long John Silver (Tim Curry).
When Long John attempts to overtake the crew and the map, confusion and uproar ensue. With the Muppets on board, it becomes an all-out, music-filled, laughing good time.
As always, the Muppets provide plenty of asides and off-colored jokes, such as a rat cruise (undertaken by Rizzo) onboard the ship, complete with shuffleboard, moonlight dances and water-skiing. The jokes won't have you rolling in the aisles, but you'll definitely crack a smile or two.
What's really impressive is the fact that the creators and puppeteers (Dave Goelz, Steve Whitmire, Jerry Whitmire, Kevin Clash, John Henson, Frank Oz, etc...) have conjured up characters with personalities that we've all come to know and love since The Muppet Show was a TV staple.
We laugh at Sam the Eagle, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker but they're also characters that we can relate to on some level.
The real letdown is that Miss Piggy, so wonderful as Queen of the Warthogs, Boom-Shaka-Laka (a.k.a. Benjamina Gunn), has little screen time. Her grand entrance (spoiled by her pet anteater, Flubert) sees her clad in leopard-skin attire, mourning the loss of Captain Smollett, who left her at the altar. How's that for some real drama?
As for the mere mortals, Bishop is fine as Jim, courageous and vulnerable in dealing with disaster. His singing voice is also up to par. Curry, albeit convincing, seems to have gotten locked into playing scoundrels who always get theirs in the end (The Rocky Horror Picture Show, The Shadow and The Three Musketeers being prime examples). A generic bad guy isn't hurtful, just harmless.
Nonetheless, Henson has assembled a top-notch cast of characters, along with some truly beautiful visuals and photography by John Fenner. The music, particularly the mambo-esque "Cabin Fever" and Kermit and Piggy's love song while hanging upside-down near death from a tree, "Love Led Us Here," is genuinely cute.
Don't expect a laugh-a-minute ride, but Muppet Treasure Island is definitely worth taking the kids to for a matinee, or even for the Muppet lover in you.