Muppet Treasure Island (1996)
★★★ — Muppet Treasure Island (1996)
Muppet Treasure Island arrived in cinemas in 1996 as the fourth theatrical Muppet feature, following the beloved run that began with The Muppet Movie back in 1979. It was the second film produced after the death of Muppets creator Jim Henson in 1990, and the second to be directed by his son Brian Henson, who had previously helmed The Muppet Christmas Carol in 1992. Where that film leaned into Dickensian sentiment, this one sets its sights on swashbuckling adventure, taking Robert Louis Stevenson's 1883 novel Treasure Island as its jumping-off point. The story has, of course, been adapted dozens of times across stage and screen, so the creative challenge here was less about finding fresh material and more about asking a fairly obvious question: what happens when you let Kermit, Gonzo, and the rest of the gang loose on the Spanish Main? Produced jointly by Walt Disney Pictures and Jim Henson Productions, the film sits comfortably within the mid-1990s run of polished but unremarkable Disney family entertainments, though the Muppets' particular brand of knowing, fourth-wall-nudging comedy gives it a personality that sets it apart from the studio's more straightforward fare of the period. (For another Disney family picture from that same year, my review of The Hunchback of Notre Dame is worth a look alongside this one.)
The production leans heavily on practical puppetry, elaborate sets, and a score with original songs designed to carry the energy of a full-blown musical. Brian Henson keeps the pace brisk across the film's 99-minute running time, and the whole thing has a cheerful, slightly anarchic momentum that feels true to the Muppets' television roots. The casting of the human roles is where things get particularly interesting. Kevin Bishop, then a teenager, plays young Jim Hawkins and holds his own against a cast that is, to put it plainly, mostly made of foam and wire. Billy Connolly appears in a supporting role, as does Jennifer Saunders, lending the live-action side of things a pleasingly eccentric British flavour. Centre stage among the humans, though, is Tim Curry as Long John Silver. Curry had already demonstrated a remarkable ability to play theatrical villainy with a wink, as anyone who has seen his work in The Rocky Horror Picture Show or, for something rather different in register, Clue will know well. Strapping on a wooden leg and a parrot, he is the kind of casting choice that makes you wonder why it took this long for the role to find him.
The film arrived at a moment when family comedies with knowing, multi-generational humour were very much in fashion, and the Muppets were, if anything, ahead of that particular curve. Whether it earns its place in the broader Muppet canon, or whether it is simply a pleasant afternoon's entertainment, depends rather a lot on what you are looking for going in.
Muppet Treasure Island (1996) is a delightfully silly, high-seas romp that sails smoothly on charm, catchy songs, and the Muppets’ signature brand of meta-humor. Loosely adapting Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic, it follows young Jim Hawkins (played by a human Kevin Bishop) as he joins Captain Smollett (Kermit the Frog), and a crew of familiar felt-faced friends on a quest for buried treasure, while dodging the scheming Long John Silver (Tim Curry, gleefully hamming it up in full pirate mode). The film’s greatest strength is its infectious energy. The musical numbers, especially “Cabin Fever”, are fun, clever, and surprisingly well-produced, and the comedy lands with both kids and adults thanks to the Muppets’ trademark wit and self-awareness. Tim Curry is an absolute joy, balancing menace and mugging with theatrical flair, while Gonzo and Rizzo provide nonstop comic relief. That said, it’s undeniably "for the kids". The plot simplifies the source material into broad strokes, the stakes never feel real, and the emotional beats are light enough to float away on the tide. Adults may enjoy the nostalgia and the jokes, but the heart and depth of something like The Muppet Christmas Carol aren’t quite here. A cheerful, colorful, and consistently entertaining family film. Full of laughs, music, and Muppet magic, but best enjoyed with younger viewers in tow. Not a masterpiece, but a perfectly pleasant voyage for a rainy afternoon.
I keep coming back to that balance, or the slight lack of it, between warmth and weight. The Muppets work best when there is genuine feeling underneath the gags, and here the gags are doing most of the heavy lifting. That is not a fatal flaw for a film aimed squarely at younger viewers on a wet Saturday, and the songs alone are worth the runtime. But it does mean this one sits a little lower in the Muppet pecking order for me, fun company for the voyage, just not the destination you were hoping for.
Rating: ★★★ | Year: 1996 | Watched: 2026-01-25
Trailer
▶ Watch the official trailer for Muppet Treasure Island (1996) on YouTube
Where to watch
Watch in the UK
Stream: Disney Plus
Rent: Sky Store
Buy: Apple TV Store · Sky Store
Physical: Amazon UK · Zavvi
Watch in the US
Stream: Disney Plus
Rent: Amazon Video · Apple TV Store · Google Play Movies · YouTube
Buy: Amazon Video · Apple TV Store · Google Play Movies · YouTube
Physical: Amazon US
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Related on Movies With Macca
More with Tim Curry: The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) · Clue (1985)
More from the 1990s: Lessons of Darkness (1992) · Shinjuku Boys (1995) · Blue (1993) · Cemetery Man (1994)
More family: Alice in Wonderland (1951) · Wonder (2017) · Kirikou and the Wild Beasts (2005) · Anastasia (1997)
More comedy: The Eagle (1925) · The General (1926) · Americana (2023) · The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988)
