Treasure Island (1990) (DVD)

Guys, does it get any better than this? Incredible, cast, costumes, sets, locations, music, acting and dirtecting. My grandparents taped this onto VHS for me when it had it's original run on TNT cuz we didn't have cable. The recording I had was interspersed with commercials from 1990, some real nostalgic gems. The tape eventually wore out and I couldn't find a replacement for years. Glad to see it's available for streaming.

I remember watching this back in 1990 when it debuted on TNT. The second time it was aired i had my father record it on VHS. I hated having to fast forward through all the commercials. I watched the VHS tape over and over. My mother read me Robert Louis Stevenson's book when i was little, before the movie came out. I was also fascinated by Pirates and buried treasure. I remember seeing a commercial back in the early 90's announcing how the movie was released on VHS. this was back in the days of pre internet. I could not find the VHS anywhere. Many years later with the help of ebay i finally found it. I still watch it all the time. FINALLY!!! it is now on DVD. THIS IS THE GREATEST FILM ADAPTATION of TREASURE ISLAND EVER!! HESTON IS LONG JOHN SILVER. When you watch this Tale , Charlton Heston is not in the movie. Long John Silver IS The person you are watching. It also has many GREAT English actors. Peter P. aka George Mary, is now deceased, he was also in the movie "The Town" as the head of the Irish Mob who owned the Flower Store. He did a great job playing a pirate. Also Oliver Reed who plays Billy Bones is fabulous. He is now deceased as well. You Might remember him in "Gladiator" as the rich Gladiator Owner who buys and helps Russell Crowes character. You also have Horror Legend and Lord of the Rings Sauromon's Christopher Lee as Blind Pew. Julian Glover as Dr. Lucy , is also currently on HBO's Game of Thrones. Christian Bale has become the biggest now with his role in Batman and such. But Charlton Heston is simply amazing. The cinematography is breathtaking. Shot on Location in Jamaica and in Cornwall England. I also like many, went out and got the soundtrack by the Chieftans. If you want to find it, check Amazon. It is an import. I paid around 30$ as it is VERY hard to find. Overall the movie is stunning. It also follows the book closer then any other treasure island movie, with dialogue straight from the book. This is in my top 5 favorite movies of all time. Its been 21 years since i was a 7 year old watching it on TNT. I am 28 now and i love the movie more and more. No special Effects or CGI, it is flat out old school beautiful movie making. I will watch this movie till the day i die. 21 years later, IT HAS FINALLY ARRIVED ON DVD!!!!!

I had just read the book again and wanted to see it as a movie. I thought that it was well acted, Charlton Heston makes a perfect Long John Silver, and very true to the book.

As I recall the great book, this comes closest thanks to Heston and Bale in this gritty and adventuresome script and beautifully mounted production. A better director would have produced a masterpiece, but of the 1935 Cooper effort for MGM and the Disney version with outragious mugging by Robert Newton of the early ‘50s, this is the best. Language and violence may be too much for kids, but enjoyable for those mature enough to appreciate good pirate yarn.

Brilliant, wonderful adaptation of R. L. Stevenson's classic seafaring tale -- this is beyond doubt THE best pirate film to have yet been made. Bar none. If you don't clap this one to your heart, ye be a false-sworn landlubber, by thunder, and here's my affydavy on that! Update, October 2010: See the comments section -- it is being reported that a DVD release may finally come in 2011. Yarrr! And about time, too. Tremendous cast, sterling production values, brilliant cinematography, rousing musical score, crack screenplay, and vibrant performances make this an enduring classic. I also want to put in a plug for the greatest pirate film to star a swashbuckling female, "Anne of the Indies" (aka "The Pirate Queen"), which has sadly never been released to home video in No. America but has aired on cable TV and is available on PAL Region 2 DVD (as Die Piratenkonigin) in Germany. If you have an all-region DVD player, you should run, not walk, to Amazon Deutschland and pick this up. It's the original English-language release, just switch off any German language options or subtitling. Jean Peters stars as Captain Anne Providence and gives her all in a wonderfully engaging, if corny, color production from about 1951. Peters is genuinely athletic, beautiful, and obviously loved this role. Anne of the Indies beats all other pirate queens hands down. Now, if only they'd make a film about Grania O'Malley, we'd be splicin' the mainbrace!

We watched it for school and I was not disappointed.

Charleston Heston As Pirate Long John Silver is the better Treasure Island. Directed by Fraser Heston, his son, the book, a family favorite, comes alive as an action film on location in Jamaica is the BETTER Treasure Island by far…I watched the earlier Disney movie, which I thought had held up…as lead version, but it doesn’t. In fact, I have thought Charleston Heston was stuffy, stiff …and his keen, personal portrayal of Long John Silver is very charming rendered. I think Father and Son had a BLAST working together on this film. Many shots used the NCWyatt paintings as inspiration, which also charmed my heart. Ted Turner’s Bounty (ship) made a great Hispaniola. Well done, Ted Turner. Excellently done, both Hestons.

This made-for-tv movie capture the essence of it's source material with an incredible line up, suave writing and directing and some great locations. It is by far my personal favorite Treasure Island film. Jim Hawkins serves as cabin boy on a lawful voyage to Treasure Island, where gold and mutiny await. However, several members of the crew would have the treasure for themselves. These aren't your Disney pirates. These are men, drunks and hard lifers. The left overs of an old, once-feared pirate crew.They are led by the ship's cook Long John Silver, a multifaceted character given even greater depth by Charlton Hesten, whose performance obliterates stereotypical pirate archetypes. Despite the parrot on his shoulder. This is a reasonably long movie but the pace is upbeat if deliberate at first. It covers a lot of ground. In its telling, it gives a glimpse into the lives of many aboard ship. A wealth of talented actors make the background characters feel well rounded, despite sometimes minimal screen time. Israel Hands, George, Hunter , Blind Pew, Billy Bones, Ben Gunn and Dick are very memorable. More time is devoted to Captain Smollett, Squire Trelawney and Doctor Livsey who are friends to Hawkins and enemies to Silver. Their interactions provide much interest on this epic treasure hunt. The quality of the score cannot be overstated. Experienced Irish folk group The Chieftains provide lilting sea shanties, jigs, vicious percussion, and even haunting pipe melodies that drift through the frames and add palpable atmosphere. A quick IMDB trawl shows the quality of the line up. Christian Bale(Jim Hawkins) and Charlton Hesten(Long John Silver) have been at the top of their respective eras in film with examples being The Dark Knight and Ben Hur respectively. Christopher lee (Blind Pew) we know from The Lord of the Rings, while Oliver Reed (Billy Bones) is another older actor, whose final performance in Gladiator proved most memorable. Julian Glover (Dr Livesey) has been in The The Empire Strikes Back, as well as Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, along with Isla Blair (Mrs Hawkins). James Cosmo (Redruth) has been in Braveheart, Trainspotting and recently Game of Thrones while Pete Postlethway (George) of The Usual Suspects, Inception, Jurasic Park and Alien 3 makes an appearance. The film has aged very well, thanks to its down to earth and grimy feeling, rather than the high adventure often associated with the title. It's filled with big characters, ropes and ships and threats and cries for rum or murder. Gun shots and the occasional saber fight. I wholly recommend this film to anyone interested in the bloodthirsty tale of Treasure Island. 5/5