by Liz Wiest, Contributor

Avast Ye! Twenty-five years after its initial release on February 16, 1996, Muppets Treasure Island has set sail onto the streaming waters Disney+ and not surprisingly, the fun-loving adaptation of the classic Robert Louis Stevenson swash-buckling adventure remains just as charming as our nostalgia remembers it. The plot, for those who may need a brush-up, follows Jim Hawkins, Long John Silver and a vibrant cast of four hundred Muppets (accompanied by a record number of human actors for a Henson film) as they follow a fabled treasure map in hopes of uncovering riches only talked about in renowned pirate legends. 

This fifth Muppet movie was developed with the intent to replicate the same success as the 1992 hit The Muppet Christmas Carol, but with substituting more humor and absurdity where the sentimentality was in the first. (After all, who doesn’t still cry to this day when Kermit talks about burying Tiny Tim where he can see the ducks?) However, even though Treasure Island isn’t revisited on an annual basis, the box office at the time certainly reflected the success of their mission (especially considering that the budget was a mere $5 million, a huge drop from the $12 million spent on the Christmas Carol).  The entire film was shot across seven stages at the Shepperton Studio in England, complete with a record 200,000 gallons of surf (that was alleged to have made actors and crew alike seasick during the shoot) and key players from the original Muppet Show, it’s no wonder that all the moving parts in place allowed for such a smooth-sailing and successful voyage. 

Living up to the precedent set in the other Muppet hits, Treasure Island also boasts stellar performances on behalf of the human portion of the cast. Today, while Michael Caine’s Oscar-worthy portrayal as Ebenezer Scrooge in Christmas Carol tends to be remembered the most by modern memes, I personally feel it is a true shame that Tim Curry’s iconic performance as Captain Long John Silver has been snubbed by comparison. It should be noted that Curry possessed the dedication to shoot the duration of his scenes with his leg strapped up to maintain the illusion of having one leg (in some shots green screen was used when special effects were deemed necessary), and actually even cited Caine when describing his acting inspiration for the role. He brings to the table his familiar Rocky Horror-level charisma that is only heightened by the fact that he was outspoken about not wanting to be outshone by his Muppet castmates, although that certainly didn’t stop them from trying.    

Kermit the Frog was, as per usual, incredibly dedicated to his role as Captain Smollett, stating very seriously that: “the only liberty he took with the role was being a frog” (understandable, since Smollett was never technically described as such). And as the iconic Miss Piggy, who plays the incomparable Benjamina Gunn, said in regards to her own performance at the time: “Eat your heart out, Streep”! 

All things considered, Muppet Treasure Island still withstands the tests of time as being a shining example of what the Jim Henson Company did best: taking a beloved story, peppering in witty diegetic musical numbers and zany puppets to bring a fresh classic to a new generation. There is a reason many speculate that it inspired bits of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. And while it is undoubtedly exciting to see the ongoing lineup of new Muppet content that has been consistently released since the 2011 film, revisiting Treasure Island highlights the unparalleled fun the Henson Company had casting their characters in stories from the public domain, and I think calls for a potential return to that. And as the meme of the theoretical Muppet Great Gatsby gains traction, it would seem that modern audiences all seem to be in agreement. With Disney+ only gaining momentum, it will be interesting to see how the new original content fares (Muppets Now dropped in July to mixed reviews), and if it should give way once again to a return to the style of storytelling Kermit and his motley crew do so well.