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Muppet Treasure Island
Promotional poster for Muppet Treasure Island
Directed by	Brian Henson
Written by	Jerry Juhl, Kirk R. Thatcher, James V. Hart
Starring	Tim Curry, Kevin Bishop, Steve Whitmire, Frank Oz
Music by	Barry Mann
Release date(s)	16 February 1996
Country
Language	English
Gross revenue	$34,327,391[1]
All Movie Guide profile
IMDb profile

Muppet Treasure Island was the fifth feature film to star The Muppets, and the third produced after the death of Muppets creator Jim Henson. Released in 1996 and directed by Jim Henson's son Brian Henson, it was one of many film adaptations of Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island. Image File history File links Broom_icon. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Brian Henson (born 1963) is a puppeteer, director, and producer. ... Jerry Juhl (July 27, 1937 - September 27, 2005) was a television and movie writer best known for his work with Jim Hensons Muppets. ... James V. Jim Hart is a screenwriter and author. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Bishop in Muppet Treasure Island Kevin Bishop (born June 18, 1980) is an English actor. ... Steve Whitmire (born September 24, 1910) is a puppet with the Jim Henson Company. ... Frank Oz (born May 25, 1944) is an American film director, actor and puppeteer. ... Barry Mann (born Barry Iberman on February 9, 1939 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American songwriter, and part of one of the most prolific songwriting partnerships in the world of rock music. ... February 16 is the 47th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... A reel of film, which predates digital cinematography. ... The Muppets are a group of puppets and costume characters, and the company created by Jim Henson. ... Jim Henson (September 24, 1936 – May 16, 1990) was the most widely known American puppeteer in modern American television history. ... Brian Henson (born 1963) is a puppeteer, director, and producer. ... Robert Louis Stevenson Robert Louis (Balfour) Stevenson (November 13, 1850–December 3, 1894), was a Scottish novelist, poet, and travel writer, and a leading representative of Neo-romanticism in English literature. ... Treasure Island is an adventure novel by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson, narrating a tale of buccaneers and buried gold. First published as a book in 1883, it was originally serialised in the childrens magazine Young Folks between 1881-82 under the title The Sea Cook, or Treasure Island. ...

As in the earlier Muppet Christmas Carol, the key roles were played by human guest stars, while the Muppets filled in supporting roles. Tim Curry plays Long John Silver and Kevin Bishop is the putative protagonist Jim Hawkins. Muppets Kermit the Frog plays Captain Abraham Smollett, Fozzie Bear is Squire Trelawney, Sam the Eagle is Mr. Samuel Arrow and Miss Piggy is Benjimina Gunn. Following their success as the narrators of The Muppet Christmas Carol, The Great Gonzo and Rizzo the Rat appear in specially-created roles as Jim Hawkins' best friends. The Muppet Christmas Carol was the fourth feature film to star The Muppets, and the first produced after the death of Muppets creator Jim Henson. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Long John Silver is a fictional character in the novel Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson. ... Bishop in Muppet Treasure Island Kevin Bishop (born June 18, 1980) is an English actor. ... This article is about the British radio presenter. ... Kermit singing Bein Green in the first season of Sesame Street. ... Fozzie Bear Fozzie Bear in Muppets Treasure Island (and Mr. ... Sam the Eagle Sam the Eagle is a character from the syndicated television show The Muppet Show, performed by Frank Oz. ... Miss Piggy being moved on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Miss Piggy is a Muppet character primarily played by Frank Oz. ... Gonzo (aka Gonzo the Great or the Great Gonzo) is a puppet character, one of Jim Hensons Muppets. ... Rizzo the Rat is a Muppet, performed by Steve Whitmire. ...

While the movie never says what ocean they cross, they do refer to it as the "Big Blue Wet Thing." Silver (using the stars) determines they are heading southwest, which the map shows them crossing the Atlantic Ocean as they set off from England. Animated map exhibiting the worlds oceanic waters. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem No official anthem - the United Kingdom anthem God Save the Queen is commonly used England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto)1 Government Constitutional monarchy  -  Monarch Queen Elizabeth II...

Plot

The movie begins as Jim Hawkins, the Great Gonzo, and Rizzo the Rat as slop boys at an inn, listen to Billy Bones (Billy Connolly) telling stories of his days as a pirate and Captain Flint's treasure. When a pirate, Blind Pew, arrives at the inn and gives Bones the Black Spot (after blundering into walls, mistaking a mounted moose head for Bones, and assuming Jim to be a 'little girl' based on his long hair), they realize his stories are true. Before Bones dies of a heart attack, he gives Jim a treasure map. The other pirates then break into the inn and tear it apart in their search for the map. The innkeeper, Mrs. Bluberidge (Jennifer Saunders) holds them off, giving Jim and co. a chance to escape with the treasure map. Gaining a ship from young Squire Trelawney (Fozzie Bear) (and the man who lives in his finger, Mr. Bimble), they set out, but Captain Abraham Smollett (Kermit the Frog) is concerned that the crew (consisting largely of Muppet monsters) cannot be trusted. It transpires that most of them were hired on the advice of the ship's cook, Long John Silver, who had befriended Jim. Inns are establishments where travellers can procure food, drink, and lodging. ... William Billy Connolly, CBE, (born 24 November 1942) is a Scottish comedian, musician, presenter, and actor. ... Look up pirate and piracy in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Treasure Originates from the Greek work the(from Greek θησαυρος; thesaurus, meaning a treasure of words, is a cognate) is a concentration of riches, often one which is considered lost or forgotten until being rediscovered. ... The Black Spot is a fictional literary device invented by Robert Louis Stevenson for his novel Treasure Island. ... Acute myocardial infarction (AMI or MI), more commonly known as a heart attack, is a disease state that occurs when the blood supply to a part of the heart is interrupted. ... Map created by Robert Lewis Stevenson in Treasure Island A treasure map is a common device used in fictional stories. ... Jennifer Jane Saunders (born 12 July 1958) is a BAFTA Award-winning English comedienne, actress, and comedy writer. ... Italian Full rigged ship Amerigo Vespucci in New York Harbor, 1976 A ship is a large watercraft capable of offshore navigation. ... Fozzie Bear Fozzie Bear in Muppets Treasure Island (and Mr. ... Kermit singing Bein Green in the first season of Sesame Street. ... Long John Silver is a fictional character in the novel Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson. ...

Three of the pirates, Mad Monty, Clueless Morgan, and Polly (Silver's lobster), capture and attempt to torture Gonzo and Rizzo to make them reveal the location of the treasure map. They are rescued in time, with the only lasting result being the stretching of Gonzo's limbs to great and rather bendy proportions. Silver takes the brig keys from the first mate, Mr. Samuel Arrow (Sam the Eagle) and convinces him to take out one of the longboats to see if it is unsafe. He then releases and scolds the three captive pirates. Sam the Eagle Sam the Eagle is a character from the syndicated television show The Muppet Show, performed by Frank Oz. ...

After the disappearance and presumed death of the first mate, Jim and his friends learn that the crew are pirates, and Silver is their captain. They warn Smollett, who asks the pirate crew to go ashore for provisions, planning to sail away and return when the fight has gone out of the pirates. This plan is abandoned when the pirates take Jim with them. Through song (Tim Curry's 'only number' in the film), they attempt to convince Jim to join their cause and come with them willingly. He refuses.

Arriving on the island to recue Jim, Smollett, Gonzo and Rizzo are captured by wild boars, and are to be sacrificed to their Queen, who turns out to be Benjamina Gunn (Miss Piggy), still furious that Smollett left her at the altar. Simultaneously, the pirates use Jim's compass to locate where the treasure should be buried, but it is gone. The other pirates mutiny against Silver, who they believe has put them through all that trouble for nothing. Silver holds them off while Jim escapes. Binomial name Sus scrofa Linnaeus, 1758 The Wild Boar (Sus scrofa) is the wild ancestor of the domesticated pig. ... Miss Piggy being moved on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Miss Piggy is a Muppet character primarily played by Frank Oz. ... A compass (or mariners compass) is a navigational instrument for finding directions on the Earth. ...

Jim returns to the ship to rescure Smollett and his friends. They disguise Mr. Arrow (who has returned to the ship unaware that he had been tricked) as his own ghost, scaring the pirates and allowing them to retake the ship. In the meantime, the captive Silver reprimands the pirates for delivering him the Black Spot on a page of the Bible and convinces them to follow him again. The three cabin boys head back to the ship, while Smollett stays to talk to Benjamina. They are interrupted by Silver, who has realised that Benjamina must have the treasure. She tells him it is back at her place after they hang Smollett over the edge of a cliff, and they hang her over the cliff as well with a fire slowly burning through both of their ropes. This Gutenberg Bible is displayed by the United States Library. ...

Jim and his friends retake the ship with the help of Mr. Arrow. They then rescue Benjamina and Smollett by driving the ship near the cliff where the ship figureheads (played by Statler & Waldorf) catch them while commenting that while they saved them (and that this made them heroes), it was too late to save the movie. With the good guys reunited, they take on the pirates. Smollett has a swordfight with Silver which goes well "for an amphibian", until his sword suddenly slips out of his hand. However, Jim stands to protect the captain, and the rest of the crew stand to protect Jim. When Silver tries to escape, he finds himself faced with Benjamina and the wild boars. Waldorf (left) and Statler Statler & Waldorf are the names of a pair of muppet characters. ...

Everyone returns to the ship with the treasure. In the ship's brig, Silver realises he still has the keys from when he stranded Arrow. Jim, who is on watch, allows him to escape with one of the treasure chests, but says he never wants to see him again. The movie ends as the life boat Silver is rowing sinks, and he winds up stranded on the island with only a joke-telling Easter Island Head for company. During the credits, the rats on the ship are seen scuba-diving and hauling up the sunken treasure. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Brigantine. ... Rano Raraku Moai Moai are statues carved from compressed volcanic ash on Rapa Nui (Easter Island). ...

Soundtrack

Track Listing

1. "Treasure Island"
2. "Shiver My Timbers" (Jerry Nelson, Dave Goelz, Steve Whitmire, Brian Henson, Frank Oz, Kevin Clash, Bill Barretta and John Henson)
3. "Something Better" (Kevin Bishop, Goelz and Whitmire)
4. "Sailing for Adventure" (Curry, Bishop, Nelson, Goelz, Whitmire, Brian Henson, Oz, Clash, Barretta and John Henson)
5. "Cabin Fever" (Nelson, Goelz, Whitmire, Brian Henson, Oz, Clash, Barretta and John Henson)
6. "Professional Pirate" (Curry, Nelson, Goelz, Whitmire, Brian Henson, Oz, Clash, Barretta and John Henson)
7. "Boom Shaka Laka" (Nelson, Goelz, Whitmire, Brian Henson, Oz, Clash, Barretta and John Henson)
8. "Love Led Us Here" (Oz, Whitmire)
9. "Map"
10. "Captain Smollet"
11. "Land Ho"
12. "Compass"
13. "Long John"
14. "Rescue"
15. "Honest Brave and True"
16. "Love Power [As Used in the Film Muppet Treasure Island]" (Ziggy Marley, Melody Makers)
17. "Love Led Us Here" (John Berry, Helen Darling)

Jerry Nelson (born July 10, 1934) is a Muppet puppeteer. ... Dave Goelz (born July 16, 1946) is a puppeteer best-known for his association with The Muppets, and in particular with the Muppet character Gonzo. ... Steve Whitmire (born September 24, 1910) is a puppet with the Jim Henson Company. ... Brian Henson (born 1963) is a puppeteer, director, and producer. ... Frank Oz (born May 25, 1944) is an American film director, actor and puppeteer. ... Kevin Clash and Elmo Kevin Clash (born September 17, 1960) is an accomplished puppeteer whose characters include Elmo, Clifford, and Hoots the Owl. ... Bill Barretta has been performing with the Muppets since 1991, when he performed the body of family father Earl Sinclair on Dinosaurs. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Bishop in Muppet Treasure Island Kevin Bishop (born June 18, 1980) is an English actor. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... melody makers are carrying on the rastifarianism movement through the Bob Marley musical legacy. ... Sir John Berry (1635 – 14 February 1689 or 1690) was a British naval officer of the Royal Navy, and was in 1675 the captain of the annual convoy to Newfoundland that took place during the years of the colonies founding. ... Helen Marie Darling (born on August 29, 1978) is a Womens National Basketball Association player for the Charlotte Sting. ...

Score Cues Left Off Soundtrack

1. Isn’t That a Story Worth the Hearin’
2. Lighting the Lamp (Seuges into "Something Better")
3. Blind Pew
4. The Hispanola
5. Many a Dark-Hearted Scoundrel/One-Legged Man
6. This Voyage Has Begun *Seuges into "Sailing For Adventure")
7. Moonlit Dance (Played by Electric Mayhem Band)
8. Waiting to Pounce
9. Give Me the Map/No Wind
10. Mutiny
11. Never Get Involved in Politics (Electric Mayhem Band)
12. "A Professional Pirate" (Full version, with instrumental interlude)
13. Benjamina Gunn
14. Treasure Hunting
15. You Dare to Give ME the Black Spot?
16. Return of Mr. Arrow
17. The Pirates Attack/Sneaking Aboard/Where’s the Bloody Treasure?!
18. Long John Escapes
19. Sailing For Adventure (Finale)

Changes from the novel

While the film is mostly true to the novel, there are changes, mostly to make the characters fit the Muppet personalities, or to tighten up the plot. Amongst them are:

• The Admiral Benbow is no longer run by Jim's family. Instead, Jim is an orphan, and the inn's owner is Mrs. Bluberidge, who appears only at the beginning, as a fat, drunken Madame Thénardier-like landlady (played by Jennifer Saunders). She has an uncanny knack for hearing and replying to other people's conversations, even when they are a long distance away.
• Jim Hawkins is given two companions: Gonzo and Rizzo
• In the book, although Blind Pew appears in only two chapters of the story, he is an extremely intimidating and even sadistic character, whereas in this depiction he is shown as bumbling, mistaking Jim for a "little girl" and is oblivious even to the inn blowing up all around him.
• In the novel, Captain Smollett initially appears as a stern and forbidding figure, overly concerned with regulations, although he later proves to simply be appropriately cautious. In the film he is sympathetic from the first, with a strictness only, it seems, for the consumption of alcohol.
• By contrast, Mr. Arrow is shown as obsessed with regulations and the correct way of doing things (though he meekly follows Smollett's orders), as suits a character played by Sam the Eagle. In the book, he is a drunkard, and overly-familiar with the men. He is also killed by being thrown overboard, whereas in the film he is merely tricked into taking one of the boats for a test run (and presumed dead) but later returns saying "that Silver fellow may not be trustworthy."
• Benn Gunn is female, and renamed Benjamina. She has had former relationships with Smollett, Flint, and Silver.
• Squire Trelawney is the "rich half-wit son" of the real Squire Trelawney (who is vacationing and will not return "until the Feast of Saint Lulu"), who takes advice from a man he believes to live in his finger (Mr. Bimble).
• Dr. Livesey (played by Bunsen Honeydew) is an inventor with an assistant (Beaker).
• Captain Flint (the parrot) is replaced by Polly, a lobster whom Silver "raised from a fingerling". When Gonzo asks why he doesn't have a parrot instead, both seem astonished and bemused by the concept of someone actually having a pet parrot, and Polly responds "What an imagination! First pirates? Now talking parrots? What's next? A singing, dancing mouse with is own amusment park?" A direct reference to Mickey Mouse
• An attack on Gonzo and Rizzo by three of the pirates is added; this leads both to the stranding of Mr. Arrow (so Silver can let them out of the brig), and from there to the scene in the book when Jim hears Silver conspiring while in an apple barrel.
• Much of Parts Four and Five, "The Stockade" and "My Sea Adventure" is omitted.
• A running subplot, which has very little effect on the main course of the film, involves the ship's rats, who believe they have signed onto a modern-day Caribbean cruise. They are not treated like other characters; for example, while the ship's crew, pirate or not, are greeted with hostility by the boars, the rats are met with indifference, if acknowledged at all. Amusingly, the treasure island is introduced as being the set of the movie itself by rat tour-guide accompanied by miniature camera flashes, another example of the oblivious anachronistic nature of the rats as comic relief.
• As in most Muppet movies, the presence of talking animals and bizarre creatures such as Gonzo is treated as normal. The only indication of fourth-wall-breaking comprehension of the songs (as the film is a musical) is Clueless Morgan's comment of "Hey guys, what was that song that just happened there?". No one else seems to understand what he's talking about.

The Thénardiers (commonly referred to as Thénardier and Madame Thénardier) are two of the primary villains in Victor Hugos novel Les Misérables and the musical inspired by it. ... Jennifer Jane Saunders (born 12 July 1958) is a BAFTA Award-winning English comedienne, actress, and comedy writer. ... Gonzo or The Great Gonzo is a puppet character, one of Jim Hensons Muppets. ... Rizzo the Rat is a Muppet, performed by Steve Whitmire. ... Sam the Eagle Sam the Eagle is a character from the syndicated television show The Muppet Show, performed by Frank Oz. ... Dr. Bunsen Honeydew is a character from The Muppet Show, performed by Dave Goelz. ... Dr. Bunsen Honeydew is a character from The Muppet Show, performed by Dave Goelz. ... It has been suggested that True parrots be merged into this article or section. ... Mickey Mouse headshot The image above is proposed for deletion. ... Pacific Sky sails under Sydney Harbour Bridge A cruise ship or a cruise liner is a passenger ship used for pleasure voyages, where the voyage itself and the ships amenities are considered an essential part of the experience. ...

Lawsuit

Hormel Foods Corporation, makers of Spam, sued the film production company for using the name "Spa'am" for one of the film's characters.^[2] Their suit was defeated on September 22, 1995. The judge dismissed it on the grounds that "The American public can tell the difference between a puppet and a lunchmeat." Hormel Foods Corporation NYSE: HRL is probably best known as the producer of SPAM luncheon meat. ... This article is about the canned meat product. ...

Trivia

• Tim Curry tried a peg leg, but the discomfort forced him to change to using a crutch.

• Upon Jim Henson's death, it was said that Rowlf the Dog would never be used again, as this was Henson's signature character. As a memorial of sorts Rowlf is seen in a few shots, once when the creatures are leaving the tavern, and also in a few shots beforehand. However, out of respect for Jim Henson, he never speaks.

• Brian Henson said that Frank Oz was not originally a fan of Fozzie Bear's "Mr. Bimble" (the man who lived inside of Fozzie's finger). However, by the end of filming, Oz decided that it was one of his favorite jokes.

• Brian Henson was nervous that the whole cast and crew would get motion sick as the ship rolled on the gimbals. He gave everyone seasickness pills for the first day of the shoot, and not only did the cast and crew not get seasick but they almost fell asleep on the job.

• Tim Curry had been a huge fan of The Muppets for years before doing this movie. He has stated in many interviews he regards this role as one of his favorite roles.^[3]

• In the original script, Polly Lobster was a sultry female parrot who flirted with Silver. When this got "too weird," according to Brian Henson, she was replaced with a male parrot named Stevenson (after Robert Louis Stevenson) who pointed out the changes made from book to movie. Although Stevenson was replaced by Polly Lobster for the film, he later appeared in the PC game based on the film.

• David Bowie and Mick Jagger were both considered for the role of Long John Silver until Tim Curry was cast.^[3]

• Miss Piggy's rather inept entrance as Benjamina Gunn gained her another critical accolade, where 'No Sex Symbol is at her best in these conditions' as she hurtles down a set of stairs.

• The fourth wall is completely demolished over the course of the movie, such as:
  *Rizzo comments when Billy Bones has his heart attack "He died? And this is supposed to be a kid's movie!"
  *Statler commenting on being "stuck to the front of this stupid ship", and Waldorf replying "It could've been worse...we could've been stuck in the audience!"
  *Clueless Morgan commenting on the "Cabin Fever" number
  *Long John Silver telling his men to act well during the "Professional Pirate" number, saying that it's "my only number" (This in fact in untrue; Tim Curry has a solo in the song Sailing for Adventure)
  *a tomato on the Swedish Chef's ingredient tray saying "How else did you think we were going to get him into this movie?" (after which the Chef whacks it with a large mallet)
  *a rat conducting a tour on the island referring to the scene nearby as the set for that scene
  *Statler commenting that catching Smollet and Benjimina made them heroes, and Waldorf replying "It was too late to save the movie!"

This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Pegleg of Gen. ... A knee support crutch A patient using underarm crutches A typical forearm crutch Crutches are medical tools used in the event that ones leg or legs may be injured or unable to support weight. ... Rowlf the Dog Rowlf the Dog is a Muppet character, a scruffy brown dog of indeterminate breed with a rounded black nose and long floppy ears. ... Brian Henson (born 1963) is a puppeteer, director, and producer. ... A gimbal is a mechanical device that allows the rotation of an object in multiple dimensions. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The Muppets are a group of puppets and costume characters, and the company created by Jim Henson. ... David Bowie (IPA: []) (born David Robert Jones on 8 January 1947) is an English singer, songwriter, actor, multi-instrumentalist, producer, arranger and audio engineer. ... Sir Michael Phillip Mick Jagger CBE (born July 26, 1943) is an English rock musician, actor, songwriter, record and film producer and businessman. ... Miss Piggy being moved on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Miss Piggy is a Muppet character primarily played by Frank Oz. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The Swedish Chef, making chocolate moose The Swedish Chef is a Muppet who appeared in the long-running The Muppet Show and was operated by Jim Henson and Frank Oz simultaneously. ...

References

Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 224th day of the year (225th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 207th day of the year (208th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ...

External links

• Muppet Treasure Island at the Internet Movie Database
• Muppet Wiki: Muppet Treasure Island