You've him all around the Internet: big nose, bigger grin, puffed up chest, strutting into a pub like he owns the place, accompanied by two cohorts. "Chad" Dr. Livesey has become not just a meme, but an icon. A real man's man. An aspiration. A vibe.

This of course has gotten people interested in the origin of this meme--a 1980s Russian animated movie adaptation of Robert Lewis Stevenson's classic novel "Treasure Island." Originally released in two parts and aired on Russian TV, the film is surprisingly an amusing and entertaining romp that one would not expect to come out of 1980s Soviet Russia.

An English-language version--renamed "Return to Treasure Island"--was released in the US on video in the early '90s, and is currently available on Tubi, but it pales in comparison to the original Russian version. For starters, as a few YouTube videos point out, Dr. Livesey's voice in the US cut isn't as jolly and cheerful as the original. Second, and most important of all, the US version cuts out all the live-action musical interludes performed by a band named Grotesque (the only Grotesque band I could find through Google was a Swedish death metal band), where they dress as pirates and sing about the dangers of drinking, smoking, greed, and not getting any exercise in between scenes. Instead, in the US version we get horrible songs, with the worst offender being "Ben Gunn's Story," which sounds like what would happen if Rogers Waters suddenly forgot how to carry a tune.

You can rent the original Russian version is available on Soviet Movies Online for just $4, although you have to watch it within 24 hours or else you'll have to pay extra. But trust me, it's $4 well spent!

This cartoon is unique in its structure: a strip of animation is followed by a video clip, then again goes animation, then - a music video, etc. No computer effects are used (in animation strips) - everything is drawn by hand. The impression of the drawings and videos is very rough - it seems that you feel sand between your teeth. Those dark unshaved pirates are making dreadful smiles, they point big guns at you, they play electric guitars and perform rock compositions. Have you seen a pirate with a Mohawk? It's here, too. But it must be so.

This cartoon is the perfect adaptation of Stevenson. It concerns real men (brutal strength is essential) and ambiguously funny situations. For many Russians it is one of the favourite cartoons ever. Its atmosphere ("kick-'em-all" plus "don't-be-a-greedy-sob-like-pirates") is one unstoppable crusher. This cartoon can be described as a train of non-stop gags spiced by a large portion of great (not just good, but really great - in music and in words) songs. The songs make very solid statements about smoking, drinking, and being greedy.

For any boy to watch this cartoon is a must. It is for all audiences, but has a rocketing satire combined with healthy childish humour. Maybe, girls will dislike it. No surprise: it has no female characters (with an exception of a few seconds dedicated to some Donna in the window and the presence of females in one music video about physical training - that's all), it has too many fights (gunfights, fistfights, trunkfights, rapierfights, and even some cool martial arts sequences), it also has tons of gin being consumed, and thousands of cigars being smoked. The pirates, who are drunk and constantly smoking, are being punched, kicked, stabbed, thrown into the sea from the cliffs, and so on. But don't be fooled: this animation can teach you a lesson or two, or even a dozen. Does, for instance, "Finding Nemo" has a chance to beat "Ostrov Sokrovishch"? No, it does not (my opinion, of course). This Russian cartoon has faded colours (in its original version) but it has a big heart and a rushing pace. There is music enough to be an attractive material for two CD albums while the voices of the characters are the best choice ever in the history of animation. Does anybody have a chance to fall asleep while watching "Ostrov Sokrovishch"? It's easier to die than that. The cause of death will be a super attack on one's sense of humour and on all other senses (if there are some, of course).

Personally, cannot wait for re-watching it again. If Mr Stevenson were alive, he would be hopping with happiness and joy. Why so? Reply: excellent interpretation of the book. After this cartoon all films and animation features with similar "pirates" topic seem to be dull and unimaginative.

All has been said: an astounding 10. Thank you for attention.

Most of us are familiar with American animation and Japanese animation. There's still something to be said for Russian animation which most people know little about, including myself. It was just great to see something so bright and colorful from a foreign country not known for cartoons! I managed to watch a subtitled version of this. This is mostly a retelling of "Treasure Island". I've seen most versions and even read the original book. While it's technically less faithful than other versions, I really do think this is the best movie adaptation ever! It's mostly because of how beautiful the animation is.

Every country really does have their own unique animation style. This stood out as being wonderfully cartoonish. This was released the same year as "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" and it features animation and live-action! It's only briefly near the beginning that they're both on screen at the same time. The live-action bits are mostly just sprinkled throughout the film as short segments. It doesn't make them any less good! I thought that these actors were wearing masks because their makeup seemed too goofy to be real. Now that shows dedication! There's tons of great comedy in this version too.

The funniest bit might be when the one guy breaks the wall of the house down. We get to see all the classic characters just the way they should be represented. This is probably the most awesome version of Jim Hawkins I've ever seen. It's great how he's such a strong fighter in this. While the movie is still very goofy, Long John Silver is as good as ever. I just love the strong voices (the original Russian version) used and how they suit the characters so well. There's so much movement going on too. Please try to check out this great under-appreciated film! It should be on the Top 250 as it has over a thousand votes. ***1/2