Sure, it had its shortcomings, and it wasn't as dark as it could have been, but this is certainly the best version of a book that has been retold time after time. As a child, this was one of my favorite books, and I always felt this was one of the best, if not the best adaptation of the book. Maybe someday someone will make a better version, but until then, my vote goes to this one.

Jim Hawkins, a likely lad, befriends a dying pirate and comes into possession of a much sought-after treasure map. He and his friends charter a ship, The Hispaniola, and go in search of the booty but the ship's cook, one Long John Silver, is in reality a fearsome pirate, just waiting to rally the crew of black-hearted cutthroats to mutiny ...

There are several adaptations of Robert Louis Stevenson's superb 1883 seafaring adventure novel (notably a 1990 cable-TV version with Charlton Heston), and countless variations on the story (Muppet Treasure Island, for example), but the Walt Disney movie is still the best. It's extremely faithful to the novel, bringing the settings and the characters vividly to live, and crucially the focus on Jim as the hero and narrator. The story is just so breathtaking, exciting and imaginative; the universal theme of a boy's first expedition from home in search of experience, coupled with the crazy pirate adventures, hidden treasure, exotic locations and bloody mayhem. The cast are excellent throughout, but top honours must go to Newton - in the role of a lifetime - as the roaring, rosy-cheeked, one-legged buccaneer Silver, rolling his eyes and chewing through his fabulous dialogue with relish, yet never overplaying the moment. He perfectly captures the complex and fascinating relationship at the core of the story between Silver and Jim, which encompasses friendship, revulsion, fear, pity, loyalty, respect, even love. There are a few small variations that niggle me; in the book, the mutiny doesn't take place until the pirates are all ashore, the Truman character (George Merry) is much less substantial, and most importantly, at the end Silver sails home with the others but escapes when they dock to resupply at a tropical port. If ever there was a movie where you should also read the book, this is the one - it's just stunning; the character names alone are better than any other novel (Black Dog, Blind Pew, Squire Trelawney, Israel Hands, Captain Smollett, Ben Gunn, Billy Bones), and I think it has the best last line in the history of fiction. Well directed by Haskin, beautifully shot by Freddie Young, and full of Stevenson's fabulous pirate lingo ("Poor rovin' seamen the likes o'you needs every scrap o'scripture 'ee can get."), this is a classic adventure story for all time. Pieces of eight !!

Because practically everyone knows the story of "Treasure Island", I don't bother summarizing it here...especially since this is a rather direct telling of the classic story with no weirdness like you'd find in "Treasure Planet".

So is this Disney-fied version any good? Yes. While I still prefer the MGM version of the 1930s, this one is quite nice with its full color and the fun (and far from subtle) performance by Robert Newton as Long John Silver. Nothing particularly out of the oridinary....just a solid incarnation of the old Robert Louis Stevenson novel and a decent movie you can watch with your family.