The Muppets have been around for decades and I am not completely convinced that they should have been. One could read a review I posted quite recently about another of their films and say that I am contradicting myself, but that is a new product, this is an older one. Frankly, this film would not merit another movie in 2011 if I was a producer. It isn't a contradiction simply because I am not saying that I dislike the Muppets, rather this film does not live up to their comedic potential.
There is something inherently endearing about a cast of singing puppets which I love. What is not to like about a French pig, a wisecracking bear and a frog with golf balls for eyes? The voice actors are great and natural comedic talent they possess should make every venture a winner. I think they lose themselves, however, when those comedic powers are stifled by the triteness of children's comedy. I recently watched clips of the Muppets when Jim Henson was doing test shots in an outdoors location. The puppeteers for Ms. Piggy, Kermit and Fozzie were in the shots simply improvising and it was hilarious. It wasn't adult or lewd, but it was smart and spontaneous and very honestly enjoyable. They were not second guessing their greatness for the purpose of pleasing the parents of very young children and therefore they were excellent.
What is not excellent is adapting a well known novel and using a human as the main character. Based off of Robert Louis Stevenson's classic seafaring adventure, the Muppets slap on hats, hooks, beards and eye patches as they sail the seas in search of treasure. Instead of having one of the cuter Muppets play the principal character, Jim Hawkins, they instead hire some uninteresting eunuch named Kevin Bishop. Although the story should be about him inheriting a treasure map from an old drunk in the inn he works at, the audience is only interested in him as the main character with his role of bringing the more interesting puppets into the plot.
Unfortunately, the Muppet Studios have often made the mistake of putting the Great Gonzo and Rizzo in as the narrators, which they do in sense here. The two aren't narrators per se, but they do follow Jim in his adventures as close companions. The result of this is that there are many times when two of the least funny Muppets accompany the least interesting person making for some very boring dead moments.
Thank goodness for a great supporting cast of humans and the introduction of the main Muppets--though they come far too late into the story. Cameos from Billy Connolly and Jennifer Saunders make for amusing moments and a funny, if slightly miscast Tim Curry as Long John Silver, help in keeping the plot moving.
Of course we really don't care about of them; they are only fillers and props used to make "Treasure Island" the novel work as a children's film. What we really want is to see Animal playing the drums, Swedish Chef cooking talking vegetables and Ms. Piggy karate chopping Kermit. They happen, but we have to slug through the story first. Also fortunately for us, there are clever and catchy pirate jigs to distract us and help reach that hour and a half mark.
Oh! The story...they go on a treasure hunt. They are successful. The good guys win despite a mutiny led by a cook. Kermit makes for a really bad captain.
2/4
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