Disney's first completely live action film, I can't say that I was impressed at all. Bobby Driscoll sticks out like a sore thumb as the only American in the cast but that wouldn't be a problem if he gave a good performance, which he most certainly doesn't. Frankly, I don't think that he could act to save his life. He is one of two things that really drag the film down, the other being the deathly slow pacing. It sticks to the general storyline of the novel by my fellow University of Edinburgh alumnus Robert Louis Stevenson but leaves out many of the details. Yet, bizarrely, it still feels considerably longer than its 95 minute runtime. It's plodding and dull. Neither the script nor the direction are very good. There is little of the great atmosphere of adventure that defines the novel.
On the bright side, Robert Newton gives a great over the top performance as Long John Silver, which is the best part of the film. It also features a strong supporting cast of British character actors such as Basil Sydney, Walter Fitzgerald, Denis O'Dea, Ralph Truman, John Laurie, Francis de Wolff, Finlay Currie, Geoffrey Keen, Sam Kydd and Patrick Troughton. The film also looks good. Overall, however, I much preferred Disney's 1960 version of Stevenson's later and, for my money, better novel "Kidnapped" as well as "Muppet Treasure Island", which is considerably more fun.
On the bright side, Robert Newton gives a great over the top performance as Long John Silver, which is the best part of the film. It also features a strong supporting cast of British character actors such as Basil Sydney, Walter Fitzgerald, Denis O'Dea, Ralph Truman, John Laurie, Francis de Wolff, Finlay Currie, Geoffrey Keen, Sam Kydd and Patrick Troughton. The film also looks good. Overall, however, I much preferred Disney's 1960 version of Stevenson's later and, for my money, better novel "Kidnapped" as well as "Muppet Treasure Island", which is considerably more fun.