6.6 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Young Jim Hawkins is the only one who can sucessfully get a schooner to a legendary Island known for buried Treasure. But aboard the ship is a mysterious cook named John Silver, whose true motivation on the journey challenges Jim's trust in the entire crew.
Starring: Eddie Izzard, Toby Regbo, Rupert Penry-Jones, Elijah Wood, Donald SutherlandAdventure | 100% |
Video codec: VC-1
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English SDH
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Those who may have noticed that Treasure Island is a Syfy miniseries with Robert Halmi, Sr. listed as one of the (many) producers could be forgiven if they came to a quick conclusion that this was yet another science fiction-esque reboot of a vaunted classic, a la Syfy’s previous entries like Tin Man (The Wizard of Oz), Alice (Alice in Wonderland), or Neverland (Peter Pan). But perhaps having become aware of the law of diminishing returns with regard to these fanciful revisions, not to mention the fact that none other than Disney had already attempted a sci-fi reimagining of Treasure Island with the new to Blu-ray Treasure Planet, this new retelling of the timeless Robert Louis Stevenson classic harkens back to another Disney effort, the live action Treasure Island featuring Robert Newton as the inimitable Long John Silver. This 2012 largely British miniseries features a surprisingly effective turn by outré comedian Eddie Izzard in the role previously played by Newton, and there’s really nothing in this outing that would seem to make it part of the Syfy tradition of classics transported to other planets or universes. The adaptation takes considerable liberties with Stevenson’s source novel, introducing characters who were either never in the book or were only touched on tangentially, and radically reinventing several other characters who were in the book but who bore completely different characteristics in Stevenson’s conceptions than they do in this outing. Still, for those who have (like I have) grown increasingly tired of Syfy’s relentless adaptations of classic works, injecting often needless science fiction elements into them for no other reason than that they will ultimately bear the Syfy brand, this Treasure Island has at least one simple thing to recommend it: it’s not science fiction.
Treasure Island is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Vivendi Visual Entertainment with a VC-1 encoded 1080p transfer in 1.78:1. This is an impeccably handsome production which pops quite well throughout this high definition presentation, though the image has been variously color graded and contrast boosted at times which has sometimes detrimental effects on fine object detail. Some of the interior scenes are too dark by half, something that becomes even more problematic when several of the actors are black or otherwise dark skinned, with shadow detail gobbled up in a general murkiness. The island footage is breathtaking, with beautifully saturated colors, though there seems to have been some stock footage used for a couple of establishing shots. Close-ups pop extremely well, and the elegant costumes and sets look nicely sharp and precise.
Treasure Island's lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix takes off with a flurry of LFE and fantastic surround activity, and rarely lets up for the duration of the miniseries. Cannon fire, gunshots and the quicksilver sounds of metal blades clashing against each other are a regular feature of this soundtrack, and they are presented with sterling fidelity and some very impressive dynamic range. Dialogue is occasionally a bit hard to make out, due to a number of different and sometimes very thick accents, but the mix here is very well prioritized. The score is a bit on the strange side, with droning squeeze box accompaniments that do little to establish the swashbuckler idiom, but here, too, the surrounds are consistently utilized and help to create a good sense of immersion.
Chances "aarrrrrr" (sorry) if you do your own version of "pirate talk", you're channeling Robert Newton's Long John Silver from Disney's 1950 version of Treasure Island. That version has become so embedded in so many minds that it remains, for better or worse, the defining adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's immortal classic. The good news here is, this Treasure Island takes a much grittier look at the source novel, and it wisely eschews the increasingly silly science fiction injections that have become a Syfy staple over the past few years, especially for pieces produced by either one or both of the Halmis. What this adaptation doesn't exchew is needlessly "tarted up" camera work or a number of irrelevant and unneeded emendations or changes to the original novel. Still, taken generally, this is a colorful and often invigorating production, and Izzard is really surprisingly effective as Long John Silver. This Blu-ray offers great video and audio and comes replete with some good supplemental materials. Recommended.
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