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Muppet Treasure Island Review

For Families provided by Common Sense Media

OK for kids 6+

Hilarious high seas adventure with lots of pirate action.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know this comedy is filled with cartoon action throughout and is best for kids who already know the difference between real and make-believe violence. It's a pirate swashbuckler with swords, knives, gunshots, captures, and exaggerated villains (including the outrageous one-legged Long John Silver). Many of the beloved Muppet characters are in comic danger over the course of the movie. Setting the tone, one puppet early in the film asks in disbelief: "He died? And this is supposed to be a kids' movie!" But no one actually dies in the film, although one character is an orphan who is still grieving for his father. In an early scene some characters are seen drinking in a tavern and one is intoxicated.

  • Families can talk about the violence in this movie. Did anything seem too intense for a kids' movie? What's the difference between funny and scary action?
  • How does this Muppet movie compare to others? What makes a movie endure through time?

The good stuff
  • educationalvalue true1

    Educational value: This movie is meant primarily to entertain. It is very loosely based on Robert Louis Stevenso's Treasure Island and introduces characters and situations from that book. Some terms are defined (i.e. "helm, "North star").

  • message true3

    Messages: People may not be what they seem at first. Long John Silver appears to be a friend to Jim and his friends initially, but turns out to be a dastardly villain. Young orphan Jim who feels as though he has no family finds out that the concept of family isn’t easily defined: a family can be made up of people (or Muppet creatures) who aren’t necessarily related to you, but love you, protect you, and have your best interests at heart.

  • rolemodels true3

    Role models: Jim Hawkins, the adventurous human child at the center of the story, is "honest, brave, and true" throughout. The key authority figure, the ship’s captain played by Kermit the Frog, is reliable, trustworthy, and compassionate. The overblown, comic villains are greedy, destructive, and suffer the consequences of their misbehavior.

What to watch for
  • violence false3

    Violence and scariness: Cartoon action throughout involving both Muppets and humans. Included are: villainous pirates and other ruffians, explosions, fire, gunshots, chases, and captures, narrow escapes, swords in combat, skeletons, knife threats, puppets who are tied up and suspended over a precipice, cannon fire, references to torture and death, wild tribal pigs. It's all exaggerated and meant to be funny, not really scary.

  • sex false0

    Sexy stuff: Miss Piggy makes a slightly sexual comment to Long John Silver.

  • language false0

    Language: Not an issue

  • consumerism false0

    Consumerism: Not an issue

  • drugsalcoholtobacco false2

    Drinking, drugs and smoking: Rowdy men are seen drinking from pewter mugs in a tavern. A drunken pirate requests rum. A ship's captain announces that there will be "no drinking on this ship."

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