Disc Details
Special Features:	Full frame format Chapter selection Sneak peeks
Video Format:	Full Frame (1.33:1) [SS-SL]
Languages:	English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
Subtitles:	English for the hearing impared.
Captions:	Yes
Casing:	1-Disc Keep Case

Based on Robert Louis Stevenson's adventure classic, "Treasure Island" tells the tale of a fatherless boy caught up in a world of pirates. Jim Hawkins (Bobby Driscoll) works for Captain Billy Bones. Bones is a retired pirate who is hiding from his old shipmates. They have caught up with him. As the old pirate lays dying, he gives Jim his treasure map. Jim takes it to Squire Trelawney (Walter Fitzgerald), who immediately begins to put a crew together to find the island. The Squire hires a cook, Long John Silver (Robert Newton). Silver assures the Squire that he can put a crew together, and he does.

The heart of "Treasure Island" is the relationship between the fatherless Jim Hawkins and the pirate Long John Silver. Silver manipulates the boy and befriends him. In the end, the pirate betrays the boy for gold. What worked in the original, fails in the Disney version. Wallace Beery and Jackie Cooper bonded as Long John Silver and Jim. You felt the turmoil as Jim realizes that John is not his friend. Cooper's performance is spectacular. In the Disney version, Bobby Driscoll is a pure heart who has no trouble turning Long John Silver into the Squire. Mr. Lawson also fails to generate the humanity that Mr. Beery did in the role. Mr. Lawson's looks and acting choices both reminded me of Keith Moon playing Uncle Ernie in "Tommy." This is a huge failure on part of the filmmakers.

Picture Quality: 10/10
Disney restored the movie for this DVD. Oscar winning cinematographer (and Hammer horror movie director) Freddie Francis captured some beautiful Technicolor images. The picture is lush with deeply saturated colors. Some of the best uses of shadows and darkness in a color film as you are likely to see. No artifacts or pixilation. Sharp images all the way to the edges.

Sound Quality: 8/10
At times the high range is a bit flat. Otherwise, the soundtrack is crisp and clear. At times the movie makes good use of the surround sound features. No loss of dialogue. Nice integration of the bass into the rest of the track.

Easter Eggs:
No Easter Eggs found during review.

Extra Features: 0/10
There are no extras on this disk. There are Sneak Peeks for a number of other Disney films.

The Final Word:
It is a shame that this DVD is so high priced. It is a vanilla DVD. I don't care if it is a quality transfer by Walt Disney. The DVD should not cost more that $19.95. Worth the price of a rental for those who've never seen the Wallace Beery/Jackie Cooper version.

Rusty White