A young boy (Christian Bale, quite decent) discovers a much sought after treasure map after its owner (Oliver Reed) is killed by pirates. He sails on as a cabin boy, along with the two men (Richard Johnson, Julian Glover) who hope to reap the treasure when they arrive at the unknown island. However, little do they know the ship's cook is none other than the notorious pirate, Long John Silver (Charlton Heston) who has some ideas of his own. There have been several (at least five) other film adaptations of the classic Robert Louis Stevenson coming of age adventure novel, most notably the 1934 MGM film with Wallace Beery and the 1950 Disney film with Robert Newton. But this is the one most faithful to the Stevenson source material. Written and directed by Fraser Heston (Charlton's son) and beautifully filmed in Jamaica by Robert Steadman, the fidelity to the Stevenson novel pays off. Heston's Long John Silver is no rascally "yo ho ho and a bottle of rum" movie pirate. As Heston beautifully plays him, he's a cold and calculating butcher whose only soft spot is for gold and silver and God help you if you get in his way. There's an authenticity in the atmosphere, place and the acting. The lively score is by Paddy Moloney and The Chieftains. With Christopher Lee, Pete Postlethwaite, Clive Wood, Nicolas Amer and Isla Blair, who makes the most of her minimal screen time as Bale's mother.
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