Jim and his mouse friend Gran toll away working as innkeepers. They dream of sailing far away on their own boat. One day, a mysterious fellow appears at the inn and gives them a map. It's the map to Treasure Island. So they decide to make their own boat, and sail away treasure hunting. But it's not as easy as they think when they run into a group of unsavory pirates led by the dastardly Captain Silver. Silver wants the treasure for himself. And it is up to Jim, Gran, and their new friend Kathy, to beat him to it.
If you do not have children normally you would give children's animation little to no attention. Released by Discotek Animal Treasure Island is an exception to the rule, and it is simply because Japanese animation legend Hayao Miyazaki [Howl's Moving Castle, Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke among others] was a key animator and story consultant on this project, more than a decade before Studio Ghibli was formed in the mid 80s.
Based on the classic pirate adventure ‘Treasure Island’ by Robert L. Stevenson it is a unique experience to watch Animal Treasure Island with the understanding that one of the great masters has had his hands all over it. It is unique in the sense that you are almost never sure that the flourishes of the ‘familiar’ are actually thanks in part to Miyazaki’s hand or something that inspired him in his own sense of style.
It would be unfair to say that it is all Miyazaki. Yes, he was one of the key animators for the film but one of thirteen. But gosh there are times when you could easily pin it on Miyazaki if you really wanted to. You’ll swear that Fran is the younger sister of Princess Nausicaä from Nausicaä of the Valley of the Winds.
As far as entertainment value is concerned, this like any well done children animation will keep you child enthralled with its swashbuckling action. There is more than enough action and adventure to satisfy anyone. As well, knowing their target audience, the creators set up enough slapstick and gags to delight the young and make the elder chuckle along.
And for the sake of your children an English dub is included. Though the context of the film is retained in the translation the originators of the dub certainly had some liberties with the text. Though for the purity of a child’s heart I guess changing ‘damnit’ to ‘gosh, darn’ is a good thing. However, if you’re picking this up, as a Miyazaki fan, then stick with the Japanese audio, the English voice actors sound the same after a while. Plus the English dub removes the theme song entirely. Bizarre.
The animation will delight and frustrate anime-phials. As stated before, there are flourishes and flashes of brilliance but sadly they are balanced out with chop-shop animation techniques. Like river rafting in the late spring, once the waters have subsided patches of fluid animation are interrupted by jagged motions and actions.
Was it inspiration or a sign of things to come? That can be left up to the viewer to decide.
View the trailer here [Streaming WMV - 3:26]
Visit the Discotek Media official site
DVD Details
Original Japanese language
English Language
Optional English subtitles
16:9 Anamorphic Widescreen
Original 2.35:1 Aspect Ratio
Theatrical Trailer and Teaser Trailer
Chapter Selection
Motion Menu
Color
Stereo
78 Minutes
Region 1 - NTSC