When I was a kid and my grandmother would say, "Do you want to go see the Disney movie at the movie theater?", my answer was usually no; they were too "kiddish". Occasionally there were exceptions, and this film was one of those exceptions. It was a treat seeing it again on TCM 57 years later, and I think it's -- perhaps -- the best Disney film ever made. But it's not perfect.
The good points: 1. A good story line with almost no "down time". The action moves right along, and you're constantly engaged in what is happening to the characters.
2. Great scenery and photography (and yes, it was filmed mostly on location).
3. Mostly very good acting. This is a wonderful role for John Mills, and it's a treat seeing Dorothy McGuire. They worked well together. James MacArthur is excellent (almost as good as he was in "Spencer's Mountain" with Henry Fonda). I never realized how good Tommy Kirk was as a child actor.
The bad points: 1. It appeared to me that there was some cruelty to animals in this film.
2. It's a family picture, so some things were handled a bit on the "everything will be all right" approach, which was fine. But through much of the battle with the pirates, the family wasn't taking things very seriously...and after all, they were fighting for their lives and to prevent the women from being raped.
3. Disney was loathe to show any of the pirate really being harmed much, so it wasn't very dramatic in the that sense.
4. Worst of all -- the presence of Kevin Corcoran. When I was a kid I always thought he was a little jerk. I still think that. Kid shoulda been put in a straight jacket! (Okay, that might be overstating it a bit, but not much). Totally distracting.
However, the strong points of this film well outweigh the weak points. It's a fairly exciting movie, there's a touch of romance, good insights to the jealousy that can exist between siblings, and a very engaging story. And, at least in my view as a 68 year old, it's not just a film for kids. Some say this is Disney's finest movie; I tend to agree.
The good points: 1. A good story line with almost no "down time". The action moves right along, and you're constantly engaged in what is happening to the characters.
2. Great scenery and photography (and yes, it was filmed mostly on location).
3. Mostly very good acting. This is a wonderful role for John Mills, and it's a treat seeing Dorothy McGuire. They worked well together. James MacArthur is excellent (almost as good as he was in "Spencer's Mountain" with Henry Fonda). I never realized how good Tommy Kirk was as a child actor.
The bad points: 1. It appeared to me that there was some cruelty to animals in this film.
2. It's a family picture, so some things were handled a bit on the "everything will be all right" approach, which was fine. But through much of the battle with the pirates, the family wasn't taking things very seriously...and after all, they were fighting for their lives and to prevent the women from being raped.
3. Disney was loathe to show any of the pirate really being harmed much, so it wasn't very dramatic in the that sense.
4. Worst of all -- the presence of Kevin Corcoran. When I was a kid I always thought he was a little jerk. I still think that. Kid shoulda been put in a straight jacket! (Okay, that might be overstating it a bit, but not much). Totally distracting.
However, the strong points of this film well outweigh the weak points. It's a fairly exciting movie, there's a touch of romance, good insights to the jealousy that can exist between siblings, and a very engaging story. And, at least in my view as a 68 year old, it's not just a film for kids. Some say this is Disney's finest movie; I tend to agree.