This Tim Curry Classic Celebrating Its 30th Anniversary Is The Best Way To Remember His Legacy

Tim Curry was one of those iconic performers who gave their all for every role. Even if it was only a brief cameo, he took every opportunity to make that part his own. Everyone has their favorite Tim Curry performance. Many will most likely say his delectable Dr. Frank-N-Furter from The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) was his best performance, while others could claim that his wild antics in Clue (1985) made that film as beloved as it was, but the great thing about him is that with decades of roles, there’s no wrong answer.

But what was Tim Curry’s favorite role? The man has been in hundreds of projects, from movies to TV shows, both in live action and through extensive voice work, but his favorite role shouldn’t be all that surprising. To many, it’s a beloved childhood classic, and it’s currently celebrating its 30th anniversary over on Disney+ and is sitting at #10 on the streaming charts, with legions of fans rewatching it to honor his death. So if you want to remember the legacy of Tim Curry with the role he admired most, hoist the Jolly Roger and start watching Muppet Treasure Island (1996).

What Is ‘Muppet Treasure Island’ About?

The Muppets are, quite literally, an institution. Even if you’ve never seen a single episode of The Muppet Show (1976), everyone knows characters like Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, and countless others. 

While most of their feature films would be original affairs, a few were adaptations of literary classics. Muppet Treasure Island, obviously, adapts the Robert Louis Stevenson classic Treasure Island, but instead of adapting the story for modern times, as Treasure Planet (2002) did, Brian Henson and crew decided to keep it relatively straightforward. It’s a simple adventure movie where Jim Hawkins sails the seven seas to find Captain Flint’s lost treasure, but considering it was one of the original modern adventure novels, that’s perfectly fine.

What helps separate the film from other adaptations, though, is how the Muppets are cast in several major roles. Kermit the Frog plays Captain Smollett, Miss Piggy plays Benjamina, and whenever Henson had the opportunity to replace a human character with a Muppet, he took it, which fills Smollett’s ship with a huge gaggle of iconic Muppet characters, including a few new faces. But much like in The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992), some of the more important roles were played by humans, which is where Tim Curry steps in, as he played the film’s villain, Long John Silver.

Why Does Tim Curry Love That Film So Much?

By all accounts, Long John Silver is not your average villain. Even in the original novel, there’s always a sense of moral ambiguity to the character where you’re not sure if you’re supposed to love him or hate him, and Tim Curry perfectly embodies that dynamic.

Using his grandfather’s accent to help shape Silver’s presentation, Curry is having the time of his life in the role. He’s no stranger to playing villainous roles, but rarely does he look so joyful. In his autobiography, Vagabond, Curry describes his time working on the film as “one of the happiest sets I’ve ever been on. There’s a conspicuous lack of ego among the Muppets.” He treated them as fellow actors and himself as a fellow Muppet, matching the energy of the puppets even when they’re at their most over-the-top. He’d always be grinning from ear to ear, and that warmth and positivity bleeds through in every scene.

Whenever Curry had a moment in the film’s 100-minute runtime, he took it and ran with it. Take his only song in the film, “A Professional Pirate.” He not only introduced it as his only song, but he made sure to sing and perform everything live, which caused Brian Henson to change how the other songs would be filmed, opting for the cast to sing live instead of dubbing them in post. He’s legitimately the best thing about Muppet Treasure Island, and his performance was so impressive that he was made an Honorary Muppet, a title bestowed to only 11 other people. 

Is ‘Muppet Treasure Island’ Worth Watching Today?

With 30 years having passed since Muppet Treasure Island’s release, there’s an argument to be made that it’s the best adaptation of the story in its over 140 years since its original publication, and it’s easy to see why.

While the original story was much darker than one would initially expect, Muppet Treasure Island is bursting with fun and creativity. Some of the musical numbers in the film are stone-cold classics. Whether it’s the goofy yet intimidating “Shiver My Timbers” that opens the film, or the all-out frenzy that is “Cabin Fever,” Muppet Treasure Island knows when to take itself seriously and when to lighten up. You can’t watch the movie and not let out a big anachronistic smile when all the mice appear and talk about how much they’re enjoying their cruise on the Hispaniola, complete with Hawaiian shirts and margaritas. 

But despite it all, there’s still a heart to Muppet Treasure Island that’s impossible to deny. Silver genuinely cares for Hawkins, and that complexity elevates it above the average family films being released at the time, like The Swan Princess (1994). The writing was clever and treated its audience with respect regardless of whether they were a child or an adult. It captured a sense of adventure that makes it one of the best Muppet movies, and Tim Curry’s part in that deserves to be rightfully acknowledged.