Most of us are familiar with American animation and Japanese animation. There's still something to be said for Russian animation which most people know little about, including myself. It was just great to see something so bright and colorful from a foreign country not known for cartoons! I managed to watch a subtitled version of this. This is mostly a retelling of "Treasure Island". I've seen most versions and even read the original book. While it's technically less faithful than other versions, I really do think this is the best movie adaptation ever! It's mostly because of how beautiful the animation is.
Every country really does have their own unique animation style. This stood out as being wonderfully cartoonish. This was released the same year as "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" and it features animation and live-action! It's only briefly near the beginning that they're both on screen at the same time. The live-action bits are mostly just sprinkled throughout the film as short segments. It doesn't make them any less good! I thought that these actors were wearing masks because their makeup seemed too goofy to be real. Now that shows dedication! There's tons of great comedy in this version too.
The funniest bit might be when the one guy breaks the wall of the house down. We get to see all the classic characters just the way they should be represented. This is probably the most awesome version of Jim Hawkins I've ever seen. It's great how he's such a strong fighter in this. While the movie is still very goofy, Long John Silver is as good as ever. I just love the strong voices (the original Russian version) used and how they suit the characters so well. There's so much movement going on too. Please try to check out this great under-appreciated film! It should be on the Top 250 as it has over a thousand votes. ***1/2
