Treasure Island review
Did Robert Louis Stevenson’s timeless swashbuckling tale need the addition of a superpower? Is it better for reducing its young hero to an afterthought? Nope
TL;DR
- The adaptation gives Jim Hawkins a photographic and quasi-mystical memory, described as a "superpower."
- Jim Hawkins' character is diminished, becoming a passive observer overshadowed by his mother, Bess.
- Bess Hawkins is portrayed as a "feisty" widow who interacts more significantly with pirates than Jim.
- The plot includes "reimagined" elements such as slow-motion spy battles and "magic memory" scenes.
- Billy Bones has a strange, incomprehensible accent.
- Long John Silver, played by David Oyelowo, is a charismatic character but cannot save the weak plot.
- The review criticizes the addition of "superpowers" and the reduction of the young hero's role.
- The article suggests the "reimagining" has "ruined" the source material.