Summary

Robert Louis Stevenson’s masterpiece “Treasure Island” translates beautifully into a futuristic outer space tale. The transformation is nearly flawless, and the vital story elements are kept in place. However, in this version, the character of Long John Silver is a youthful space pirate with an eye patch instead of a peg leg, and cabin "boy" Jack Hawkins becomes 20-year-old Jill, adding a real love interest and providing a more happy ending as well. Even the original parrot Captain Flint is represented by a pygmy-like alien who sticks close to the young scoundrel.



Doing a "literal" adaptation of a classic novel from a period piece to present-day (or distant future) isn't always 100% effective. Most times, it doesn't really separate or distinguish the new story from the original.



Updating the cast members and inserting a more traditional boy-girl romance seems to work better and adds another dimension to it. Introducing a Howard Hughes-type eccentric billionaire, substituting a parrot-like, kid-sized alien for Silver's bird Captain Flint, changing Doctor Livesey to a space scientist and the Squire to his alien assistant, plus saving the space ship rather than just hiding it, adds enough new elements to prevent accusations that the Stevenson novel is somehow shoehorned into a futuristic space setting.