Swiss Family Robinson Movie Review

This family doesn't seem very Swiss to me, and I don't think there are elephants and tigers on remote islands in the South Seas, but while Walt Disney's early Survivor experience lacks in realism, it's also not nearly as wholesome as it pretends to be.

The movie jumps right into the story, with the family's ship being chased into a storm and running aground, all but sunk. What follows is the all-too-familiar story of survival, as our castaways create a hut (treehouses in this case), attempt to kill every form of wildlife that appears even remotely threatening, and facing off against pirates, all while maintaining an appropriate level of late 1950s decorum, with nary an undone button or brooch clip.

My biggest problem with the film is the savagery it permits toward the animals on the island. I'm no member of PETA, but teaching children (at whom the film is obviously aimed) to be frightened of anything with teeth isn't terribly wholesome. Should kids think that shooting at sharks in the water (when the people aren't in any danger, obviously -- they're in the boat) is acceptable? Or that you can domesticate an elephant by tying a rope around its leg?

With mom's parasols and dad's water wheel inventions, this family looks like the original inhabitants of Gilligan's Island. Of course, this is not meant to be a comedy, so you'll have to decide for yourself whether you want the movie to be funny or just mediocre.

Disney's two-disc DVD set includes commentary from the dirctor and several of the players, plus the usual collection of shorts and retrospectives. The Dolby Digital 5.1 sound, for what it's worth, is pretty good considering the movie was made 42 years ago.