VOLUME 1: Now that, that’s some kind of cast! This is exactly what the title indicates; it’s Treasure Island except that the story now takes place in outer space! All the familiar characters are present: Jim, Long John Silver, etc. The big difference is, of course, the science fiction setting and though far from perfect, as handled by Margheriti, the whole thing is more than enjoyable. In this first volume, we are introduced to young Jim while he makes his way uneventfully through life. When the aging and distinctly suspicious pirate Billy Bones arrives with a treasure map that everybody wants a piece of, Jim’s world will be turned upside down forever! Warbeck is the doctor that helps make it possible for our heroic adventurers to set out on their quest to find the lost treasure of Captain Flint! The crew is assembled, the ship is ready to disembark, and young Jim is surrounded on every side by danger! See Part 2 and find out what happens next! Though barely released to video around the world in the first place, when finally made available it was almost always the shortened version that ran between two and a half and three hours. Treasure Island In Outer Space was originally shown as a mini-series on Italian television and ran much longer than that! When enjoyed uncut the running time is nearly 7 hours!
VOLUME 2: As the voyage gets underway, Jim is a target of the crew during their idle time in space but it isn’t long before the problems of the ship are far greater than that! Lives are lost and tolerances are tested while Jim is forced to come to terms with his circumstances. Also, he begins to recognize that his friends are perhaps not everything they appear to be. Danger still surrounds him, but now Jim is much more adept at recognizing its origins. While innocence fades away and the heroes begin to realize their complete minority, anxiety is the mood that prevails on the ship. Some truth about Billy Bones begins to crawl through to the surface as well. Jim must find great inner strength as he journeys even deeper into the far reaches of space with a crew whose ultimate purpose is cloudy and uncertain! As much as the first part was about set up and introduction is how much this volume concerns itself with characterization. There are some great Das Boot style scenes of the ship and crew in danger (complete with bursting pipes and all) that add some tension and a noticeably larger number of special effects and miniatures. If you enjoyed the first disc then this is a must since the story really starts taking off here.
VOLUME 3: There’ll be no doubts in anybody’s mind what the true intentions of the pirate crew are now! Mutiny and bloodshed! That’s all this crew has on their minds. After setting down on the destination planet where the treasure is supposed to be buried the captain, the doctor, Jim, the doctor’s friend and his robot servant all manage to escape the ship with their lives! They hide out and try to find a way to survive the attack of the greedy pirates who would rather see them dead than try and make any sort of deal. During the course of these events the ship is lost to the strange currents and unpredictable tides of the planets shores! Desperate does not even begin to describe what these men will become during their fight to survive! This part of the story deviates away from the family fun vibe that you have become used to up to this point! Lots of desiccated corpses floating menacingly on abandoned spaceships. Attacks by hoards of bloodsucking leeches. The surprisingly nonchalant murder of a loyal crewman who objects to the idea of mutiny is an unexpected example of pirate cruelty. Also, there is a nice knife in the throat bit. Nothing overly graphic or in your face, it would probably still safely hold a PG rating I should think. Still, it’s nice to see an attempt to add a little edge to things as called for! More cool special effects and a lot of story surprises as we come ever nearer to the climax!
VOLUME 4: This is it! All that Jim has been through and endured was leading up to this! The final moments of an epic odyssey, a quest for the greatest treasure in the universe! Plenty of action as things heat up between the heroes, the pirates, and the people who might be either or. A satisfying and exciting conclusion to an ambitious undertaking! Some highpoints include Jim’s confrontation with Mr. Hands and all the adventures through the Valley of Bones. As a matter of fact, those valley scenes are a highlight of the entire series! There isn’t too much more that can be said without giving away all the best parts of this climactic volume. So, suffice it to say that if you have enjoyed yourself up till now you’re not likely to find yourself disappointed!