Alicia I love this movie so much

Matialth Good concept, poorly executed.

Guillelmina The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Curt Watching it is like watching the spectacle of a class clown at their best: you laugh at their jokes, instigate their defiance, and "ooooh" when they get in trouble.

pbolla80 This is a good Disney film; not a great one. The film has two major assets: the Florida location and Peter Ustinov. He was the reason I checked it out over a decade ago in the first place. If anything, he is the only reason to see it. The plot follows a boy (Johnny Duran) trying to find a treasure in the Florida keys that his late father buried; along the way he encounters four adventurers (Robert Foxworth, Joan Hackett, Peter Ustinov and Billy Atmore) who join him on his quest. And of course they are being pursued by a bad guy (Vic Morrow, a fine but wasted talent, like Joan Hackett, he passed away before his time). A great adult cast supporting a boy and his treasure hunt. Merely meant for kids; but I finally got it on DVD, with some scenes added that were not on the video!! Dub Taylor has a brief but comic role as Sheriff Forbes. This movie is just good fun. Ustinov, of course, had more success with Blackbeard 10 years earlier.

Woodyanders The south just after the Civil War. Brave young David Burnie (likable Johnny Doran) and his equally gutsy best buddy Thad (an appealing performance by Billy Attmore) gain possession of a map for a treasure located somewhere in the Florida Keys. The lads are assisted by charming rascal Jim Burnie (a fine Robert Foxworth), spunky Southern belle Lauriette Paxton (delightfully played with radiant aplomb by Joan Hackett), and flamboyant charlatan physician Dr. Ewing T. Snodgrass (a marvelously robust portrayal by Peter Ustinov). Moreover, a rival group of scurvy pirates led by the ruthless Spangler (a perfectly nasty Vic Morrow) are also determined to get their grubby hands on the treasure. Director Vincent McEveety, working from a colorful and eventful script by Don Tait, relates the thrilling story at a constant snappy pace, maintains a lighthearted tone throughout, and offers a rich and flavorsome evocation of the 19th century deep south. Of course, there are plenty of perils faced along the way which include a run-in with the Klu Klux Klan, a lethal horde of deadly mosquitoes, and a fierce hurricane. Popping up in nice supporting parts are Mills Watson as Spangler's mean right-hand man Catrell, Jane Wyatt as the feisty Aunt Effie, Robert DoQui as friendly ex-slave Ben, Dub Taylor as the peppery Sheriff Forbes, Dick Van Patten as a flashy con artist gambler, and Brion James as a mangy thief. Both Buddy Baker's rousing score and Frank V. Phillips' crisp cinematography are up to snuff. A fun film.

bkoganbing Although Treasure of Matecumbe is listed as a theatrical film, it seems that it plays more like a couple of episodes from The Wonderful World of Disney.The only reason to watch it is for Peter Ustinov who is having a great old time playing the traveling patent medicine man. This is his second film for Disney the first being Blackbeard's Ghost which was infinitely better.Young Johnny Doran is told about a fabulous treasure hidden on Matecumbe island in the Florida Keys. He makes a Huckleberry Finn like journey on the river from Kentucky with a young black kid Billy Atmore who Doran's family would have recently owned. Along the way the two plucky lads pick up Robert Foxworth who is Doran's rascally Uncle Jim. Joan Hackett a young bride running from a hideous marriage and Ustinov.Vic Morrow is the chief villain here leading a band of cutthroats seeking the Treasure of Matecumbe for themselves. Our intrepid band of five has more escapes from them and other villains than used to be in one of those old time movie serials. In fact Treasure of Matecumbe feels like one of them. Foxworth and Ustinov have two unbelievable escapes from certain death.Morrow and his gang have an interesting fate in store for them which I won't reveal, but if you see the movie and think about its logical implications with the terminology used, it definitely isn't Disney type material.For the juvenile trade and for fans of Peter Ustinov only.

tchevyz71 I first watched this movie when I was about 7 or 8 and I watched it over and over again it was so good. I wish I could see it again, but the DVD is still very hard to come by. The movie deals with a young boy and his companion who are forced to flee from their home in search of a treasure. Jim and Ben end up meeting lots of different people who can help them along the way, but they also have a lot of things happen to them that either slows them down or simply gets in their way, but none the less it's a very entertaining movie and has a good plot to it. It's a good show to see as a kid or even adult if you like stories that entail treasure hunting. It actually has a good story to it unlike some movies today that are just filled with special effects. So if you want to see a good old fashioned treasure hunting flick then you have found it.