AllMovie

James Keach and Jane Seymour, husband and wife in real life, are teamed in this direct-to-cable update of Johann David Wyss' classic adventure tale The Swiss Family Robinson. While on a boat bound from Singapore to Sydney, the Robinson family is besieged by pirates, who set them adrift. Landing on a remote island in the company of a handful of other survivors, the family manages not only to survive but to flourish -- though their efforts to escape their new surroundings are continually thwarted by their pirate tormentors. Ultimately, the Robinsons save themselves with the considerable assistance of their new-found animal friends. Originally intended for a theatrical release, the PG-rated The New Swiss Family Robinson made its American bow via the Disney Channel cable network in 1999, nearly a full year after its completion.