Some of the online photo-stills make "The Legend of Tarzan" look pretty hokey, so I was a little hesitant about paying to sit through it in the theater. Having now taken the chance, I can happily say that this film is definitely not another feeble disappointment like 1984's "Greystoke." Though purists may dislike the fact that it's not directly based on any one of Burroughs's novels, there is still basic loyalty to his Tarzan mythos, and the way it incorporates some true history—King Leopold's exploitation of the Congo Free State, poaching of its game, and horrible enslavement of its natives for profit—adds a great deal of relevance for a modern audience.
While it's obviously intended mainly as plain old entertainment, "The Legend of Tarzan" meshes humor and heartbreak very well, and the many action sequences are riveting without going too far in asking us to suspend disbelief. No, it doesn't all make perfect sense, but perfect sense can hardly be expected of a fantasy of this kind. The visuals and animation are quite arresting; most of the animals look real, the one glaring exception being the Mangani apes. But then again, this film reminds us that the Manganis are NOT gorillas or chimps. As in Burroughs, they are a separate legendary species--a missing link of some kind, perhaps? The script is generally decent even though many of the lines sound more 21st than 19th century. Good acting by all the major players, but those who play the native Africans steal the show.
Some budget constraints are evident, and it's an ambitious storyline to pack into two hours: The whole pace of the film is a bit hurried. Regardless, anyone who's interested in seeing another Tarzan film in the first place should not be disappointed and may really love "The Legend of Tarzan."
While it's obviously intended mainly as plain old entertainment, "The Legend of Tarzan" meshes humor and heartbreak very well, and the many action sequences are riveting without going too far in asking us to suspend disbelief. No, it doesn't all make perfect sense, but perfect sense can hardly be expected of a fantasy of this kind. The visuals and animation are quite arresting; most of the animals look real, the one glaring exception being the Mangani apes. But then again, this film reminds us that the Manganis are NOT gorillas or chimps. As in Burroughs, they are a separate legendary species--a missing link of some kind, perhaps? The script is generally decent even though many of the lines sound more 21st than 19th century. Good acting by all the major players, but those who play the native Africans steal the show.
Some budget constraints are evident, and it's an ambitious storyline to pack into two hours: The whole pace of the film is a bit hurried. Regardless, anyone who's interested in seeing another Tarzan film in the first place should not be disappointed and may really love "The Legend of Tarzan."