Tarzan Review
by Robert Workman (DarkFalcon AT webtv DOT net)July 2nd, 1999
The Happy Bastard's Quick Movie Review
TARZAN
Me Tarzan...you happy viewer.
For a minute there, I thought I was going to be groaning over the release of Disney's latest, another adaptation of a legend from the past. (Remember the pathetic Pocahontas? Yikes!) But guess what- Disney, a company that's been on a roll lately with animated films, strikes again with another wonderful tale that pleases the eyes as well as the inner kid in you.
The story is pretty basic- Tarzan is left orphaned and a female gorilla who's lost her young adopts him into her group. As he matures into a much older man, Tarzan still wonders just why he's so much different from the clan, and then arrives a hunter, a professor, and the professor's lovely daughter, Jane- who meets Tarzan rather quickly after getting in trouble with a group of feisty babboons. From there, Tarzan faces tough choices- should he stay with the ones that he grew up with or go join his own kind in England?
The voicework here is pretty top-level. Tony Goldwyn is very convincing as the Ape Man; Minnie Driver adds a delectable touch to the already-beautiful Jane; Nigel Hawthorne makes for a pretty nasty hunter voice; Rosie O' Donnell keeps the laughs rolling as Tarzan's best ape friend Terk; and Wayne "Newman" Knight has his moments as a panicky elephant.
The movie is superb throughout, mixing a great script with incredible computer-assisted visuals. When Tarzan tree-surfs (a twist that was added on top of the same ol' vine swinging- and a great one, I might add), the camera twists and turns, allowing the trees all around to come to life vividly. I couldn't believe my eyes- Disney has come a long way since starting in a ballroom for Beauty and the Beast.
And the music's not half bad, either. Fortunately, there's no ridiculous singing characters here, just a great set of songs by Phil Collins that perfectly fit the mood.
There's some great action sequences here as well, including a wonderfully done chase between Tarzan, Jane, and the aforementioned babboons. But, of course, it's not all action- there's a message here as well that has to do with family.
This is easily one of Disney's best animated films of the decade and it's one I can't wait to put in my home library...that is, if my VCR still works in the year 2000.
RATING: 9 (out of 10)
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