Tarzan Review
by Lars Lindahl (sidspaced AT aol DOT com)February 4th, 2000
by Lars Lindahl
(c) 2000 Lars Lindahl
Lars Attacks!
http://www.angelfire.com/ny3/larsattacks
"Tarzan" (1999)
Directed by Chris Buck and Kevin Lima
Written by Bob Tzudiker and Noni White
Starring the voices of Tony Goldwyn, Minnie Driver, Lance Henriksen, Glenn Close, Rosie O'Donnell, Wayne Knight, Alex D. Linz, Brian Blessed, and Nigel Hawthorne.
Grade: ** (out of four)
For the forty-ninth celluloid addition of Tarzan, Disney has created a sometimes excellent, mostly below-par animated translation. The main concern that this film has to worry about is that it may not succeed in satisfying its target age ranges. The gruesome deaths of a number of characters may distract younger viewers and the overall sappiness Tarzan has may distract teenagers. (Tarzan can swing and slide throughout the jungle like a skateboarder on a half-pipe, an obvious attempt to make teenagers forget about the saccharine mood of the film). Another problem is that this film is nothing new. The animation may have advanced over the years, but the story of a character who does not know where to fit in has been used to death by Disney (see The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, Aladdin, etc.). These films ostensibly may seem different from first glance, but in reality, they're all the same; Same ending, same characters, same ultimate morals. Tarzan is no exception to this trend. The movie is unoriginal and predictable. The aforementioned films above share these negative adjectives with Tarzan, but they are not as blatantly obvious or, for some reason, as painful to sit through.
Also those Disney classics all have very memorable characters that carry the whole movie. The Little Mermaid's Sebastian, The Lion King's Timon and Pumbaa, and Aladdin's The Genie all shined with excellent supporting roles. Tarzan attempts to add some comedic flair to its cast with friends of Tarzan named Terk and Tantor. Voiced by Rosie O'Donnell and Wayne Knight respectively, they are both underused and not as funny. The only noteworthy voice from the cast was that of Minnie Driver as Jane. Perfectly cast as the British researcher who falls in love with the protagonist, Driver's confused, stuttering voice is very convincing when she first meets Tarzan and as the film progresses, she still maintains the same justifiable uneasiness of where she is and who she is talking to.
The story, of course, follows Tarzan, a boy raised by gorillas and his attempts to fit in with his family by copying their exact mannerisms and gesticulations. When he discovers humans for the first time, he must decide where he belongs in life. Tarzan is, as mentioned before, irritating in some areas, particularly in the beginning and the end. It takes way too long for Tarzan to meet Jane and since you know exactly what will happen at the end, it is almost unbearable to sit through. For an alternative to this Disney feature, check out the under-appreciated Warner Bros. flick The Iron Giant.
Grade: ** (out of four)
Lars Attacks!
http://www.angelfire.com/ny3/larsattacks
by Lars Lindahl
(c) 2000 Lars Lindahl
Originally posted in the rec.arts.movies.reviews newsgroup. Copyright belongs to original author unless otherwise stated. We take no responsibilities nor do we endorse the contents of this review.
