I started a topic the other day about the over use of origin stories. I think Tarzan (and Batman and Spider-man and Superman among others) is a character that doesnt need a whole movie dedicated to his origin.
Flashbacks are the way to go.
I hear ya, I enjoyed the flash backs also. I enjoyed them because they were just that flash backs. Everyone knows Tarzan beginnings. There are so many other stories to be told. That is why I like the movie. Tarzan beginning story is unique but the least exciting of his stories to be told.
Great acting, great 3 dimensional believable characters, great action Tarzan seems like a Super Soldier, great drama, great costumes, great music, great environments, and a happy ending.
Those fearing that Jane will be a predictable damsel nothing more she isn't.
This is basically Tarzan begins and it was greatly executed including how a Tarzan met Jane.
__________________ "Never stop fighting till the fight is done."
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This movie is surprisingly holding up well at the domestic boxoffice.
Passed 100 million this weekend. It had a big budget though but it does have some big markets to open in yet including China, Japan, Brazil and Germany.
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The price of fame is high and the Thing cant pay the way.
Visually, it was a beautiful movie.
But it was disappointing in the sense that it kept hinting at showing Tarzan in all his prowess & glory & sadly that "scene" or climax never comes.
[SPOILER - highlight to read]: I just found it weird that right from the very beginning of the story, we're introduced to a very reluctant "hero". He wants to be referred to as John, never Tarzan. And doesn't want to return to Africa because it's "hot'.
His interactions with animals are beautifully done but he never fully utilises them against the bad guys. We get one scene where he runs into his elephant companions (as a boy) but we never get to see him charging into battle with them slinging arrows on top of a bull elephant like in all the novels.
We only ever get that cheesey animal stampede that is ruined by the trailer.
Then you have the "less is more" formula where you hardly see Tarzan but constantly hear his battle cry as the camera pans a grander shot of the jungle for the nth time.
I did enjoy the movie but having read all the novels as a kid, I was hoping for more adventure. It just felt the movie kept hinting on an "epic" scene that never sadly arrives.
Greystoke with Chris Lambert was the love story version, I was hoping this would be the action/adventure one.
I actually liked this movie quite a bit. The script could have been better, but it was overall fine. I enjoyed it. It's failure at the box office had more to do with the fact that pulp characters like John Carter and The Shadow and whatnot just don't fit the mindset of a twenty-first century audience seemingly.
I just got back from a cheap showing of this. I found it very frustrating.
I wanted to like it and much of it is just fine, most of the characters are well done, Sam Jackson, Robbie, and Tarzan himself. I just didn't care for the narrative. Found it too jumbled and not enough attention was devoted to helping us care for the characters (secondary and main). Even the villain himself wasn't made to be disliked enough (Oh, and he is starting to play the same character in every film, which is getting a bit boring)
I think that's why this is a major flop with the critics because there just wasn't enough weight to justify the action.
I feel like Tarzan needs a full origin film before a film like this can work. A few jumbled and confusing flashbacks are not enough to establish this character. This film feels like the 2nd film in the series. They skipped the first! I was afraid of this once I heard a bit more about the story.
I felt like there was enough action, we just didn't care!
Yeah, I kind of agree. The few flashback scenes they had of his origin and then toward the end of the film when they show him swinging with the apes were the most compelling parts to me. That's what the film should have been! Sadly it was hollywoodized, turning into a 'blockbuster' film, so they overstuffed the script and it turned to a mess. Very sad. Because it's sort of exciting because you can tell that the technology is there now to really make a great adaptation.
I just wanted to climax in my theatre seat whilst Tarzan was climaxing on the big screen.
But seriously, I wouldn't say the script was over stuffed or a mess.
It just felt like they chose one of Tarzan's "lesser" adventures & tried to make a bigger deal out of it.
KMC Community Forums
Jul 5th, 2016 10:54 PM
