Tarzan (1999) 4 stars out of 4. Featuring the voices of Tony Goldwyn, Minnie Driver, Glenn Close, Lance Henriksen, Rosie O'Donnell, Wayne Knight and Brian Blessed.
"Tarzan," Disney's latest animation feature, is a visual delight that will leave you breathless as you soar through the primordial jungle with the legendary ape man.
Using a process called Deep Canvas, the Disney animators have created an Edenesque landscape in which Tarzan swoops, glides and soars. Edgar Rice Burroughs' famed creation no longer swings through the trees like a trapeze artist; rather, he skates and surfs the boughs and branches as if they were green waves. He has been transformed into the "Big Kahuna" of the forest.
"Tarzan" is Disney's most thoughtful and satisfying animated feature since "The Lion King." Keeping merely the basic premise of Burroughs' original - a husband, wife and baby are marooned off the African coast, the parents are killed and the baby is adopted by a female ape who raises him to manhood - the story becomes a quest for identity.
And that is the genius of this adaptation. The character of Tarzan has been brought to the screen nearly 50 times since 1918, yet only one movie - Hugh Hudson's plodding "Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes" - has even come close to hinting at the conflict within Burroughs hero.
And yet, this was a theme Burroughs touched upon in most of the 24 books chronicling the adventures of Tarzan.
One of the most outstanding factors of Disney's "Tarzan" is the editing, an aspect usually overlooked in animated films.
The opening sequence, paralleling the stranding of Tarzan's family with the family life of the she-ape Kala and her mate, Kerchak, leading up to the killing of Kala's baby by a leopard and the death of baby Tarzan's parents by that same big cat is inspired.
The entire episode is played out over the song "Two Worlds," sung by Phil Collins.
It is one of the four songs written and performed by the pop star, whose vocal and composing talents are one of the film's finest contributions.
Not enough can be said about the character animators. For nearly the first half of the film Tarzan moves on the balls of his toes and his knuckles - apelike.
It is not until he meets Jane and begins to realize why he is different from the other apes that he adopt an upright stance.
And that is the crux of the story. Tarzan is the outsider, the outcast. Despite the love and protection of Kala and the friendship of the smart-mouthed ape, Terk, and the neurotic elephant, Tantor, Tarzan can never truly feel like a full-fledged member of the ape tribe.
It is the discovery of people, a safari led by the evil Greystoke that ignites the spark of humanity in Tarzan's breast.
With the help of Jane and her scientist father, Tarzan learns about man and the outside world.
Usually in the Tarzan movies, Jane must rely on the strength and courage of Tarzan for her protection. This animated Jane, though, has spunk - and a sense of humor. As voiced by the wonderful Minnie Driver, Jane is quick-witted, intelligent, curious and fearless.
She is the perfect complement to Tarzan.
As Tarzan, Tony Goldwyn (best known as the villain in "Ghost" as well as the director of "A Walk on the Moon") modulates his voice to show the angst and conflict within his character. When Kala advises him to create his own roar and not copy that of the tribe, Goldwyn's Tarzan does not use a Johnny Weissmuller-like yodel, but a deep, freeing sound that comes from his heart.
Goldwyn is able to convey Tarzan's vulnerability as well as his strength and determination.
Glenn Close is wise and loving as Kala, while Lance Henriksen ("Aliens," TV's "Millennium") is gruff, suspicious and ferocious as Kerchak.
The comedy relief is supplied by Rosie O'Donnell as the wise-cracking Terk and Wayne Knight as the meek Tantor.
Brian Blessed provides the right tone of suave villainy as Greystoke, while Nigel Hawthorne is funny and warmly befuddled as the absent-minded Professor Porter, Jane's father.
Also interesting to note is the way the animators created Kerchak and Greystoke.
Structurally, they are almost mirror images of each other. This adds a dimension to Tarzan's struggle of finding his true self as he watches these two male role models.
Directors Kevin Lima and Chris Buck have created a movie that again raises the bar for Disney animation. And in the process they also have made one of the finest Tarzan movies in the entire ape man canon.
"Tarzan" is a must-see, 88 minutes of color, adventure, suspense, humor and romance. It is one of the best movies of the year. Don't miss it.
Bob Bloom is the film critic at the Journal and Courier in Lafayette, IN. He can be reached by e-mail at bloom@journal-courier.com or at cbloom@iquest.net
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