TARZAN by DeWyNGaLe (John Sylva) Rating: B
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Disney, who is still the king of animation and always will be, has been in a slump lately, with its last two animated films not doing well at the box office, Hercules and Mulan. Disney used to deliver classic films such as The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast, but hasn't come out with anything even close to the quality of those films recently, but Tarzan gives it a good shot.
Tony Goldwyn is the voice of Tarzan in this adaption of the famous legend. The film starts off from Tarzan's beginning, when he is just an infant. In the jungle, his parents are killed by a cheetah, but Tarzan is left unharmed, but alone. When Kala, voiced by Glenn Close, a gorilla who roams among the jungle nearby where Tarzan's parents were killed, finds Tarzan, she takes him to live with her family. Kerchak, voiced by Lance Henrikson, who is the leader of the ape family, doesn't want an outsider to be a part of their family, but gives in to Kala, who will raise Tarzan alone. While Tarzan grows up, he learns the ways of the gorilla, taking on their language, walking style, and their behavior. Still after many years, Kerchak avoids Tarzan.
Now grown up, Tarzan has the full agility and speed that a gorilla does. One day while roaming the vast jungles, Tarzan discovers Porter, voiced by Nigel Hawthorne, his daughter Jane, voiced by Minnie Driver, and friend Clayton, voiced by Brian Blessed. The three have set up a camp, as they plan to search for gorillas, and Tarzan has no idea what they are, considering he doesn't even know other humans exist. He immediately bonds with Jane, as they become wonderful friends as time goes on. Jane teaches Tarzan the ways of human, the English language, and how to walk and behave like a human. Of course Tarzan's entire family is upset that he has found new friends, especially his life long friend Terk, voiced by Rosie O'Donnell.
Tarzan is a new step in animated features, creating vast jungles and roaring waterfalls that seem real. Sequences in which Tarzan is swinging on vines rapidly are particularly well done, creating a real environment. Even though the environment looks tremendously real, the gorillas do not. This is most likely to make them kid friendly, but if Disney has the power to make things look real, they should include the creatures.
One key feature of Tarzan is that the characters don't break out into a song every thirty seconds, but the songs are in the background while the action on screen is taking place. This transition was a smart move, considering most songs in Disney films are lengthy and not well-written. Phil Collins, who wrote and performed all of the music for Tarzan, does a nice job. The lyrics and beat to the songs fit the movie perfectly, but the songs seemed too much alike.
Tarzan is missing the magic that other Disney movies, such as Aladdin and The Lion King, have had. Aladdin and The Lion King had moving, epic stories, that appeal to adults and children, but Tarzan seems to be an attempt for Disney to get back in the game, and not an effort to touch the hearts of children and adults. Although Tarzan is good, it doesn't seem like a Disney film, lacking humor and character development. The Lion King was moving, as you cared about the characters, because they were developed carefully, but in Tarzan, the characters don't change much, and Tarzan seems to just swing around in the trees, rather than letting the viewer get to know him better. The only characters who seem like they belong in this film are Jane and her father Porter, who have light and friendly personalities that fit a Disney film.
After viewing Tarzan, there is no impact on me at all, there are no memorable moments that I am still thinking about, and I hardly remember any scenes from the movie. Tarzan looks great, but the quality doesn't live up to the animation. The voices are good though, as Rosie O'Donnell, Tony Goldwyn, and Minnie Driver give the best voice tracks among the large cast. Tarzan isn't for children under 7, due to the darkness and some violent sequences which don't belong in a children's film. If directors Kevin Lima and Chris Buck would have made this film more kid friendly, then Tarzan would be up there with Disney's best recent animated feature, The Lion King.
The Bottom Line- Disney gives a good try to get back in the big time, but doesn't succeed.
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