To See or Not to See: The Legend of Tarzan

The Legend of Tarzan is a visually beautiful, adventure-packed summer movie. It also helps that Alexander Skarsgård‘s bare chest gets a lot of screen time…if you like that sort of thing!  

This version of The Legend of Tarzan doesn’t just recount Tarzan’s origin story. Part of the appeal of the film is that it begins eight years later when Tarzan (Alexander Skarsgård) is now called John Clayton. He is living in London, married to Jane (the always gorgeous and perfectly cast Margot Robbie), and has not once been back to the jungles of Africa from which he came. When an invitation to return to the Congo comes from King Leopold of Belgium, he is urged to accept. Leopold has mines all over the Congo and, rumors of being involved in the slave trade. So, Tarzan/Clayton heads back with Jane and George Washington Williams (Samuel L. Jackson), a liaison from the United States. Cue the evil villain, Leon Rom (Christoph Waltz, seemingly typecast as a villain these days). He is trying to capture Tarzan in exchange for gaining control of the diamond mines…and picking up a few African slaves along the way. Needless to say, Tarzan must face his past, hunt down the evil colonialists, and bring the animals and humans of the jungle together to defeat Rom and his band of mercenaries.

Throughout The Legend of Tarzan, Tarzan’s origin story is presented in flashbacks. It was a nice touch to introduce the story to new audiences and to remind old audiences of all the details. In fact, there were some flashbacks that could have lasted a bit longer to delve a little more deeply into the emotions of the characters. The flashback to when Tarzan first meets Jane was particularly delightful. The play between past and present wove together well to create a good-paced story.

Additionally, the CGI work in the film was quite good. There was a range of animals portrayed in the film. There were small monkeys, large gorillas, elephants, lions, crocodiles, and more. For the most part, they seemed very lifelike–especially when placed next to human actors. The magic of CGI could also be seen in the scenes between Tarzan and his gorilla family. The tenderness his gorilla mother showed him was heartwarming (and, ultimately, heartbreaking). The scenery, too, benefitted from CGI-magic. The gorgeous African landscapes would make any audience member wish they were there. The lush jungles were also dazzlingly on display when Tarzan, his villager friends, and members of his gorilla clan swoop through the trees, swinging from vine to vine (that was one moment when the 3D experience would have been amazing).

The problems with the film lay in the plot itself. The origin story aside, the rest of The Legend of Tarzan itself is not necessarily a fit for our time period. The racial undertones of Tarzan (he unites the people of the jungle and the animals and gets rid of the bad colonialists AND he is seen almost as a mythical being by the local African population) are still there despite the film’s best efforts.

Overall, though, The Legend of Tarzan is a good adventure story–make it your next summer popcorn flick!