After leaving the Congo and living a new life in London, Tarzan (Alexander Skarsgard) is called back to the Congo to investigate what has been going on at a mining encampment.
Director: David Yates
Cast: Alexander Skarsgard, Margot Robbie, Samuel L Jackson, Christoph Waltz, Dijmon Hounsou
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for sequences of action and violence, some sensuality and brief rude dialogue
Fun Fact: Alexander Skarsgard said he had a lot of pressure with this role because his little brother is a huge Tarzan fan and didn’t want to let him down.
Like most old stories, Tarzan has had lots of different adaptions on the big screen. We’ve seen everything from Christopher Lambert to Disney giving studios a chance to bring their own interpretation to audiences over the years. 2016 was no different with The Legend Of Tarzan being released.
One of the better things about this film is that it’s not an origin story. We all know the story of Tarzan and while we get flashbacks, it’s not the focus. The script calls for a Tarzan that is already established and how he is living life outside of the jungle. For a film like this it was much needed, and a refreshing take on the Tarzan character. The problem with these types of movies is that it must be an origin story. If you read the stories or even heard of Tarzan, you would already know where he comes from. Would you want to spend your money just to see another origin story that you already know of? Unless someone wanted to make it different in a way, it would be the same movie you have seen before.
After the film get’s down to business, we enter a well shot film that looks good. The action is shot cleanly and there isn’t any shaky camera work. It’s well-lit and you can see what is going on. Even with the scenes in the jungle you can clearly see what is going on. The locations where the film was shot are pleasant to look at as well. For an adventure film like this you need nice locations to make the film stand out. The production design and costumes were well done as well as it felt like being in the time era of the story. The production budget was well spent for a movie like this.
Another strong point of the film is the acting. The cast is great in this and the characters are brought to life through the performances. Christoph Waltz dials in another performance as the lead villain. When ever I see Waltz in a film, I get excited because I know I’m in for a show and this is no exception. Samuel L Jackson is one of my favorites and I enjoyed his performance. He’s believable as his character and he has a unique backstory and reason why he wants to go on this quest. Alexander Skarsgard and Margot Robbie were great as Tarzan and Jane. Robbie portrays Jane as the damsel in distresses, but also a fighter that cares about what’s going on. As for Tarzan, Skarsgard was everything that Tarzan should be. He had the look of the character and he had certain unique mannerisms that were well portrayed. I don’t think he let his little brother down in this one.
Overall, The Legend Of Tarzan is a well done film. We have a pleasant movie with the great production values for a big budge action feature. The action is clean, and the camera work doesn’t disappoint when it really counts. The best part though is the performances. The cast brings their A game and it shows. I would recommend this if your looking for a well made version of the Tarzan story that isn’t an origin story that’s been beaten to death.
Verdict: Hit
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