***MINOR SPOILERS***
So this week I set out to see ‘The Legend of Tarzan’ and to be completely honest with you, I wasn’t expecting too much. That’s not because I thought the trailers looked bad or anything like that, I just thought it would be a half decent film with half decent performances.
What I wasn’t expecting was to walk out of the cinema having enjoyed the film so much that I immediately booked tickets to see it a second time and this time take my wife with me after telling her “You’re going to really enjoy this film”.
We all know the story of Tarzan; shipwrecked and orphaned after his parents death and raised by a family of apes. Basically an apeman with the ability to swing through the trees, communicate with animals, is unbelievably strong and cannot speak a word of English (and also has his life soundtracked by Phil Collins) that is until he meets Jane. After being taught to become civilised he moves back to England with Jane who becomes his wife and he learns he is really John Clayton; heir to Greystoke manor.
That is where this film starts. Tarzan (or John as he now goes by) has been living in London for almost 10 years and is married to Jane. It’s almost a sequel of sorts to a film we haven’t had; not in this new incarnation at least and not with these new actors.
Through a series of events which I will not spoil here Tarzan is reluctantly dragged back into the jungle with Jane along for the ride. Once arriving they spend the night with a tribe both Tarzan and Jane know and class as family from their previous time there. The camp is then attacked at night and Jane is kidnapped in an attempt to lure Tarzan back to an old enemy. The film is then all about Tarzan tracking and saving his beautiful wife, played by Margot Robbie.
Before seeing the film I was a little disappointed to find out it wasn’t an origin story of Tarzan; I thought enough time had passed that giving us a reimagining of the tale would be just right. I mean, we seem to get a Spider-Man origin every couple of years. After seeing the film I’m kind of glad we didn’t have to spend an hour at the start watching a child learn to swing on vines. We get his origin throughout the film in a series of short flashbacks which are weaved perfectly in the film never affecting the pace.
Before going in to the film I saw a review that states that this film highlights the fact at Alexander Skarsgard, who plays Tarzan/John Clayton is a TV star, not a movie star. I was prepared for that going in; they were wrong. I think he is a movie star and proved it in this film; he is obviously easy on the eye and looks exactly as you’d imagine Tarzan to look. He is charismatic and when on screen he demands your attention. I think he has a bright career ahead of him.
David Yates does a great job with his directing of the film. He paces the film well getting decent performances from his actors. He is no stranger of course to handling big CGI blockbusters being a seasoned director from the Harry Potter franchise.
Samuel L Jackson is doing what he does in majority of films lately and is playing Samuel L Jackson but with less bad language. Margot Robbie, isn’t your typical damsel in distress. She plays a capable character who isn’t scared of her captors. She has a brilliant line that really stuck in my head after the film.
“Ordinary men can do amazing things to save the woman they love. My husband isn’t ordinary”
No, no he is not.
While it’s always nice to see her on screen, she is extraordinarily beautiful, she didn’t have a great deal of things to do and that is a waste in a sense of an actress with her talent.
Some of the things I didn’t like about the film, and there are only a couple. The villain played by Christoph Waltz is pretty one note and is never really developed. Also, at times the CGI is pretty weak. Not all the time, but there are times when it became very obvious it was computer generated. Maybe I’ve just become Spoilt by films like Planet of the Apes or The Jungle Book.
These minor gripes did nothing to ruin my enjoyment of the film. Don’t get me wrong, it isn’t a masterpiece, I’m not trying to claim this is The Citizen Kane of Tarzan films. It’s silly at times and a little cheesy; but it works. Maybe it has something to do with the fact I went in with low expectations. Either way, I’m going back for a second viewing!
I’d love to hear your thoughts about this film. I’ve come across people who have loved it and some who’ve hated it.
For me I give it a very respectable 7/10.
Clapperboard Chatter 