Are we one with the animals or wholly different? Tarzan
answers on the side of our brotherhood with the apes who are essentially Tarzan’s
family including the mother that raised him, the father who disciplines and distrusts him,
and the cute animal friends who grow up with him. The enemy is a duplicitous outsider bent
on hunting and transporting Tarzan’s Gorilla family to zoos. Of course, this enemy
also adds a human dimension to Tarzan’s jungle life by bringing him Jane.
For those who love and expect the original
story by Edgar Rice Burroughs, this is so different both in its superficial elements and
at its core that it is Tarzan in name only. For those who are concerned about human, most
particularly western, influence on the natural environment, this movie raises interesting
perspectives and could serve as a valuable conversation point for children and adults
alike. Though fighting to protect his family and loved ones from big cats and evil
hunters, Tarzan is essentially defensive, not aggressive. Again, this could be a good
talking point to incorporate the dramatic lessons from this movie.
The animation is gorgeous, daring, dynamic, and
visually thrilling, a step up even for Disney.
One aspect completely missing from the film,
perhaps for understandable dramatic reasons, is the native African human. Take that for
what it is worth, since again, the point of the movie seems to be to show the brotherhood
of the western, industrialized man with primeval nature and not the nature of modern or
tribal Africa.
Our enjoyment of this film was greatly
diminished because the sound track at our local multiplex was so loud that the action
sequences were painful to listen to, and the songs were actually breaking up. Too bad
because Phil Collins (Golden Globe for Best Song) did some great work. We like watching our movies on the edge of our
seats, but AMC’s refusal to accommodate our requests for lower volume bordered on
abusive.
In addition to our usual links, consider
looking at a somewhat disparaging perspective from Slate's critic Michael Lind. He found
Tarzan to be a model for a wimpy vision of manhood. Disney turns Burroughs'
Ape-Man into a Momma's Boy.
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