Review of The Legend of Tarzan (2016) by Junelkean — 20 Jan 2018

The most famous vine-swinging jungle warrior is brought by four-time Harry Potter director David Yates to cinemas. And don't worry, he's not George of the Jungle. He's Tarzan! And it follows his story as John Cleyton III (Skarsgard), an Englishman who is devised in a scheme by a Belgian diplomat (Waltz) in bringing him to a warlord (Honsou).

There's nothing offensively bad about this movie, but there's also not much here to incredibly offer to regular moviegoers. Screenwriters Adam Cozad and Craig Brewer reinvent the jungle-adventure formula into something more historical and overly dramatic. Consider that as both positive and negative. The movie also never loses track on the horrors of history such as slavery and colonialism.

In terms of casting decisions, Skarsgard's version as the Lord of the Apes seems to be some sort of a historical figure rather than a jungle hero. Sure, he's gorgeous. Sure, he looks like Tarzan. However, his performance and the core of his character are lacking to convince. Margot Robbie deserves a better role than Jane. She is totally miscast, but where she feels wasted, Samuel L. Jackson owns the screen wherever he's in.

VERDICT: Yate's live-action adaptation of Edgar Rice Burrough's iconic Lord of the Apes is much more like its titular character, emotionally hollow yet gorgeous in some ways.