Review of The Legend of Tarzan (2016) by Dand474 — 02 Jul 2016

If you liked the trailer, you’ll love the movie!! Trust audience ratings, and not the biases of cynical professional “critics.” Generally, critics gave high ratings to The Jungle Book, including its CGI effects, yet are critical of the CGI in The Legend of Tarzan.

Isn’t it odd that the same company that produced the fine CGI effects for The Jungle Book completely lost those abilities while working on The Legend of Tarzan? [perhaps this illustrates the pre-determined bias of some critics?] And the non-CGI actual scenery filmed in Gabon makes a stunning feast for the eyes.

Anyway, this movie is about a story, a good script, and fine acting, not CGI eye candy. Prominent critics keep saying the story is worn out and out-dated, but to those who loved the Edgar Rice Burroughs novels, the story has never been accurately portrayed on the big screen.

I read my collection of 24 Tarzan novels many times as a youngster during the ‘60’s. The challenge for moviemakers has always been that the character changes and develops so much over the course of the series, and conveying Tarzan’s complexities in a 2 hour film was daunting.

With a 32 year span since the last movie effort to bring a live action, not animated, Tarzan into a movie adaptation, the need to appeal to older lovers of the novels, and to explain the story to next generations, presented a major challenge.

Yates has effectively pursued both objectives. If one objects to remakes of classic adventure heroes, or to Edgar Rice Burroughs, or his novels, in general, then this is not the film for you. But if you would like to see an effort to seek to realistically enable the character of the novel series to come to life in a movie, you will not be disappointed.

And it is CGI technology that enables this effort to authentically bring the nearly superhuman, yet still vulnerable, Tarzan of the novels into a live feature film. There are so few well-made, uplifting, and exciting movies, and especially ones also including an emotionally connected romance, that it is a shame so many will miss out on this one due to critics with negative bias who never gave the film a chance.

The Legend of Tarzan, due to negative reviews, will likely not have a sequel, so it seems this film will become the best representation of the genuine Tarzan from the novel series. And that is quite an accomplishment.

Try it in IMAX 3D. Impressive! I will definitely see it again - many times.