Director: David Yates
Writers: Adam Cozad (screenplay), Craig Brewer (screenplay)
Stars: Alexander Skarsgård, Christoph Waltz, Samuel L. Jackson, Margot Robbie
Tarzan is a story that has been told so many times in different mediums and inspired versions of the Lord of the Jungle.
In this incarnation Tarzan (Alexander Skarsgård), has been there, done it and bought the leopard print t-shirt as he finds himself acclimatising to his life back in civilised London as John Clayton III. The Prime Minister played by the brilliant Jim Broadbent who communicates an invitation from King Leopold II of Belgium, to come to the Congo and see all the good things that the King is doing for the natives.
Tarzan has no desire to go back to Africa, but he is persuaded by George Washington Williams (Samuel L. Jackson), a U.S. government representative who is skeptical of the King’s activities in Africa and wants to see the conditions on the ground for himself.
It turns out that Leopold’s invitation was a set up and that he King was not making as much money from the Congo’s natural resources as he had hoped. Hence why he sent Captain Léon Rom (Christoph Waltz) to Africa seeking out new sources of income. Rom is looking for some rumoured diamond mines when he runs into Chief Mbonga (Djimon Hounsou) and his warriors.
Unaware of how ruthless the Belgians can be, Mbonga offers Rom access to the region’s treasures in exchange for Tarzan, with whom the chief has a score to settle. Hence, King Leopold’s “invitation”. Upon their arrival in the “Free State of Congo”, Tarzan and Jane (Margot Robbie) reunite with old friends, but their joy is short-lived, thanks to Rom’s cruel plan.
Tarzan, does what he can to help the natives, protect his wife Jane and stop Rom, while Williams does his best to keep up and help Tarzan when he can. The scene were Williams takes a leap of faith into the trees from a great height is a little naff as he plummets on to a log unscathed (Hardly First Blood)
“The Legend of Tarzan” updates the character and establishes who he is while giving us a fresh story with a great supporting cast that was let down at times with the characters being a bit unbelievable.
I wasn’t really sure why Samuel L. Jackson’s character was in the film, other than to set Tarzan on his merry way back to his spiritual home he never served a purpose other than to keep Tarzan company.
Jane Clayton played by on form Robbie had her moments but on the whole was really just leverage for Rom against Tarzan.
Christoph Waltz played the villain (as he does) well even if the character was a little unbelievable.
Visually at times I felt the movie let it’s self down with some of the CGI. Don’t get me wrong the effects aren’t appalling and at no point take you out of the movie. Just sometimes especially with the animals you can “just tell”
I give the makers and the writers credit for trying a different spin on the character and story whilst keeping the origins of the legend intact but the plot is a little over the place at times with flash backs (at one point I wasn’t sure if I was in the present day or a flash back) but if you like Tarzan I would give it a go. This movie burner is in no hurry to revisit jungle anytime soon…a bit like John Clayton III at the start of the movie.
Movie Burner Entertainment 