Somewhere along the way studios got the notion in their heads that
audiences are clamoring for more Edgar Rice Burroughs. Disney missed badly with John Carter, a bloated sci-fi
flop that made Taylor Kitch bounding through space surprisingly dull. Warner
Bros. has been developing The
Legend of Tarzan for years in hopes that the classic jungle hero could
be revived for today's superhero-obsessed moviegoer. And maybe therein lies the
problem, as the film seems stuck between the pull of tradition and the need to
resemble a super-powered comic book character.
As it stands, The Legend of Tarzan is a
perfectly serviceable big budget yarn, made to look sufficiently blockbustery
by veteran Harry Potter director David Yates and The Golden Compass cinematographer Henry Braham.
There should also be special acknowledgement given to Alexander Skarsgard's
abs, which seem to be glistening and rippling whether he's swinging through the
trees or standing idle. What the film doesn't do is strike a clear direction
for the character. Is this a re-examination of the 19th-century colonialist
politics of Burroughs' novels? That's there, but hardly much of a commitment to
it. So then what's the purpose for this movie's existence? It seems that
screenwriters Adam Cozad and Craig Brewer (of Hustle & Flow fame, and once eyed to direct this, which
would have been very interesting) have settled on simply making a summer action
movie. Period. Nothing wrong with that, but it's disappointing given the
potential of the source material.
For instance, there's real drama in the
tale of John Clayton (Skarsgard), the Earl of Greystoke who has forsaken his
jungle past as Tarzan for a more civilized life with his beautiful wife, Jane
(Margot Robbie). The story rightfully assumes we already know who the heck
Tarzan is; he's the guy not named Mowgli who was raised by jungle animals from
childhood. He has no desire to return to his home in the Congo, "It's
hot", he says when requested to go back to Africa on a British diplomatic
mission. However he's convinced by Col. George Washington Williams, a real-life
African-American scholar, Civil War veteran, and adventurer played by Samuel L.
Jackson in all his Jackson-ness. Williams tells him to forget the diplomatic
crap and go because of devious machinations by Belgian King Leopold, who has
sent envoy Leon Rom (Christoph Waltz) to enslave the natives with the aid of
mercenaries. Rom strikes a deal with tribal chief Chief Mbonga (Djimon
Hounsou) who seeks vengeance on Tarzan for a past violent encounter.
There are interesting fact-based details
woven in and given a fictional, often cartoonish spin, which can be
frustrating. Williams was a real guy who actually did expose Belgium's
brutal and inhumane treatment of Congo natives. He was a true hero and a
gentleman. Here he's mostly comic relief, struggling to keep up with Tarzan's
energetic vine-swinging or having awkward encounters with the natives. The
humor he adds is both a blessing a curse for the self-serious film. Rom was far
more terrifying in reality than the dainty, mustache-twirling heel Waltz
portrays him as. As the head of Belgium's "Force Publique" he was
known to carry around the severed heads of Africans. In the film he has a
necklace which he occasionally uses as a weapon. Eh. It's hard to take
Waltz seriously in these villain roles at this point because they are all
variations of the same thing.
As the epitome of "white savior
complex" Tarzan is an inherently difficult character to make work,
especially right now with diversity such a major issue going around Hollywood.
That makes his frequent scenes alongside the Congo natives a little awkward
visually; here's this perfectly dolled-up white couple coming to save the
thousands of African warriors who apparently don't know how to fight back. Good
thing Tarzan and Jane are here to be held up (literally in some cases) as
It wouldn't be that much of an issue if saving the African people was Tarzan's
priority but it's quickly shunted aside in favor of a rescue mission to save
Jane. And once that happens it's really the only thing that matters. "He's
Tarzan, you're Jane. He'll come", Rom says. And of course he's right.
Speaking of which, Jane poses a problem as well. Granted, Robbie is perfectly
fierce and strong as Jane, but she's every bit the damsel in distress the film
attempts, pointedly, to convince us she's not.
"I need you to scream for me",
Rom says.
"Like a damsel?” is her reply.
Well, yeah. Like a damsel. When the entire
movie is about rescuing you, that's what you are.
As for Tarzan himself, Skarsgard is
excellent in the role. Obviously from a physical standpoint the former True
Blood star is a nearly perfect choice. He's tall, lean, muscular, and he
captures Tarzan's animal ferocity when challenged, but also his gentle side.
When in combat during the film's impressive action scenes, like one in which he
battles his ape brother in a WWE-style smackdown, Skarsgard appears to be most
comfortable. That fight, along with his showdown with Mbonga, teases a deeper
understanding of Tarzan that the film sadly never follows up on, as he's forced
to show humility and acceptance of another's superiority. It's the conflict
between his animal urges and human qualities that make Tarzan interesting and The Legend of Tarzan doesn't go far enough in exploring
that aspect. But we do see plenty of his powers, such as incredible speed,
strength to go toe-to-paw with any creature, and the ability to communicate
with the animals. He's like Aquaman's long-lost kin we never knew about.
Despite a few curious camera shots, such
as a sudden fondness for Michael Bay-style 360 rotations, Yates shows the same
grasp for storytelling that took the Harry
Potter franchise to another
level. He has to contend with CGI that looks terrific in some cases but gets
awfully dicey the more animals fill up the screen, and that's quite often. The
finale has about a thousand lions, gazelles, crocodiles, and other creatures
waging war against those pesky human enslavers. It's an impressive spectacle,
for sure, but also serves to highlight The
Legend of Tarzan's inability, or unwillingness, to be more than just a
standard adventure film rather than a fresh take on the character.
Rating: 3 out of 5
