#37 Tarzan

Title: Tarzan

Release Date: June 18th, 1999

Voice Cast: Tony Goldwyn, Minnie Driver, Rosie O'Donnell, Glenn Close, Brian Blessed

Plot: A feral child, Tarzan, is raised by gorillas in the wild jungles of Africa. He has two primary friends, Terk and Tantor, a gorilla and an elephant respectively. He is close to his mother, Kala, but is resented by Kala's husband, Kerchak, who believes Tarzan does not belong amongst them. One day, three British explorers arrive in the jungle to study the gorillas. They are Professor Archimedes Porter, his daughter, Jane, and their bodyguard, Clayton. Tarzan meets them after saving Jane, and they teach him how to be human while Tarzan and Jane build a relationship. Through these bonds, Tarzan brings the three closer to his home-- but Clayton has disastrous intentions.

Review: The Disney Renaissance is a curious thing to me. It is supposed to be the second golden age of Disney animation, but I feel differently. Most people note Tarzan as the last film of this era, which is particularly why I initially chose to have it as the last film I reviewed.

But on to the good stuff. I walked away from Tarzan, honestly, not knowing what impression it landed on me. There were plenty of goods and an interesting bad, but I don't feel it deserves a "Hakuna Matata" for whatever reason. I think what I enjoyed most about it was its unpredictability. In nearly every moment, I could not tell you where the story was going in five minutes or fifty. And that's what makes me want to watch a film, especially in animation. That's what kept it going for me.

I can't help but compare Tarzan to the early Renaissance film The Lion King. It's the easiest way to describe and evaluate the setting and soundtrack of this movie. If you recalled, I praised those elements of The Lion King on high. This is not to purposely make negative comments about this film's setting or score by creating high standards. Let me just say this: both elements play entirely different roles then they did in The Lion King. In L.K., they had a synchronicity that created for an overall foreground motif that was extraordinary. Here, they take back seats, but these back seats are leather massage chairs. The intricate setting was amusing in its own right. More specifically, watching Tarzan weave his way through streams of vines and trees gives you a feeling of "I wanna do that!". The soundtrack, composed by the legend Phil Collins, was a heartfelt, semi-narrational cushion for the story to lean on at the appropriate times. And to my surprise, it worked in 1999.

There's only one negative, and it isn't as defined; it's more conceptual. I realized a difference between Disney Renaissance films and Golden/Silver Age films. I cannot deny that Disney has reduced its demographic to almost completely children. Think about it. Who enjoyed such works as Snow White, Cinderella, or even Pinocchio? Now, they werent films meant for adults, but they were at least meant for everyone. I feel that since the 70s and 80s, Disney has been shifting gears. Honestly, if it weren't for Phil Collins, how many adults would care for the childish humor that is found nearly everywhere in this movie?

Oh well. Y'know what? I'll give it the benefit of the doubt.

Under the Sea (Darling, It's Better!)