Tarzan is another character that has been through many big-screen reinventions as almost any other character. Does this newest incarnation live up to some of the previous ones? Maybe. Maybe not. What is certain is that for what it’s worth, this version is a solid popcorn flick and that’s all it intends on being.
Alexander Skarsgard stars as the titular character whose now abandoned his jungle lifestyle in favor of one with British culture. He’s called upon by the Prime Minister to go on a special mission to the Congo to check on its latest developments. He refuses the offers until he’s persuaded by an American diplomat (Samuel L. Jackson).
Going on this adventure means leaving behind his life of wealth and it also means saying goodbye for a while to Jane, now his wife (Margot Robbie.)
Tarzan and Jackson encounter a ruthless captain (Christoph Waltz) assigned to find diamonds and take control of the Congo. Of course, Waltz’s is once again in his element as the bad guy, but how many times can we see him doing that? This is probably his least effective turn yet.
We do get some sensational set pieces once Tarzan swings into action especially his interaction with some of the the apes. The action sequences are exciting if occasionally we can spot some obvious CGI along the way.
Directed David Yates of the last four Harry Potter movies has created a movie with the style, spirit, and tone of the adventure serials from the ’30s and ’40s. There’s also some nice performances from a uniformly superb cast that would’ve had any other actors giggling at the material.
The Legend of Tarzan doesn’t really achieve greatness which I didn’t expect. It just amounts to a glorified B picture that would work regardless of its release. It does exactly what it’s made to do. It’s a crowd pleaser that actually pleases.
Grade: B
(Rated PG-13 for sequences of action and violence, some sensuality and brief rude dialogue.)
