I have never read the Tarzan series of novels by Edgar Rice Burroughs, but having grown up watching Tarzan movies on Saturday morning TV with my favorite Tarzan, Johnny Weissmuller, I felt I had a pretty good handle on Tarzan's story. I knew his parents died when he was just an infant, and he was taken by a shrewdness of apes and raised to adulthood.
I went to the theater expecting the retelling of "Tarzan of the Apes" and how this young boy grew to become the "King of the Jungle". I was excited about the film because the use of CGI in today's movie making often delivers the most outstanding special effects. I was not disappointed - the CGI effects, especially of the animals, was great.
However, I really feel this movie is mis-titled. This wasn't the story penned by Mr. Burroughs in 1912, but it was more of a political statement about man's inhumanity. The exploitation of other human beings is really the center piece of the movie. There is also a scene of a train where several of the cars are filled with tusks showing how the human race, especially the Europeans, ravaged an entire continent.
There were flashback moments in the movie that lets the viewer know how this young British boy is taken by the apes and the bond he develops with the animals. The movie also touches on Tarzan's strained relationship with one of the tribes. However, the main story has Tarzan as the hero of the day, but it really isn't about Tarzan.
Christoph Waltz plays the evil character to Tarzan's good and Mr. Waltz is very good at playing a man with no real moral compass. A man of greed who will do anything to get what he wants.
I am not really thrilled with this rendition of Tarzan and would only recommend it for its special effects. I think you can wait to see this movie when it shows up on Netflix or another cable or streaming service.
I went to the theater expecting the retelling of "Tarzan of the Apes" and how this young boy grew to become the "King of the Jungle". I was excited about the film because the use of CGI in today's movie making often delivers the most outstanding special effects. I was not disappointed - the CGI effects, especially of the animals, was great.
However, I really feel this movie is mis-titled. This wasn't the story penned by Mr. Burroughs in 1912, but it was more of a political statement about man's inhumanity. The exploitation of other human beings is really the center piece of the movie. There is also a scene of a train where several of the cars are filled with tusks showing how the human race, especially the Europeans, ravaged an entire continent.
There were flashback moments in the movie that lets the viewer know how this young British boy is taken by the apes and the bond he develops with the animals. The movie also touches on Tarzan's strained relationship with one of the tribes. However, the main story has Tarzan as the hero of the day, but it really isn't about Tarzan.
Christoph Waltz plays the evil character to Tarzan's good and Mr. Waltz is very good at playing a man with no real moral compass. A man of greed who will do anything to get what he wants.
I am not really thrilled with this rendition of Tarzan and would only recommend it for its special effects. I think you can wait to see this movie when it shows up on Netflix or another cable or streaming service.
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