Review: ‘Legend of Tarzan’ provides plenty of summer popcorn entertainment

Posted on July 8, 2016

By MARK VIOLA

Tarzan, the boy raised by apes in the jungles of Africa, has refused to leave our collective popular culture in the 104 years since Edgar Rice Burroughs first created him.
And as such, he is a character who we can rest assured will appear in a movie or some other form of entertainment medium on a pretty regular basis. Surprisingly, it’s been 17 years since Tarzan last appeared in a feature film, Disney’s animated musical, “Tarzan,” which debuted in 1999.

So perhaps we were due for another one, and thus we have “The Legend of Tarzan,” directed by David Yates (“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows”) and starring Alexander Skarsgård (“True Blood” in the title role.

The original “Tarzan” novels were never meant to be highbrow literature and instead were written to be pulp entertainment, providing enjoyable stories and characters. And that’s exactly what “The Legend of Tarzan” delivers, summer popcorn entertainment.

It’s not a perfect film to be sure, with some pacing issues here and there, and a first act filled with exposition, but it does gives us plenty of action, a smattering of romance, a suitable villain and some really good special effects.

Pulling this off is not as easy as it might appear, as last week’s “Independence Day: Resurgence” proved.

One of my favorite aspects of “The Legend of Tarzan” is the fact that it does not try to give us the traditional origin story, which is frankly a story we’ve seen many times in many different films. Sure, there are people out there who have never seen any of the various “Tarzan” films, but I’m betting they’re outnumbered by those who have. In this one, we still get Tarzan’s backstory, but it’s told through a series of flashbacks that fill in the basic tale along with specific moments that set up confrontations later in the film.

I do need to also mention the special effects. After the two new “Planet of the Apes” films and this year’s “Jungle Book” adaptation, I’m not quite as surprised as I once was when a movie can deliver highly realistic computer-generated animals, but as lesser films have proven, bad special effects are still out there. Here, the animals don’t play as pivotal roles here as in those films–especially with Tarzan’s time growing up in the jungle being presented in flashbacks–but they are still important to the emotional backbone of his character, and the work done to bring them to life is outstanding.

“The Legend of Tarzan” is a more than an enjoyable summer popcorn flick. Sure there are plot holes and a few pacing problems, but overall, it delivers quality entertainment for those looking for a good time. And frankly, if you’re looking for something deeper, why are you going to a “Tarzan” movie in the first place?

The film is rated PG-13 for sequences of action and violence, some sensuality and brief rude dialogue.

(This is a abbreviated version of the full review available in our printed or e-edition papers.)

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