The Legend of Tarzan
Director: David Yates
Stars: Alexander Skarsgård, Rory J. Saper, Christian Stevens
Duration: 210 mins
Class: 12
KRS Releasing Ltd

It is the 19th century and, 10 years after leaving the jungle where he was raised from babyhood by apes (as told in flashback), John Clayton III – the fifth Earl of Greystoke and the man formerly known as Tarzan (Alexander Skarsgård) – is now a member of the House of Lords; and happily married to Jane Porter (Margot Robbie). John is summoned to 10 Downing Street where the Prime Minister informs him that he has been selected to re-visit the recently colonised Congo, ostensibly to witness the good works being carried out there by King Leopold of Belgium.

Although John is reluctant to return to that world, he is persuaded to do so by George Washington Williams (Samuel L Jackson), a former soldier turned philanthropist. Williams believes the King is secretly planning to bring an army to enslave the Congolese people. So much so that, as John and Jane prepare to depart for the African continent, the king’s envoy in the Congo, Leon Rom (Christophe Waltz) plans to exploit Tarzan’s return to serve the king’s ends further.

Despite some inherent flaws, there is much to admire in The Legend of Tarzan, the return to the big screen of the classic hero created over a hundred years ago by Edgar Rice Burroughs, and if director David Yates’ ambitious take doesn’t quite hit all the marks, he has created an elegant, at times solemn, but ultimately often pleasing version of the popular character.

An elegant, at times solemn, but ultimately often pleasing version of the popular character

The film opens with some extended exposition, as the script by Adam Cozad and Craig Brewer goes on to bring the historical context front and centre. It does so by presenting in the story the sobering reality of the colonisation of the African Congo and the ruthless plundering of its minerals and enslavement of its people. That said, it does not quite explore this aspect of the story in any serious depth. Ultimately, this strand does not sit quite comfortably with the basic adventure story that unfolds, as Tarzan – reunited with the human and animal allies from his past – realises he has walked into a trap, while Jane falls into Rom’s evil clutches and needs to be rescued.

Moreover, for a good while the story unfolds at a rather measured pace, and it does take its time for the action to set in. Yet, once it does, the film succeeds in capturing a sense of old-fashioned adventure as Tarzan and his allies kick into gear, vine-swinging across the jungle to get things done, and the film remembers it’s got a job to do as a summer romp.

Skarsgård is moody and broody, yet compelling, as the man who has settled into his place in London society with a family, and as a member of the House of Lords who never forgets his unorthodox upbringing. His transition back from noble man to King of the Jungle, as he rediscovers his remarkable abilities, is always believable. Margot Robbie, currently very effectively building a strong portfolio, adds depth, nuance and some feistiness to a role that on paper is little more than a damsel in distress. As historical figure Williams, Samuel L Jackson hits all the right notes as a man seriously concerned with the threat of slavery, and he brings some light comic relief as a man struggling to keep up with the athletic Tarzan. Christophe Waltz, once more cast as the sort of villain he can now play in his sleep, elevates the part beyond cartoon villainy.

Throughout, the romance between Tarzan and Jane is convincing and pure (despite some rather unconventional courting), and Yates offers some touching scenes illustrating the genuine connection Tarzan has with the jungle animals he left behind. These are witnessed in some strong scenes when he meets a beautiful pride of lions and the apes he once called family.

The film all set against a remarkable backdrop and, if the landscape and the effects that created the animal protagonists do not reach the level of spectacle witnessed in the recent The Jungle Book, it’s still an effective creation of Tarzan’s world.

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