The Legend of Tarzan

I’m surprised more people aren’t talking about this movie, honestly. It has all the ingredients for entertaining summer fare: a well-known character, a strong cast, great visual effects, and a sense of adventure. This is a well-made movie which piques the imagination thrills the senses.

The Legend of Tarzan does not tell the usual Tarzan story we all know, but instead makes the decision to tell the story of him returning to the jungle after years living as an English lord. This was a wise decision. It gives us something different and adds a layer of this man who is trying to put him uncivilized past behind him, but keeps getting pulled back in. we still see the Tarzan origin in flashbacks, but they are well-placed and work for the most part.

I would say that the action scenes leave a lot to be desired, but may sound odd after I just said this is great summer entertainment, but its the truth. The fight scenes are not filmed very spectacularly and verge on the Snyder-style ramp-ups a little too much. The more jungly action, like swinging through the vines and avoiding stampedes are much more thrilling and interesting.

Legend of Tarzan sports an impressive cast, stemming from Alexander Skarsgard as the ape man himself, down to Margot Robbie as a Jane who holds her own, Sam Jackson as the everyman we can relate to, and Christoph Waltz doing his usual, but good, villain bit.

I really enjoyed the sense of adventure provided by this new Tarzan film. It uses its Congo setting well, with lots of animal encounters and historical issues of the time. I also enjoyed watching this legendary man reluctantly re-exploring his fabled past, and there was certainly a more intimate story there.
8/10