The concept of Tarzan has been one of those interesting cases where a story returns every so often for a retelling. This story despite not being the biggest franchise in history still racks up close to one hundred film entries dating all the way back to 1918 and most recently from 2017. However, the best or most widely remembered adaptation of the novel written by Edgar Rice Burroughs goes to Disney at the end of the 20th century. There's just something about how the film was marketed and produced that really struck something memorable about it with audiences. And again, when it comes to adaptations, there’s only so many ways one can tell a story over and over again without becoming overdone or repetitive, so there was much to consider how to make this particular piece standout from the rest.
The story is about two different families that merge, where a colony of gorillas led by Kerchak (Lance Henriksen) and Kala (Glenn Close) lose their newborn to the big cat Sabor. Meanwhile a stranded human baby is recovered by Kala later on and named Tarzan (Tony Goldwyn). Growing up isn’t easy for Tarzan as he isn’t like any of the other gorillas despite him behaving and carrying himself as one. That is until he crosses paths with explorers Jane (Minnie Driver) and her father Professor Porter (Nigel Hawthorne), headed by Clayton (Brian Blessed). This only intrigues Tarzan more but also splits him between who he really is vs where he belongs. The screenplay was penned by Tab Murphy, Bob Tzudiker and Noni White all who worked on Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996).
The directors to this feature were Chris Buck and Kevin Lima who were fairly new at the time in these roles. Lima had his first work in A Goofy Movie (1995). Later on these two would helm other projects like Enchanted (2007) and Frozen (2013). What makes this story so entertaining to watch are a number of factors. For one, the voice acting is top notch from all thespians. Audiences will be immediately drawn into Kala and Kerchak’s dilemma of adopting Tarzan. Both Close and Henriksen really bring on the emotion to their situation. Henriksen has a fantastic gruff voice for Kerchak while close is tender enough for Kala. Henriksen is known for many live-action roles but this proves he’s great as a voice actor too. Close has worked many times with Disney before, so this would be very familiar for her.
Tony Goldwyn who got his debut in Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986) also proves he can do voice acting even though this seems to be his only credit for that sort of role. Sharing that chemistry is Minnie Driver as Jane. Driver brings the right amount of class and comedy to the role and makes her quite likeable when she’s on screen with Tarzan. Brian Blessed as Clayton clearly displays the kind of character he will be from the start but either way, it’s how Blessed speaks that makes it fun to watch. There’s also voice roles from Wayne Knight as Tantor the elephant and Rosie O’Donnell as Terk both of which who add supporting comedy. The story itself about belonging and being open to sharing one’s being with others not like the themselves is important too.
There really isn’t much that’s wrong with the story other than minor nonsensical points that no regular audience member would think about. Like, Tantor leaving his family behind or how Tarzan knows how to speak ape and English. The visuals are beautiful to look at though. The animation is a mix between 2D and blended computer generated backgrounds that make Tarzan’s world feel much more immersive than other Disney films. Finally, the music is most likely the strongest point here. Composing the musical score was Mark Mancina who composed a fair amount of instrumental music and has recurring themes as well. But what drives it home are the songs written by Phil Collins. Songs like “Two Worlds” or “You’ll Be in My Heart” can be real tear jerkers. It’s a great blend of songs and score that doesn’t sound dated even today.
Other than super tiny details that wouldn’t mean anything to an average viewer, this film is very entertaining thanks to its film cast, captivating animation, strong story and emotional music.
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