Legend Of Tarzan 2016 Series Of Short

Legend Of Tarzan 2016 Series Of Short

We do get to see how he became Tarzan, but it is told in a series of short flashbacks which, though brief, give the viewer an exciting and complete rundown on the history of our hero.

From a very early age, the adventures of Lord GreystokeJohn ClaytonLord of the ApesTarzan have enthralled me through countless books, movies, comics, and TV shows.

My earliest onscreen memory of the character would have to be Ron Elys small screen portrayal that ran on TV in the late 60s, which I caught on reruns.

I was immediately taken by this stoic hero raised by apes, a man who represented the best of humanity even though he was raised as an animal.

To see him swinging from vine to vine through the jungle was a joy, and when evil doers were doing their evil deeds, there was nothing as thrilling as hearing that iconic yell echo out across the treetops.

How many of us have used the line Me Tarzan, you Jane with a significant other, or mangled his famous cry while pounding our chest like an idiot To know Tarzan is to love him.

He doesnt have any super powers really, or a snappy wardrobe.

Hes just a man who stands up for those who are downtrodden, no matter what their species.

That means, with the exception of Disneys 1999 animated version, Ive been waiting more than 30 years to hear that famous cry in the cinema again.

The Legend of Tarzan had a budget of 180 million, an outstanding cast, the trailers looked great, and David Yates the director of the last four Harry Potter movies (which I loved) was behind the camera.

Big screen, high adventure that would bring back those tingly feelings of my childhood.

Enough talent and money to erase the memories of those low budget, 1990s syndicated TV shows that were far from quality.

I felt, honestly, that I was on the verge of something truly great.

As the movie opens, we find him settled down in England, seemingly quite comfortable in his role as the Lord of Greystoke Manor, a sprawling estate in a very foggy England.

This story begins with John Clayton (thats his birth name) already married to Jane (the always lovely Margot Robbie), his days of leaping about the treetops far behind him and his loincloth probably getting moth-eaten inside some ornate wardrobe secreted away in one of the many cavernous rooms of his castlemansion.

He doesnt smile much in the beginning, but he has his reasons.

He is obviously uncomfortable with his current celebrity status throughout the Kingdom and is still suffering from a huge personal loss that I will not reveal here.

When he is asked by some lords and ministers to return to the Congo region of Africa to aid in a political matter of huge importance to the realm, he politely turns them down.

With that, he leaves them to their own devices, and heads on back to his palatial digs.

Hes barely out the door when hes stopped by George Washington Williams (Samuel L.

Jackson), a wise-cracking American who had witnessed his refusal to return to his homeland, but manages to convince him otherwise with stories of Johns former countrymen being forced into slavery and other diabolical deeds.

After a bit of domestic squabbling with the missus about her staying behind which he insists on, but she is against John, Jane, and George are on their merry way back to the lands that birthed a legend.

Little do our intrepid trio realize, however, that trouble is awaiting in the forms of a devious Belgian named Leon Rom (Christoph Waltz) who has diamonds on the brain, and a vengeful tribal chief, Mbonga (Djimon Hounsou), who has a serious axe to grind with our hero.

I was genuinely intrigued with the approach the filmmakers took by starting the story with a world weary Tarzan reluctant to once again take up the mantle of Jungle Lord and avoiding a long rehash of an origin story that has already been told many times.

Legend Of Tarzan Movie 2016