Jawbox5 Tarzan is considered to be the final film of the 'Disney Renaissance'. It's hard to argue with that, as it was the studios last big box office hit and widely acclaimed film for a number of years. It is also a story that is perfectly tailored to Disney's style given its strong underlying themes and emotive characters. Importantly it understands the key aspects within the story as it provides a lot of feeling and intrigue to what is a straight-forward story. Tarzan's parents are killed in the jungle, he is raised by apes and he later battles the feelings that he doesn't belong with them. It is rather bare when you look at it like that, but Disney knows that what is important is seeing these characters grow and change through the challenges put in their way. Tarzan (Tony Goldwyn) himself is near perfect. He's kind, he's curious, he's smart, but he is also very much human and makes mistakes in realising that. He is someone that we can get behind and care about. Seeing him grow throughout the film and become more ape- like whilst becoming less human is really engaging. You do feel for him and connect with his struggle of getting his adoptive father to accept him as his own. I wasn't a fan of the stuff with the young Tarzan, but once he gets older the story keeps on becoming more interesting as we see Tarzan questioning who he is.The other characters are good too. Jane is just fantastic. She takes such joy from the little details, has plenty of funny moments and Minnie Driver does a superb job. Plus I found the romance between her and Tarzan very believable, more than I can say for many Disney efforts. Kala (Glenn Close) is nicely sympathetic and her bond with Tarzan is well developed, while Karchak has legitimate reasons for his hostility and Lance Henriksen is excellent as always. Clayton is a slightly weak villain and another who is just after money (which is a bit of a cop-out), but Brian Blessed's booming voice gives the character something of an edge. The professor (Nigel Hawthorne) gets some funny lines too. The animation is just spectacular. To see Tarzan effectively surf across the trees and vines is wonderful to see. What impresses me is how well the animation flows because at times it moves so quickly, especially in those surfing scenes. The jungle setting lends itself to some creative visuals too. There's some fabulous action sequences too that are always full of energy and really suspenseful, especially with the climax. The story is told relatively serious which is a suitable for a story like this. The comic relief can feel out of place but it is mostly kept to a minimum and most of the humour simply comes from the situations.The music is simply brilliant. I'm not a big fan of Phil Collins, but the songs here are really good songs and the lyrics perfectly convey the emotions that Tarzan is going through like they should. 'Two Worlds' and 'Strangers Like Me' are especially good. They might get in the way for some, but for me they were really impressive and never felt out of place. Of course the film isn't without flaws. Though Tarzan's dilemma is addressed, I would have liked to see the film look deeper into his problems. I also found characters like Terk (Rosie O'Donnell) rather annoying and not really needed. Plus I wish the cheetah that killed Tarzan's parents was given more of a story, he could have been a great obstacle for Tarzan to overcome given the personal history.Tarzan is a very impressive piece from Disney and it knows exactly where to keep its focus. It crafts a character that the audience cares about and puts him through a journey that we want to see the outcome of. I enjoyed how serious the story was kept and how the relationships between the characters felt real. It isn't perfect and stumbles at times, but its heart is always in the right place and when it works it is frequently brilliant. I like the characters, the animation is just great and the music is really effective. Tarzan is a worthy take on a well-known story, frequently striking a chord and doing what Disney do best.

Python Hyena Tarzan (1999): Dir: Chris Buck, Kevin Lima / Voices: Tony Goldwyn, Minnie Driver, Lance Henriksen, Glenn Close, Rosie O'Donnell: Gloriously animated Disney film told for the umpteenth time. Tarzan's parents are killed by a leopard but he is saved by gorillas and raised among them. The mother gorilla hopes to use Tarzan as a replacement for the young she lost to the leopard but the chief silverback objects. Eventually Jane enters the story along with her father and a deceitful poacher. Setup works but payoff is never surprising. What truly works against it is the use of violence. Tarzan faces off against the leopard with a gleaming machete leaving parents with much to discern their children about. Directed by Chris Buck and Kevin Lima with colourful animation. Many of the voice talents are subdued in stereotypes but Tony Goldwyn gives personality to Tarzan in a manner that works. Minnie Driver steals scenes as the hilarious voice of Jane in an otherwise predictable role. Other roles are mere Disney stereotypes that we have seen countless times. Lance Henriksen voices the strict silverback who wants nothing to do with Tarzan. Glenn Close voices the mother gorilla who wants everything to do with Tarzan. Rosie O'Donnell voices a junior gorilla who is friends with Tarzan because making friends within its own species makes too much sense. Faithful version does little more than animate the recycled. Score: 5 / 10

The_Light_Triton From 1989 to 1999, Walt Disney studios created some of the most amazing, mind-blowing animated movies of all time. From the little mermaid to beauty and the beast, from Aladdin to the lion king, from Pocahontas to Hercules, and finally, Mulan to Tarzan, these movies still hold their staying power to today. However, Tarzan was the last of these films, from the period known as the Disney Renaissance. Disney remains a popular animation studio in the public eye, but no one could deny how popular they were throughout the 1990s.Tarzan itself is based upon the novels by Edgar Rice Burroughs and the movies from the 1930s. Tarzan is a baby who loses his parents, and is adopted by a family of gorillas, who raise him up as their own.For a Disney film, this one is one of the best. For a renaissance film, It's not the best of them. I still like to say that the first 2 (The Little Mermaid & Beauty and the Beast) were the best. I know that some Disney fans would chew on me for not saying The Lion King, but that's just my personal preference.I still think it's a great movie, worthy of being part of the collection of Disney's best.9/10

Robert Thompson (justbob1982) Version: UK bluray releaseActors: 7/10Plot/script: 5/10Photography/visual style: 6/10Music/score: 4/10Overall: 6/10Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan has become a very cinematic legend over the century since his first story was published but, for me, the Disney version comes during one of the dips in the quality of their output. Their initial Golden Age ended with the Jungle Book, followed by a revival during the 80s and 90s. More recently, they've come back to the top again with The Princess and the Frog, Tangled and Frozen.It's interesting that both the directors of Tarzan were involved with this latest renaissance: Chris Buck co-directed Frozen (with Jennifer Lee), and Kevin Lima got it all started with Enchanted, which re-assessed the glittering Disney back-catalogue, and came away with an attitude that was affectionate, yes, but not actually reverential. Sadly, there is little evidence in Tarzan of that healthier relationship with the legacy.The setting is a problem, for me. I grew up with Disney films that each had a distinctive setting, be it Arabia or under the sea. However, The Jungle Book had already covered, erm, jungle, and The Lion King had done Africa. An adult perception says that the African jungle is distinct from both of these, but Disney are not about adult, subtle distinctions.Another problem with Tarzan is the soundtrack. I found Phil Collins' voice dull and detached throughout, and when I bothered to tune into the lyrics, they just explained what I could already see was going on on-screen, thus making them pointless. Okay, they got Elton John in to make good songs for The Lion King, and there are versions sung by him, but they are distinctly poorer in my book, and in the main film I am glad they stuck with the cast as singers.The animation is pretty good for the period, especially in the sequences where Tarzan is racing through the branches... although they are also suspiciously reminiscent of a roller-coaster ride, coming from the company that must always be on the lookout for new Disneyland attractions. The movements of Tarzan and his ape 'family' are also well-observed, I was pleased to note.Such a shame, then, that the character of Tarzan himself (as voiced by Tony Goldwyn) is so unengaging. I'm not sure why it is; he certainly has enough character drama, what with an identity crisis and overall coming-of-age in classic film style. Maybe it's because they have set aside the traditional Tarzan symbol of masculinity in favour of something more vulnerable and adolescent; a defensible choice, but one that requires real attention to detail to instigate. He just didn't quite grab me... in stark contrast to his love interest, Jane (Minnie Driver). Driver was at the height of her powers back in 1999, and brings to the role the confidence of an actress in charge of her destiny. She has so much more screen magnetism and, quite frankly, I would have preferred it if she had just been the main character throughout. Maybe Tarzan's development would have been more interesting through her eyes.Oh, and TWENTY-ONE story writers! What's that all about? There's barely enough story here for one writer, once you take out the contributions of Burroughs and the screenwriters. It would appear that they just gave a writing credit to everyone who did some work on designing the characters or settings. Office politics, I guess.For my full review, see my independent film blog on Blogspot, Cinema Inferno: http://cinemainferno-blog.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/tarzan-1999.html