Tarzan the Worst
I hate to admit it, but I actually saw this POS in a theater when it was originally released. Halfway through, a woman in the balcony shouted "This is the worst movie I have ever seen!". Best review ever.
shareIt was actually a modest hit in 1981 but, surprisingly, there was no sequel. It would've been interesting to see O'Keeffe's Tarzan develop as a character and his relationship with Jane. But maybe John and Bo accomplished everything they intended to with this film and found the idea of a sequel superfluous.
The movie takes its time in telling its story; by contrast, 1998's "Tarzan and the Lost City" hurriedly jumps from one sequence to the next with hardly any room to breath. They're both Tarzan films but from two completely different approaches. I viewed them both back-to-back a few years ago and it's an interesting comparison.
One aspect of the film is outstanding and that's Tarzan's kinship with the various animals. An excellent example is the innocent playfulness of Tarzan, Jane and the orangutan in the closing scene.
Also, Richard Harris is worthy of note because he gives the role all his heart and is convincing. Despite his constant (and loud) blathering he does have some interesting insights -- like the importance of living life to its fullest and the humility to turn to God when he's totally spent (and it works!). In other words, the film isn't just mindless adventure; it features some gems to chew on.
"Tarzan the Ape Man" is a unique Tarzan film and worth it for the sense of awe -- the marvels of nature, the amazement of animals, the beauty of the (fit) human form and the wonder of (true) sexuality.
I haven't seen this movie since it was released, but was it an orangutan? Because orangutan don't live in Africa. They are from southeast Asia.
shareIt was an orangutan; the film wasn't shot in Africa, but rather Sri Lanka and the island of Seychelles, 1500 miles SW of Sri Lanka.
shareTypical. I'm not picky about small details, but, at least in my view, an orangutan supposedly in Africa bothers me.
shareOne of ERB's Tarzan books featured an orangutan or two -- "Tarzan and the Foreign Legion" -- but the events took place in Sumatra.
Next time you see "Tarzan the Ape Man" check out the elephants, they're Asian elephants.
Ah, I haven't seen that in years. It wouldn't surprise me. As I understand (and it may be apocryphal) Indian Elephants are more easily trained than African Elephants.
I will look for that.
Yes, that's true, which explains why filmmakers used Asian elephants with fake African elephant ears in "Tarzan and his Mate" (1934) and no doubt other Tarzan flicks as well.
share