After directing the last four ‘Harry Potter’ blockbusters, David Yates decided to continue the magical saga with the ‘Fantastic Beasts’ series. In between, however, the Brit added his most mature film to date with ‘Legend Of Tarzan’. Alexander Skarsgård (“Godzilla Vs. Kong”) wasn’t the only character available to him as the title character. Featuring “Barbie” star Margot Robbie as well as Tarantino cult faces Samuel L. Jackson (“Pulp Fiction”) and Christoph Waltz (“Inglourious Basterds”), the other leading roles were also filled with top mimes.
“Legend of Tarzan“ will be shown today, February 10, 2024 at 10:55 PM on Saturday 1. There will be a repeat that same evening at 3:10 am. Alternatively, you can stream the film anytime as part of your Netflix subscription or treat yourself to (4K) Blu-ray, DVD or a paid video-on-demand of the FSK 12 title from Amazon & Co.:
“Legend Of Tarzan” on ProSieben: that’s the story
It’s been ten years since Tarzan (Skarsgård) left the African jungle to return to civilization. Now the aristocrat, who grew up among the apes, lives with his beloved Jane (Robbie) as the Earl of Greystoke in England. One day he is approached by the British Parliament. As special ambassador for trade issues, he must travel to the Congo Basin and regulate the country’s mining activities.
When he accepts after much hesitation, Tarzan does not know that he is only meant to be a pawn in a deadly intrigue of revenge and greed. High-ranking Belgian soldier Leon Rom (Waltz) is the mastermind behind the operation, which is intended to trap Tarzan and give him power and unprecedented wealth. But Rome and his local henchmen around Chief Mbonga (Djimon Hounsou) have no idea what they’ve gotten themselves into…
The many shades of the jungle hero
To date, more than 100 feature films have been released with and about the jungle hero of the American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs. The spectrum ranges from the silent film ‘Tarzan of the Apes’ (1918) to the twelve (!) iconic black-and-white adventures with Olympic champion Johnny Weissmuller to the dark ‘Greystoke’ with Christopher Lambert. There’s also Andy Warhol’s satirical-experimental “Tarzan And Jane Regained… Sort Of” and the Disney animated hit “Tarzan” with songs by Phil Collins.
As this short list suggests, the template obviously offers many possibilities for a wide variety of interpretations. ‘Legend Of Tarzan’ also offers a distinctive approach. Despite some bumps in the story, screenwriters Adam Cozad (“Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit”) and Craig Brewer (“Hustle & Flow”) found a very creative way to connect the fictional story to real historical events and personalities. She and director Yates also managed to transfer the veteran warhorse into the cinematic present.
As author Andreas Staben testifies in our solid three-star FILMSTARTS review, he is a superhero surrounded by myths, internally torn, but still gripping. Skarsgård embodies Tarzan with gentle, emphatic nobility and is as crucial to this visually stunning and entertaining African adventure as the largely convincing computer effects.
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