Disney’s The Jungle Book (1967) (Movie Review)

     Earlier this year, I reviewed Disney’s live action 1994 film titled “Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book”. In that post, I noted that all my child hood fondness for “The Jungle Book” began with that movie, as I was somewhere between three and four years old. While it admittedly strayed from the source material, it’s still my favorite movie to bare the title. Truthfully, it wasn’t until years later, around the age of seven or eight that I discovered Disney’s more famous 1967 animated classic “The Jungle Book”. No joke, whenever someone mentioned Disney’s “The Jungle Book”, I always thought they were talking about the live action 90’s film. Well, I eventually came around to watching the animated original, and … even though I liked it back when I was a kid, I always found it a little underwhelming. There were certainly things I loved in the film, namely some of the characters, as well as some catchy tunes, but the experience just never stuck with me as anything really special either. Looking back as an adult … I still find it a mostly okay film, but I did discover more things I liked about it then I did as a kid. This was the studio’s 19^th animated picture, and it’s often cited as the last film to receive Walt Disney’s personal touch before his untimely passing. Because of this, “The Jungle Book” has always stood out among Disney purists as … maybe not one of the absolute best, but certainly one of the most special.

     Things start strong as the movie begins with an excellent opening credit sequence. 

As the title’s role, we get sketchy details of several locations in the jungle, including ancient ruins, and intimidating landscapes. The imagery is all set to this chillingly atmospheric music tempo, which sets the mood for a mysterious, yet exciting excursion into this Jungle setting. It’s actually the closest the film ever gets to capturing the spirit and tone of the original source material. Events take shape with an abandoned human baby, who’s discovered by a noble black panther named Bagheera. This is the kind of character who would much rather keep to his own business, but he’s got such an honest heart that he just can’t turn away from his responsibilities. While he’s not my absolute favorite character of the movie, he’s arguably the most dignified of the bunch. So, along with the aid of a pack of wolves, Bagheera raises the child into a young boy, who adorns the name Mowgli. As time goes on, Mowgli finds himself more connected to the jungle, yet his family animals know deep down that one day he’ll have to return back to his own kind. Then, the looming danger of a bloodthirsty tiger named Shere Khan escalates the need to get Mowgli back to the safety of a far-off man-village. The big issue with the plan is that Mowgli has become so attached to the jungle that he refuses to leave it, and after meeting his sergeant “papa bear” named Baloo, it makes things all the more difficult to leave.

    When compared to the original Rudyard Kipling books, this version is obviously a lot goofier, and lighter in tone. None of the dramatic themes or ideas really carry over, and it goes for a simple, cheerful experience, which is fine, but it’s almost a little too derivative for its own good. This may seem like an odd comparison, but I always felt that this version of “The Jungle Book” follows the same basic formula of “Alice in Wonderland”. 

In the case of both animated Disney films, it’s less about telling a story, and more about following a single human character on a journey through a unique setting, and have varying encounters with some colorful characters along the way. In one scene Mowgli might encounter a group of elephants lead by the pompous Colonel Hathi, and after spending some time with them, they march off and disappear from the movie altogether … as if they were never there. In another scene, Mowgli might be having a swinging party with a group of monkeys, lead by a very goofy fellow named King Louie, and when it’s done, they too disappear from the film … as if they were never there. That’s the basic layout of the film, Mowgli will be walking aimlessly through the jungle, encounter someone unique, and then he’s off walking again until he bumps into the next colorful character. In essence, Mowgli has always felt less like a character to me, and more like an avatar for the audience to inhabit, as we go on a walkabout in this colorful jungle setting, and meet all these entertaining characters. The down side is that, when compared to the aforementioned “Alice in Wonderland”, that film at least had a human child that I cared for, felt concerned for, and had an end goal I wanted to see her reach. See, when I connect with my figurative avatar, a feel the experience is all the more rewarding for it. By contrast, I never connected to Mowgli, and found him more annoying then not. 

     However, where Mowgli leaves much to be desired, his sergeant father figure Baloo completely makes up for it. Personally, along with The Genie from “Aladdin”, Baloo has a secure place in my nostalgic heart as one of my all-time favorite animated Disney characters. Aside from being the popular figurehead of the movie, he also has the most meaningful character arc in the film. Baloo is a lax, living a completely carefree life, that is … until he finds someone he genuinely cares for. Despite his careless nature, he absolutely has a heart of gold at the center, and such a positive personality as a result. There’s just something incredibly warm and optimistic about Baloo that makes him a sheer delight whenever he’s on screen. By the end of the film, while he still maintains his cheery persona, Baloo has also grown into a different person then he was in the opening. He’s someone more mature, but still just as positive and fun as ever. The real strength of Baloo is the late voice actor Phil Harris, who in my opinion was Disney’s greatest reoccurring vocal talent. Every animated Disney character voiced by Phil Harris ranks among my absolute favorites, because he had a distinct charm and style that could never be duplicated. Baloo is naturally the most famous Disney character he ever voiced, and it’s his charm and charisma that adds so much appeal to the character. Many of his lines were improvised, like when he’s training Mowgli to fight, and he playfully says “You better keep circling, or I’m going to knock your roof in one more time” ... and it’s little touches like that which make me love this character.   

   I should also note that I’ve loved Tigers my whole life, so having one as the main antagonist of this movie gives Shere Khan an easy hook as a memorable Disney villain from my childhood. While he admittedly isn’t present in the movie until the third act, he still owns every moment he’s on screen. He’s intimidating, but he doesn’t show off, and I just love how chill and laid back he is. Whenever Shere Khan engages someone, it’s always a slow burn leading into his more savage attacks, and that for me is when villains are at their best. Truthfully, my favorite moments with him are when he’s just talking with other characters. He casually smiles and nods, but you just know he’s got everything mapped out in his head, and he’s just savoring the build-up for when he makes his move. Once again, I have to give credit to the late voice actor George Sanders, who was one of the classiest actors of his decade, and his juicy talents really carry over into his vocal performance for Shere Khan. Of course, he was just fresh off of playing Mr. Freeze in the 60’s Batman series, and if you can portray my favorite Batman villain with both class and dignity, then you’re a winning choice for a villain role. 

    One thing that never clicked with me was the overall Jungle setting, as it just felt very average, especially when the opening built this place up as something really absorbing and atmospheric. Even the animation seems kind of sketchy when compared to Disney’s earlier animated offerings. For instance, “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” came out over two decades earlier, yet the animation in that film still looks stunning to this day, with captivating colors and lots of detail. 

The overall design of “The Jungle Book” just never looked complete to me, with visible pencil sketches, and a fairly basic color scheme. I will say that the animation of the characters is very lively, energized, expressive, and certainly helps to keep things visually engaging. Aside from that, the films biggest appeal comes from individual highlights. My favorite scene of all is the whole segment with King Louie, as his song “I Want to be like you” is the liveliest musical number of the whole film, and it contains the best improvised lyrics from the cast. Also, the ensuing action scene with Mowgli and his friends escaping Monkey City is a lot of fun, thanks to some well-placed comedy, and it’s considerably more fast paced then most other scenes in the film. As a side note, it's hard to imagine the line-up of Jungle Book characters without King Louie, but it may surprise you to know that he was never in the original book. The monkey kidnaping Mowgli was certainly lifted from the source material, but they never had a leader. King Louie was then created as an original character for the film to give the monkeys a leader, and now it's hard to picture any Jungle Book adaption without him. Also, both the Vultures and village girl were original characters created for this film, but I'll get to them in a minuet.

    Another difference from the original book is the giant snake Kaa, who originally was one of Mowgli's closest friends and mentors, just like Baloo and Bagheera. Of course, in the Disney movie, he's changed into the secondary villain of the film, and his encounters with  Mowgli make for more enjoyable highlights. This is another memorable character, who’s both goofy and kind of a looser, yet there’s still something unnerving, and predatorial about him. His song “Trust in Me” comes off as average in presentation, but thematically it’s actually one of the darkest of all the Disney villain songs. It’s a song that highlights the creepy concept of “stranger danger”, and why kids shouldn’t be so open to excepting candy from questionable figures. Also, the visual design of Kaa is one area in which the animation of the film really shines. Of course, everyone loves to point out that Kaa is voiced by Sterling Holloway, the same talent most famous for voicing Winnie the Pooh ... which is a hilarious contrast. Actually, it gets a little surreal with Mowgli being voiced by Bruce Reitherman, the same kid who would voice Christopher Robin. Hearing those two distinct character voices in these roles just amuses me to no end, especially if you dub their lines over the Winnie the Pooh characters. Just to round up the similarities, Bagheera and subsequently the film’s opening narrator is voiced by Sebastian Cabot, who would also be the narrator of “The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh”. At this point, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Disney studio kept their vocal talents stored in a closet.

   Unfortunately, it’s around the third act when the films formula gets tired, and I start losing interest. Every time Mowgli wanders into the barren lands and meets those goofy vultures, I always find myself getting bored. The location is dull, and those goofy birds are just very dated products of the time, as their clearly modeled after a barbershop quartet, and their singing just never did anything for me. Even the climactic showdown with Shere Khan is a bit of a letdown, especially with all the exciting build-up to this confrontation. It’s just a basic scuffle in this boring setting, and the fighting is no different from the goofy antics during the monkey scene, except less fun. Even Shere Khans defeat is kind of embarrassing. For as bad as the animated sequel “The Jungle Book 2” got, I could at least give that film credit for setting its climax in the ruins of an ancient temple, which made for an exciting set piece. Another little detail that always bugged me was that Bagheera wasn’t present during any of the battle, and it would have been awesome to see these two mighty jungle cats go at it. Now I do love when Bagheera arrives on scene and gives his little speech in memory of their fallen friend Baloo, who’s sneakily still alive and listening to every word. The payoff to this joke cracks me up every time, and it’s easily the highlight of the whole finale.   

    I suppose the last thing I should talk about are the songs, which in this film range from catchy and hum-able, to boring and forgettable. None of the songs provided by either the elephants (“Dawn Patrol”) or the vultures (“We’re You’re Friends”) ever stuck with me. Of course, the most famous song “Bear Necessities” is what always comes to mind when people mention “The Jungle Book”. For me, Bear Necessities is every bit as annoying as it is delightfully nostalgic, so if falls somewhere in the middle for me. Aw … who am I kidding, I still love Bear Necessities, as it puts the spotlight on my favorite character, and it’s an easy “feel good” song when your having a down day. My favorite song surprisingly is “My Own Home”, which is sung at the very end by the little village girl, who “invites” Mowgli into her tribe. It’s a beautiful, majestic melody, with kind of a haunting tempo to boot, and I just love the duality of it. It’s almost like a Siren song, luring Mowgli in, and truthfully, there’s just something about that girls stair that I never trusted. All joking aside, this is a terrific scene, and after the lackluster climax, this dose close the film on a strong final note.  

    In the end, I still have humble feelings for “The Jungle Book”, even though it’s never ranked as high on the animated Disney totem pole for me. Speaking personally, this film will always loom in the shadow of its live action 1994 remake, but this still works as its own charming experience. It still has its fun moments, at least half of the songs have stuck with me, the villains are memorable, and Baloo still ranks high as one of my absolute favorite Disney characters. I don’t know if it’s aged as a big crowd-pleas-er, at least the same way it was back in it’s day, but it still has its place in animation history, and I think it’s endured better over the years then other animated offerings of its time. While this is probably my least loved of Disney’s three jungle themed films, it’s still a solid middle of the road picture. Not exactly one of the greatest, certainly not one of the worst, but a comfortable middle ground experience.

Thanks for reading my review of Disney’s 1967 classic “The Jungle Book” ... and continue to enjoy whatever movies you Love!  

Disney’s Tarzan (1999) (Movie Review)

  When it comes to Disney’s animated works, their usually associated with fairy-tales, or at the very least a setting that fits in with “once upon a time”. Yet, every now and then the studio will produce a film with a unique setting, one that’s outside of the familiar. Sometimes it can be an excursion into the wonders of nature, as scene in animated films like “Bambi” and “Brother Bear”. What I really want to single out are Disney’s three animated outings into a jungle setting, which are “The Jungle Book”, “The Lion King” and “Tarzan”. I’ve always looked back on these three as Disney’s jungle trilogy, which separate themselves from Disney’s more traditional setting, yet still fit right in with the best of their animated offerings. With the release of Disney’s live action remake of “The Lion King” upon us, I wanted to dedicate this month to reviews of all three animated jungle ventures, and give my personal thoughts on them. Of the three, it’s Disney’s 1999 animated picture “Tarzan” that’s stuck with me the most as a personal favorite. Based on the novel “Tarzan of the Apes” by Edgar Rice Burroughs, this was a generations introduction to the classic source material, which is something that Disney specializes in. Obviously, Tarzan has had countless movies before and after, but for me, and many kids from my generation, we’ll always look back on this film as our introduction to him. This was the studios 37^th animated feature, and it subsequently marked the end of an era, the great Disney renaissance of the 1990’s that initially took shape with “The Little Mermaid”. As such, “Tarzan” marks a meaningful chapter in the studio’s legacy, and was one of the more successful films of it’s time. In fact, it was the best received sense the high standards set by its predecessor “The Lion King”.   
    

  The best thing about this movie by far is it’s ten minuet long opening sequence, in which we see the origin of how Tarzan came to be. Literally, everything from the opening title card, leading up to the first spoken line of dialogue is outstanding, and easily one of my favorite segments from any Disney film. The way everything is shot, edited and scored is just bursting with energy, and it gets me hooked every time. 

We see a family comprising of two parents and an infant boy shipwreck off the coast of an uncharted rain-forest. While they succeed in building their own private tree house, the parents meet a tragic end at the claws of a blood thirsty leopard named Sabor, leaving the baby orphaned. The leopards hunt continues as it stocks a nearby family of Gorla’s, and claims the life of an infant, leaving the parents without a child. The two broken families come together when the female gorilla named Kala discovers the human baby, and takes him in as her own son, giving him the name Tarzan. The beauty of this opening is that it’s all told through visual storytelling, in which lengthy scenes like Kala discovering the baby are brought to life just through the animation and character expressions, with no spoken dialogue. I’ll admit that the opening might have been even stronger if the song “Two Worlds” was replaced with an instrumental music track, as visual storytelling is best conveyed without hearing a human voice … even one that’s singing. Still it works, and truthfully, it’s my favorite song of the whole film. Years pass, and Tarzan becomes the honorary defender of the Gorilla’s family herd. Things change upon the arrival of a group of humans, and most specifically the arrival of a young woman named Jane, who not only wins his heart, but also teaches him the ways of the human world. This is when the central conflict of the movie takes shape, as Tarzan now finds himself conflicted between where he really belongs … with the humans or the apes.  

  Honestly, a part of me wishes that the film continued its method of visual storytelling and no dialogue, at least until the arrival of the human characters. That’s not to say the first act of the movie is week, just a pinch familiar as we see the young Tarzan trying to fit in, and win the approval of his sergeant father, a gorilla named Kerchak. There are some great individual moments like when we see young Tarzan covering himself in mud, and questioning why he’s so different. His turmoil and internal conflicts are also highlighted effectively, but once again, I feel that a longer run time could have explored his arc a little more. 

The one downside is that most of his childhood focuses on his mischievous ventures with his friends, when it could have given us more development of his character before transitioning into his adult years. Personally, I think the film could have benefited from a two-hour run time, just to let some scenes play out with a little more emotional weight. I really would have liked to see Tarzan make more of a connection to his ape father before the arrival of the human characters, and there was a perfect opportunity for them to talk and connect just before he gets drawn into the human world. Never the less, Tarzan’s arc in the film is still effective enough, and he proves a strong lead character. He shows all the aggressive animal behaviors one would expect, but he also has the curious wide-eyed innocence that allows the audience to connect with him. He’s a character that really lends himself to the world of animation more than most other Disney heroes, as so much of Tarzan's character comes from how he emulates other animals. While a live action actor can capture a similar performance, it would also be physically demanding to pull off the same range and energy as conveyed in the animation.

   With our hero taken care of, lets shift over to … my favorite character of the whole movie. 

Jane may not be a popular Disney princess, but I’d absolutely place her among my personal top 3 leading ladies. She’s irresistibly lovable, spirited, stern, has one hell of an attractive British accent, and sets a great example of a damsel done right. Seriously, not every female lead has to be a strong fighter, they just need to be interesting or charming, and that’s exactly what Jane is. So much of Jane's personality can be credited to voice actress Minnie Driver, as she put so much of herself into the role, and even added some character traits that weren’t even in the script. It also makes sense that she’d need rescuing, as she’s out of her element, but she also contributes as both the emotional center and the educator for Tarzan. On that note, while the romance between Tarzan and Jane isn’t exactly layered, they do still convey a lot, and share some wonderful scenes. Their first meeting is one of the best sequences of the movie behind the opening, it’s shot beautifully, has a sense of hummer, and the moment takes it’s time for Tarzan to sink-in his first interaction with another human. I love how he takes her glove off, feels a human hand for the first time, and it’s just a genuinely sweet moment that sets a connection with very little actually being said. I also love the moments of Tarzan teaching Jane the ways of the ape world, as it plays to the humorous sides of both characters, and really highlights their chemistry.     

  Now, it’s tradition for these jungle themed Disney ventures to feature a villain that comes in the form of a deadly jungle cat. As established in the opening, the initial antagonist for Tarzan is the ravenous leopard called Sabor, who is absolutely awesome. Every time she comes on screen, she’s intense, exciting, intimidating, and feels like a genuine threat for our heroes to face. I like that she doesn’t have a voice, she’s just an impulsive animal, but still conveys some subtle traits of character. Her connection to our heroes is also layered, deep, and it sets her up as a perfect foe for Tarzan to face. Unfortunately, my one and only real issue with this film is that Sabor is taken out of the movie way too soon, and replaced with a human villain, who really isn’t as cool by comparison. The nefarious hunter named Clayton spends the movie playing along as a friend, only to betray everyone in an effort to make money off of the Gorilla’s. It’s a boring motivation, and his betrayal isn’t that effective, as we all know what this guy is, and we’re just stuck waiting for him to make his move. I do like that his color scheme is yellow, which at least parallels with Sabor. I'll even give him credit that he does at least convey some charm and charisma, like when he manipulates Tarzan or the other people around him. Also, I’d never turn down a solid vocal performance from Brian Blessed of “Flash Gordon” fame … “Gordon's Alive”.

  Tarzan’s mother Kala is voiced by Glenn Close, and in my view, she’s the greatest mother character from any animated Disney film. So much of the heart and soul of the film comes from this character, and Glenn Close just infuses her with this warm and humble presence. Who would have guessed that the actress who portrayed the most popular film version of Cruella De Vil would make for such a loving mother? She’s also quiet the bad ass parental figure, as she stands up to her enraged husband, and in the opening we see her rescuing a baby from a savage predator. Lance Henriksen, famous for playing the android Bishop in “Aliens”, voices Tarzan’s step father Kerchak, and he’s got the perfect voice for a Silver-back Gorilla. While he’s not a villain, Kerchak provides Tarzan with the biggest emotional challenge, and while it’s effective, I think the movie could have given us more between the two.

   One of the more lovable additions to the film is Janes father Professor Porter. 

His mannerism may give the impression that he’s clueless, but on the contrary, he’s actually quiet smart. He’s just extremely excited, and has the heart of a child. He’s voiced by the late Nigel Hawthorne, who was a great talent with many Oscar nods on his resume, but I’ll always remember him best for his contributions to Disney animation. In fact, he had previously done voice work on Disney’s “The Black Cauldron”, but his role as Professor Porter is absolutely my favorite. Sadly, this was Nigel Hawthorne’s last big role before his passing a mere two years after “Tarzan” premiered. Along with the humorous interactions between our two leads, I think Professor Porter supplies some of the film’s best comedy. Unfortunately, there’s more comedic side characters, who aren’t exactly annoying, but I just never felt that they contributed that much either. Wayne Knight was one of my favorite comedians of the decade, but he’s given a thankless role voicing a timed elephant named Tantor. Again, he’s not bad, it’s just that the character is so one-note that anyone could voice him. Now I did like this character as a baby elephant, and I really wish he was Tarzan’s only child friend. At last we have Rosie O’Donnell voicing Tarzan’s closest ape friend Terk, who’s mildly annoying at first, and then she’s sidelined with nothing useful to contribute. Truthfully, this is the one character I feel could have been completely removed and we wouldn’t have lost anything.  

  Let’s talk about a special artist named Mark Mancina, as his instrumental music for “Tarzan” is another key ingredient that adds to the strength of the film. Not only does it add a great deal of excitement to the action, but it also enriches the setting with a majestic jungle atmosphere. Along with Hans Zimmer’s music for “The Lion King”, this is one of my favorite Disney music scores. As for the songs in “Tarzan”, well … their an acquired taste. Unlike all the other animated movies from the Disney Renaissance, “Tarzan” contains songs, but it’s certainly no musical like its predecessors. Whereas the other movies had actual musical numbers, this movie has energized montages, played over with songs performed by pop star Phil Collins. Speaking personally, this soundtrack only adds to the nostalgia and identity of “Tarzan”, to the point where I couldn’t imagine this movie the same way without them. Both the songs “Son of Man” and “Strangers like Me” have always stood out as personal favorites. In fact, whenever this movie enters my subconscious, I always find myself humming the lyrics to those two. There’s also one stand-out musical number in the form of “Trashing the Camp”, which is both bouncy and fun. Most importantly, this song gives us an amusing incite into the world of the apes, as mere noise and the sounds of destruction come off as cause to us, but exciting musical tempos for them.

  Then of course there’s the big Academy Award Winning original song “You’ll be in my Heart”, which is commonly praised, but it’s regrettably not a house hold title. Fun fact, at my sister’s wedding, this was the song my brother-in-law danced to with his mother, so it’s always been a favorite song of our families. It’s just a touching, soft rock baled that serves as the perfect melody for when the infant Tarzan is adopted. Describing a mother’s love while transcending differences was so emotional that for 19 weeks it topped the adult contemporary charts, and along with its Oscar win, it also won the Golden Globe award for best original song. My only issue with this song is that, in the movie, the song is initially sung by Glenn Close as the mother Kala, but then she’s abruptly switched out by Phil Collins, and that always kills the moment for me. Personally, I think this scene would have been so much more emotional if it had just been Glenn Close singing all the way through, and shelve Phil Collins until the end credit version. Like, it made sense for him to sing the other songs, but this was something deep that connected two principle characters, and thus, it should only be sung by those characters.   

  One of the films greatest accomplishments is the animation on display, like, it’s still impressive all these years later. Keep in mind that the computers used in the making of this film are “stone age” compared to what kids have in their bed rooms today. The visual design of Tarzan tree-surfing was a brilliant idea, and the things we see him do while interacting with the environment is very impressive. The colors pop on screen, and the design of the rain-forest is very subversive. Of Disney’s three jungle films, this one probably has the tightest setting, as it features less open space, and instead features its characters surrounded by giant trees, tall grass and lots of foliage on top of more foliage. Despite this, the rain-forest never once comes off as claustrophobic, as the environment is just so lively and atmospheric. The animators used a method called “The Deep Canvas” effect, in which lengthy scenes will feature characters moving though the environment, and all without the scene cutting away to a different shot. There are also deep tracking shots, in which the figurative digital camera would travel though this lush environment, you see all the details and it just makes the setting come to life.

   Along with the animation, “Tarzan” succeeds as the animated studios first legit action movie. Obviously previous films had some action highlights, but they still felt like they belonged in other categories. “Aladdin” was more of an energized musical, “The Lion King” was a coming of age adventure, “Hercules” was a goofy slap-stick comedy, and “Mulan” was a mostly grounded family drama. “Tarzan” from beginning to end is an action film, with a fast pace, lots of excitement, and some of the most thrilling action set-pieces featured in any of their animated films. Alongside Hercules battling the Hydra, Tarzan’s duel with Sabor is one of my favorite action highlights that’s not part of a Disney climax. I also love the Baboon chase, as it’s a perfect mix of excitement and some well-placed comedy. The figurative “camera work” on display during the action is bursting with energy, movement, and the fight choreography on display is on par with what live action has accomplished. In fact, many critics at the time were putting this film on the same influential action movie bar as “The Matrix”, which was another exciting hit that came out the same year.  
      

  Then we have our big action climax, which is the only piece of action that comes off as a bit mixed for me. Let me start by saying that I never approved of how all the internal struggles and conflicts in Tarzans character are quickly brushed aside for this forced finale. 

Basically, the chameleon finally reveals his true colors, and the nefarious Clayton attacks the gorillas with his band of armed brigands … and all with a single goal of making a shiny coin off their hides. It always felt like an excuse to close the movie with an exciting battle, and it comes at the coast of the film’s real conflicts. With that said, I’ve always loved the design of this sequence, as we have the cold-blue rain-forest backdrop clashing with the hellish red light emanating from the hunter’s flair guns. Even the comedy works really well during this battle, as it’s just funny enough without distracting from the intensity of the situation. The big showdown between Tarzan and Clayton is another mixed highlight. The staging during this duel is excellent, but what always takes me out of the fight is that Clayton himself just isn’t nearly as exciting an opponent as the previous animals Tarzan had tangled with. Look back at his tense duel with the leopard Sabor, as it featured two agile characters who were both equally adapted to the environment. This balanced out their strengths, and it just made for a nail-biting cat and mouse game. Clayton by contrast is out of his element during this fight, while Tarzan always has the home-field advantage. There’s actually a deleted scene in which their final duel was set on Clayton’s river boat, and it think it was far superior, both in setting, intensity and it featured our hero out of his element. In the plus column, this showdown builds to one of the greatest animated Disney villain deaths, and it’s subsequently one of the studios darkest moments.      

  Had the movie tweaked some details, given more focus on the emotional character ties, highlighted more of Tarzan's inner conflicts, dropped Rosie O’Donnell completely, and switched Clayton out with Sabor as the main villain, it could have easily ranked among my top five favorites to come from the studio. Regardless, “Tarzan” remains a personal favorite among Disney’s collective works, and it’s still my favorite of the animated studios three Jungle Adventures. The action is exciting, the two lead characters are lovable, the animation has aged remarkably, and a nostalgic soundtrack ties everything together in a nice bow. Aside from the movie, Disney’s "Tarzan" had other ways of impacting my childhood. I had a whole collection of the toy characters, PC games, books, and I’ll never forget the hours my sister and I spent playing the Tarzan videogame on the Nintendo 64 system. For the both of us back then, it was our favorite video game to be based off a movie. I’m sure that most would right off its more famous predecessor “The Lion King” as the superior film, and while that’s obviously a good one, it just never impacted my childhood the same way “Tarzan” did. It was something special that my sister and I grew up with together, and it’s stuck with us both as a family favorite all these years later.  

Thanks for reading my review of 1999's “Tarzan” … and continue to enjoy the movies you Love!