To be fully invested into a particular character over the entirety of their life essentially is a difficult task to achieve, but Disney passes the test with flying colors with its leading character here. Tarzan is steeped in legend, and yet Disney somehow finds a way to make him unique from all other Hollywood interpretations. Tarzan is a far from perfect individual in this film, which makes him such an endearing figure. His curiosity is contagious, his bravery inspiring, and his fears cautionary. Even though he has lived his entire life in the jungle among gorillas, Tarzan is one of the most human characters Disney has ever created. Jane Porter is just as legendary, and Disney's version of this superb character is simply amazing. Minnie Driver provides the voice for Jane, and she deserves so much credit for her performance here. In an era filled with great female characters, Jane is one of Disney's most fascinating characters from the Renaissance. She is flawed, but that is exactly what drives her. Jane is not only my favorite character from Tarzan (spoiler alert for later, I know); she is one of my favorite characters in the history of Disney.
The supporting cast of characters are just as brilliantly brought to life too. Turk and Tantor are this film's scene-stealers, and the reason behind that is because Rosie O'Donnell and Wayne Knight give stellar performances. These two are downright hilarious while also exhibiting a fierce devotion to Tarzan, which is genuinely inspiring. Tarzan's mother, Kala, is also a spectacular character. Her characterization is heart-breaking and uplifting sometimes at the same time. Whenever she serenades Tarzan with "You'll Be In My Heart," I lose it every time (more on that fact later). Our villain, Clayton, is not the greatest bad guy in Disney history, but there are certainly worse villains in the canon. In the end, I do find myself wholly hating him, so I guess he did his job, right?
A review of Tarzan would not be complete without mentioning its songs. With one of the most unique soundtracks in Disney history, Tarzan features some of the best songs ever in a Disney film and some of my personal favorites. The opening number, "Two Worlds," is a phenomenal tone-setter as the story is introduced and progressed beautifully. The aforementioned "You'll Be In My Heart" is gut-wrenching, sweet, and sincere. "Son of Man" is the anthem played during my favorite scene from the film (spoiler alert again!). "Strangers Like Me" is one of the film's numerous highlights due to the characterization occurring within Tarzan and Jane while also being supremely entertaining. Finally, the "Trashin' the Camp" sequence is such a random delight. It is nearly impossible to get that beat out of your head after hearing it! Phil Collins and his music rivals the best in the Disney canon, deserving to be mentioned in the same breath as the soundtracks for Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King.
I am quite perplexed to why Tarzan is not widely considered one of Disney's best films. Now that I mention it, the entire second half of the Disney Renaissance deserves better. The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Hercules, Mulan, and Tarzan are sensational films that are some of the studio's best. Tarzan is a film that has everything you could want and expect in a Disney film. The characters are awesome, the animation is gorgeous, the songs are legendary, and the story is iconic. It challenges, inspires, and dares to also simultaneously entertain. Those are the characteristics of a classic Disney gem.
Rating: 10/10
Historical Significance: Tarzan is the final film from the remarkable Disney Renaissance. The Renaissance began in 1989 with the release of The Little Mermaid and concluded a decade later in 1999 with Tarzan. Ten films would be released by Disney during the decade as those films reached unprecedented critical and financial success for the studio. Tarzan became the last Disney film (short or full-length) to win an Academy Award (Best Original Song for "You'll Be In My Heart") until the short Paperman won for Best Animated Short in 2013. Many have often wondered what caused the Renaissance to conclude and force Disney to enter their worst creative stretch in history in the early to mid-2000's. While not every film from this next era is terrible (in fact, a few are quite classical), the overall consensus is that Disney literally lost the magic after the Renaissance for some reason. I propose two reasons. First, the rise of Pixar took the world, and Disney, by surprise. No one could have anticipated Pixar becoming this animation behemoth at the end of the Renaissance, but with the release of Toy Story 2 in 1999 and Monsters Inc. in 2001, they established themselves as a force to be reckoned with for years to come. I believe this caused Disney to focus more on Pixar rather than their own properties due to the financial gain. Secondly, I think Disney tried to focus too much on reaching males exclusively instead of sticking with the formula that was proven to work by reaching families. The early 2000's saw the release of such male-skewing films as Dinosaur, The Emperor's New Groove, and Lilo & Stitch, and while the latter two are fantastic films, it seems as if they gave Disney the license to continually move away from female-driven films and onward to the masculine films. Thus, they release such films as Chicken Little, Meet the Robinsons, and Bolt. Clearly, they have learned from their mistakes as the studio is currently experiencing a third Golden Age that began in 2009 with The Princess and the Frog (more on that in the coming weeks).
Behind the Scenes: The Disney Renaissance is widely known for its incredible music. It seems as if every Best Original Song Oscar was awarded to Disney in the nineties. Disney had began to develop a reputation for garnering a "showtune formula," meaning that the songs performed in their films are tailor-made for Broadway. Disney hired Phil Collins to write the songs for Tarzan in order to break the formula and show adaptability from the studio. Furthermore, animator Glen Keane has a son that loved skateboarding, and while watching his son skateboard, Keane was inspired to model Tarzan's movements after Tony Hawk, the world famous skateboarder. This is why Tarzan has the incredible ability to slide through the trees in addition to his vine jumping skills.
Favorite Character: In every adaptation of Edgar Rice Burroughs's novel, I find Jane Porter to always be such a fascinating character, and Disney's version is no different. The film really hits its stride when Jane arrives on the scene. She is intelligent, determined, and subtly hilarious. Her interactions with Tarzan are the highlights of the film, especially her first encounter with the Ape Man after being chased by a pack of baboons. Minnie Driver does an excellent job in bringing Jane to life in such a unique way. As Jane wrestles with the choice at the end of the film of staying with Tarzan or returning home to London, we can sense her mind racing a million miles a minute, attempting to solve this problem, and when she finally jumps off the boat and begins swimming to Tarzan, anyone with a soul will not be able to resist rejoicing for her.
Favorite Scene: The "Son of Man" sequence is a masterclass in musical storytelling. This scene is Tarzan's version of "Hakuna Matata" from The Lion King. The song begins with Tarzan as a young boy, similar to how Simba begins his number with Timon and Pumbaa. In the end, though, Tarzan has matured into a man that is a bonafide leader of the jungle. In a matter of minutes, Phil Collins and the animators have spanned numerous years with expert precision and entertainment. This growing up process never feels rushed or unauthentic. In fact, it feels like the perfect way to progress the story within this film. Collins deserves a ton of credit because if the song is lackluster, this scene simply won't work. However, because Collins delivers as he usually does in this film, it turns into one of Disney's finest scenes to date.
Favorite Song: "You'll Be In My Heart" will always turn me into an emotional wreck no matter how many times I have listened to it. Whether it is Kala's version of Collins's version, it doesn't matter; this is simply one of Disney's best songs and one of my personal favorites. It is such a tender and sweet number that virtually everyone can relate to. We all have those people in our lives that you immediately think about upon hearing this song. For most of us, as is the case with Kala and Tarzan, we think about our mothers or our own children, and the result is an experience unlike any other. That is the power of Disney music. With some simple lyrics, we are reduced to a puddle of tears. This song will forever be in my heart.Updated Ranking: All good things must end, and the Disney Renaissance is no exception. Tarzan ended this sensational decade on a high note, and that is why I rank it where I do.
- Beauty and the Beast
- The Lion King
- Aladdin
- The Little Mermaid
- Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
- The Hunchback of Notre Dame
- Peter Pan
- Cinderella
- The Jungle Book
- Sleeping Beauty
- Hercules
- Mulan
- Tarzan
- Pinocchio
- Lady and the Tramp
- The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
- Alice in Wonderland
- Dumbo
- Bambi
- 101 Dalmatians
- Pocahontas
- The Great Mouse Detective
- Fantasia
- The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad
- The AristoCats
- The Rescuers Down Under
- Fun and Fancy Free
- The Fox and the Hound
- Robin Hood
- Melody Time
- The Three Caballeros
- Saludos Amigos
- Oliver & Company
- The Rescuers
- The Sword in the Stone
- Make Mine Music
- The Black Cauldron
The Disney Renaissance has ended, but that doesn't mean that the Summer of Magic has ended! We still have some gems (and some missteps) to review! Tomorrow, Pixar gives the world its first sequel: Toy Story 2!
-Cody Fleenor
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