The man once called "Tarzan", John Clayton III,
Lord Greystoke (Alexander Skarsgård), has long since left Africa behind and
settled down in London with his American-born wife, Jane Porter (Margot
Robbie), and has taken up both his birth name and ancestral family residence.
In the eight years since returning from Africa, Lord Greystoke's story as
Tarzan has become legendary among the Victorian public, although Lord Greystoke
himself wishes to leave the past behind him. Through the British Prime Minister
(Jim Broadbent), he is invited by King Leopold to visit Boma and report on the
development of the Congo by Belgium, though Greystoke politely declines the
invitation. An American envoy, George Washington Williams (Samuel L. Jackson),
who recognises John from the stories of "Tarzan", privately reveals
to him that he suspects the Belgians are enslaving the Congolese population,
and persuades him to accept the invitation in order to prove his suspicions. Jane
is disappointed when John tells her that she cannot come, as he believes the
trip to be too dangerous, remembering how both his parents died as a result of
the jungle's brutality following their shipwreck there - his mother of disease
and his father later killed by the Mangani apes - leaving the baby John to be
raised as Tarzan by his Gorilla "mother" Kala and "brother"
Akut. However, Jane reminds him that she grew up in Africa as well, and misses
her home. John relents, and allows Jane to accompany him.
John, Jane and Williams take the trip to the Congo. There,
the trio encounters a tribal village and villagers who knew John and Jane
during their stay in the jungle. Jane explains to Williams that her husband was
once considered an evil spirit by the African tribes, including that of Chief
Mbonga. She recalls how, when she was younger, she and her father lived in the
tribal village helping to care for local children. There she met Tarzan (made
feral and physically enhanced by his life with the apes) who shielded her from
a vicious gorilla attack, saving Jane's life but being severely injured in the
process. Jane took the injured Tarzan home, nursed him back to health, and the
two fell in love. That night, as the tribe sleeps, Rom and his mercenaries
attack the village and kidnap John and Jane and kill the tribe's leader. They
then escape to a nearby steamboat with Jane and several of the tribe's members,
but Williams is able to rescue John before he can be taken to the boat.
The above taken from Wikipedia.
This fabled tale has been retold in many versions but this is by far the most honest yet direct take on Tarzan, of his difficult transition from jungle to city life and his moving forward in life. It's more humane, more realistic but I find that Alexander was a little too stiff at times as Tarzan but eventually warmed up to the character in the end. They couldn't have cast a much better Jane. Margot was so realistically feisty and fits the character up to the nines! I truly enjoyed the dramatic events in the movie especially since it touched the most important life issue i.e. slavery.
Action wise, I like the swinging Tarzan! So fluid and free! It made me wish I could be as daring and free as Tarzan :-) Anyway, it's an impressive movie to watch if you want something heavy to digest with the historical background.
My rating: 3.5/5
IMDb rating: 6.4/10
Director: David Yates
Casts: Alexander Skarsgard, Margot Robbie, Christoph Waltz, Samuel L.Jackson, Djimon Hounsou
Category: PG-13; a 2016 American action adventure film
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