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Film review: The Legend of Tarzan

MANILA, Philippines - If you include the animated films with his name in the title, there have been over 50 Tarzan films dating back to 1918 — and that’s a lot of screen time and reincarnations for our ever-popular Man from the Jungle.

The latest, Warner’s Legend of Tarzan, comes from director David Yates, who gave us the Harry Potter films (No. 5 to 8), and is once again based on source material coming from the pen of the original Edgar Rice Burroughs. It stars Alexander Skarsgård (best known for his work on the HBO series True Blood) as Tarzan, and Margot Robbie as Jane.

The potential for a more psychologically real Tarzan and a darker sense of conflict come in the form of the villain Tarzan has to face, Belgian Captain Leon Rom, as portrayed by consummate actor Christoph Waltz. A true historical figure who at one time may have served as Joseph Conrad’s inspiration for Kurtz in Heart of Darkness and was written about as The Butcher of Congo, the Rom we encounter in the Legend of Tarzan is, indeed, a villain of the highest order.

The plot revolves around Tarzan, having settled in England with Jane as Viscount Greystoke, being invited to act as an emissary of Britain’s House of Commons to visit King Leopold’s Belgian Congo.

Reputed to be one of the most violent excuses for imperialism, the Belgian colony was a hotbed of slavery and the exploitation of natural resources, and in this film’s case, raw diamonds. So with Jane insisting on accompanying Tarzan and joined by the omnipresent actor in most superhero films, Samuel Jackson as another true historical figure George Washington Williams; Tarzan is, in fact, ensnared by Rom to serve his own purpose, in the name of King Leopold. So at one level, this a pure revenge story, as one African chieftain is obsessed with bringing Tarzan back to Africa and ready to grant Rom all he wishes in exchange.

The rearing by apes, the entry of Jane in Tarzan’s life, his Doolittle-like ability to “talk” to the animals — these are all presented via flashbacks. The dominant thread plot-wise has to with the ugly face of colonization, the yoke of slavery and genocide, and how a romantic fictional character such as Tarzan can strike a chord for justice and fair play. That for close now to a century, the Tarzan figure continues to excite screenplay writers and moviegoers and is testament to the lasting magic and allure of such a notion of unconventional hero and savior.

So, what does this Legend of Tarzan bring to the table? By blending real historical figures and situations with Tarzan, we are treated to an adventure/fantasy alternative historical fiction. Of course, historical accuracy is jettisoned in favor of spinning a great yarn that requires constant suspension of disbelief. At times, there is a comic book-like exposition of the scenes and story; as in the case of G.W. Williams who keeps popping up after being left behind. What works is the earnest manner in which the story is relayed to us, the audience. And it succeeds when one is ready to see Tarzan as the original 19th-century superhero.