Tarzan (1999)

Tarzan (1999)

8/10

Starring the voices of

Tony Goldwyn
Minnie Driver
Rosie O'Donnell
Glenn Close

Directed by Chris Buck and Kevin Lima

When you sit down and watch Tarzan, you’ll understand why it’s one of the best movies to come out of Disney’s animation studio.
The film is the 37th in Disney’s Renaissance Era and stands out from the others in the era. While previous animations featured characters singing, here the music—provided by Phil Collins—plays alongside the action, with the characters reacting to the songs rather than singing them.

The movie’s plot follows a family—a couple and their infant son—who are shipwrecked and land in an African rainforest. They build a home and live peacefully until they are tragically killed by a leopard.
A gorilla named Kala hears the cries of the child and rescues him from the leopard. That’s how Tarzan becomes her son and grows up among the gorillas. He becomes strong and agile, able to swing through trees and perform feats no typical human could.

But Tarzan always knows he’s different from his gorilla family, lacking their fur and sharp teeth. Things change for him and the entire clan when he encounters Jane, her father, and their guide. Having never seen another human before, Tarzan is fascinated, but his excitement nearly gets him and his gorilla family killed.

The story is also a love tale, as Tarzan and Jane fall for each other. We watch Tarzan struggle to bridge the gap between his human side and his gorilla heritage, trying not to betray either.

This Disney adaptation of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Tarzan of the Apes was, at the time of its release, the first full-length animated portrayal of the man raised by apes. The movie won numerous accolades, particularly for Phil Collins’ amazing soundtrack, and the animation was beautifully executed. It also marked the end of an era, as Tarzan was the last film of the Disney Renaissance.

The animation was a critical and commercial success for Disney, but most of the praise went to the musical score. The soundtrack won an Academy Award for Best Original Song, a Golden Globe for Best Original Song – Motion Picture, and a Grammy for Best Soundtrack Album.
I still watched the animation recently, and I was amazed by how it is a timeless classic, capturing my attention, and making me sing along. Now that Disney has moved away from this animation style to the CGI, I do find myself sometimes missing this animation style. Tarzan is a keeper and worth owning to watch again and again.