Bah humbug. The much lauded latest version is sexy for about three seconds and then settles into a monotonous rehash of a familiar tale.
The scope is glorious – vast open plains, spectacular river systems, threatening jungles (although few animals) – but the story is sheer Conrad and Heart of Darkness with director David Yates providing more than a passing reference to Coppola’s Apocalypse Now.
Sculpted Alexander Skarsgård has more than buffed for his role and Christoph Waltz (Spectre, Django Unchained) is typecast yet again as the sinister bad guy with the foreign accent – this time the Belgian colonialist looking to exploit the rich mineral resources.
The legend that is Tarzan has always struggled on the big screen (1984’s Greystoke with Christopher Lambert anyone?): the latest offering is no different.
Rating: 47%
Director: David Yates (Harry Potter, The Tichborne Claimant)
Writer: Craig Brewer (Black Snake Moan, Hustle & Flow), Adam Cozad (Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit) – based on the book by Edgar Rice Burroughs
Main cast: Alexander Skarsgård (Melancholia, What Maisie Knew), Margot Robbie (The Wolf of Wall Street, Z For Zachariah), Christoph Waltz (Spectre, Django Unchained), Samuel L. Jackson (Pulp Fiction, The Hateful 8)
An Opinion or Two 