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And if I needed a final straw to push me over onto the side of complete compliance then it would be Tarzan II. Fans had better prepare for an exciting new tale, full of jungle mayhem, great memorable songs and more than a few life lessons when they pick up this disc, 'cause that is just what Disney has delivered this time around. Featuring all your favorite characters from the first film, this time just a little bit younger, this feature is sure to please all those who cherish the original and make enough new fans like myself to ensure a Tarzan III...or II 1/2...or whatever they come up with next!
Here you will find an answer to those questions as a young Tarzan embarks on an adventure that will leave him and his entire gorilla family in danger of their lives, and the very jungle itself in danger of destruction. And it all starts with the legend of an ancient and frightening creature known as Zugor!
Tarzan and his friends spend some of their free time re-enacting an attack of this creature and testing their abilities to get away from its razor claws and large cyclops eye, but somehow Tarzan always seems a little lacking in his escape skills. Either he isn't fast enough, can't climb well enough or simply doesn't have the strength that it takes to escape from the imagined threat. In fact, he has been noticing quite a few things that he isn't as good at as the rest of the gorillas. What will happen if a threat ever does really present itself? Will he be able to save the animals he loves as family, or even save himself; or will he be more of a liability than a benefit?
No sooner does he leave then he runs into a deranged family of gorillas which have been banished to the far reaches of the jungle...held captive there now by a strange and terrible creature...a monster named Zugor! And if the Zugor itself wasn't threat enough for Tarzan, these crazed apes are not too pleased at the other gorillas who get to enjoy the wide open jungle and all of its comforts. Now Tarzan is the only one who can warn his family, fend off the angry apes and save himself from the dreaded Zugor; all with no help from anyone else.
But how will he find the willpower and the skills necessary to accomplish these things, when he doesn't even believe he has value or a place where he belongs? It won't be easy, that's for sure and Tarzan will need his old friends and a couple of new ones if he hopes to find his place in the world. As far as Disney lessons go, this is one of the less preachy, yet most impactful that I have seen to date.
Now, before I lose half of you with my new found sentiment, I would like to say that the rest of the film is awesome as well. There is plenty of humor and action throughout, and in fact it seems that once the film gets going there really isn't a moment's rest. While I am not a fan of the new computer assisted animation that has replaced the good old fashioned hand drawn stuff, I think that it adds something here during the frequent and frantic action sequences. The ability of a computer to keep images crisp an clear whilst moving across them at a rapid speed makes the whole screen light up when things really start cooking.
The voice talent does a great job as well rounding out the three basic parts of an animated feature: the animation, the acting and the story. George Carlin shows up in a very amusing role that somehow manages to infuse the rough and tumble comedian with a sense of humanity. In fact, it is hard to picture Carlin even acting the lines in a studio, let alone see them brought to life on screen. There are of course plenty of other stand-out voice actors, but watching a movie for who is in it is almost as bad as the recent trend of movies being sold through their soundtracks...so I'm not going to get into it too much. Suffice it to say that the actors have all earned their paychecks and each one adds to the tale as a whole.
My favorite extra feature, however, is Tarzan's Matter-Of-Facts which overlays fun Tarzan and jungle facts onto the film while you watch it. Imagine Pop Up Video for a feature film and you will get what this one is all about. I like when Disney includes this sort of extra because it give you a reason to watch the film twice, and is good for watching when you can't really pay attention to the story (people visiting, etc).
Tarzan II proves that Disney is taking these sequels a little more seriously than perhaps they once did (Belle's Magical World anyone? Perhaps Atlantis II?) , and that is a welcome change indeed. I will be looking forward to the next sequel straight-to-DVD release with a lot less reservation now, but until then I am sure to get more than a few viewings out of Tarzan II. You should too!
-aaron-
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Now, if you read my reviews, then you know I was originally not a
fan of these sequels which Disney has decided are the best way to
release films to home audiences and take advantage of the lucrative DVD
market. I would much rather see more "new" stories being told,
featuring brand new characters, or seeing more films featuring the
original guys such as The Three Musketeers (2004), which featured
Mickey, Donald and Goofy. But with the last few I have had the
pleasure to watch (Mulan II, Pooh's Heffalump Movie, and
Jungle Book II), I am seriously rethinking my stance on the
issue.
Tarzan's young life was handled as little more than a montage in
the first film, skipping past his childhood days and getting straight to
the trials and tribulations of an older Lord of the Jungle. But
somewhere along the line, the filmmakers of Tarzan II got to
wondering what exactly happened to the young boy raised by a family of
apes. What other adventures had he been on and what other lessons
did he have to learn to become the man of legend that we all know today?
Of course as luck would have it, a horrible situation does arise,
and although Tarzan's mother nearly loses her life to save him he is
feared to be killed in the tragedy! But when he comes staggering
back to his family, it seems almost as if they are better off without
him now. Depressed and confused Tarzan leaves without even letting
his friends know he is alive, convinced that he is meant to be alone in
this world; instead of making life harder for others.
I can actually see parent's seeing a change in their kids after a
viewing of this film, because it is just a feel good experience to sit
through it. More than responsibility, acceptance, or any of the
other myriad lessons taught through Disney releases, this is perhaps the
most primal of them all. We all matter and we all belong
somewhere...somewhere that wouldn't be the same without us. I will
stop here before getting too mushy on all of you, but rest assured that
within this disc there lies a good moral message that is well delivered.
Extra
features are not astounding here, but the feature is strong enough to
carry the release all by its lonesome. You will find a VERY short
making up featurette in "Backstage Disney - Bringing The Legend To
Life". Imagine talking about animation, casting, story and the
music in about 10 minutes and you'll get an idea of what I am talking
about. Speaking of the music, Phil Collins is back again and up to
his same tricks. Has this guy ever written a bad song? If
so, it isn't on this soundtrack! By no means my favorite Disney
songs, but they are all strong. You also get a game for the
kiddies to play, a cute jungle trivia option and a music video of
someone I've never heard of, Tiffany Evans.