Tarzan (Disney film): Difference between revisions

[[File:Tarzan_poster.jpg|frame]]

 

 

The film opens in the late 1880's, with a couple and their infant son ending up in [[Darkest Africa]] after a shipwreck. Later, Kala, a gorilla whose infant son was killed by a leopard, Sabor, hears a baby cry in an abandoned treehouse. As she enters, she sees the human baby and blood covered paw prints that show the boy's parents were also Sabor's victims, and takes the boy away to save him from the predator. Her mate, Kerchak, the dominant male of the gorilla band, despises the human for his appearance, but Kala raises him anyway, naming him "[[Tarzan]]".

Tarzan grows up to become a strong gorilla-like man, whose best friends are [[Those Two Guys|a comedic female gorilla and a phobic elephant]] (Rosie O'Donnell and Wayne Knight). One day, Sabor attacks the gorillas and is defeated by Tarzan, which earns him some respect from Kerchak. But then a British expedition which wants to study gorillas appears, led by Professor Archimedes Q. Porter. His daughter Jane is attacked by baboons, surviving only after being rescued by Tarzan. Now Tarzan must decide where he belongs - and also prevent the [[Egomaniac Hunter|trigger-happy hunter guide]] Clayton from ruining everything...

 

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* [[Adaptation Distillation]]: In the film, Tarzan is raised by gorillas. In the books, he is raised by "Mangani", some kind of ill-defined, made-up [[Frazetta Man]]. The books are filled with serial-style adventures with sci-fi and fantasy elements. The movie strips it down to keep focus on Tarzan's identity crisis and his relationship with Jane.

* [[Adult Fear]]: When Kerchak and Kala are asleep, their baby runs off just long enough for a predator to kill him.

* [[Aw, Look -- They Really Do Love Each Other]]: Kerchak and Kala often bicker onscreen, but they do have their moments that show that they genuinely care for each other.

* [[Badass Bookworm]]: Believe it or not, Tarzan. He becomes utterly ''fascinated'' with books and reading once Jane and Professor Porter arrive.

* [[Badass Mustache]]: Tarzan's human father. Goes without saying.

** Also Clayton.

* [[Blue Eyes]]: Tarzan has {{color|blue|blue}}-{{color|green|green}} eyes.

* [[Bottomless Magazines]]: Clayton gets several shots in a row from a double barreled shotgun.

* [[Brick Joke]]: One of the educational slides inspires Tarzan to present Jane with flowers, and later when he tries to give her the flowers he kneels in the exact same pose as the man in the slide, and in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it gag he almost forgets to put his hand over his chest.

* [[Building Swing]]

* [[Chekhov's Skill]]: Tarzan teaches Jane a phrase in the gorilla language, and at the end of the movie, in a [[Crowning Moment of Heartwarming]], she repeats the phrase to the gorilla tribe. The phrase was "Jane will stay with Tarzan."

** Tarzan's ability to imitate the sound of a rifle with his mouth - he uses it to intimidate Clayton.

* [[Composite Character]]: Kerchak. He's still the leader, but this version has more in common with Tublat (who was Kala's mate, didn't care much for Tarzan and was generally benign).

** The character ''named'' Tublat, on the other hand...

* [[Conspicuous CG]]: Much of the scenery, though it's integrated well thanks to the revolutionary "Deep Canvas" process.

* [[Cue the Rain]]: When Jane is alone in the jungle.

'''Jane''': Obviously, it can. }}

* [[Cute Shotaro Boy]]: Tarzan as a kid.

* [[Daddy's Girl]]: Jane and her dad really like each other.

** Not to mention that in the novel, ''William'' Clayton (portrayed as a villain in the film) is [[One Degree of Separation|Tarzan's cousin]] and Jane's fiancé, and Tarzan's real name is ''John Clayton Jr.''! That film is still creepy.

** Although it should be noted that while it falls into [[Bloodless Carnage]] this film is still noticably more violent than standard Disney fare.

* [[Disney Villain Death]]: [[Family-Unfriendly Death|And a very painful one]], [[Shadow Discretion Shot|even if shadowed]].

* [[Disproportionate Retribution]]: Jane is nearly killed by a herd of baboons, apparently because she {{spoiler|refused to give a drawing to a baby baboon}}.

** And putting his head on her chest. Granted, he was just trying to feel a heartbeat (and he didn't know either of the above things were wrong), but yeah...

* [[Gilligan Cut]]: When Tarzan tries to get Terk and Tantor to distract Kerchak:

'''Terk:''' '''''[[I'll Kill You!|I'M GONNA KILL HIIIIIIIIIIM!!!!!]]''''' }}

* [[Gory Discretion Shot]]: The death of Kala's first baby takes place off-screen.

* [[Held Gaze]]: This trope happens between Tarzan and Jane when he first meets the girl, and they stare into each other's eyes in wonder.

* [[Hulk Speak]]: He mostly grows out of it by the end.

* [[Important Haircut]]: Jane starts out [[Prim and Proper Bun|with her hair up]], but in scenes where she bonds with Tarzan and the gorillas [[Letting Her Hair Down|she lets her hair down]].

* [[Ink Suit Actor]]: Jane bears more than a passing resemblance to her voice actress, Minnie Driver.

* [[Large Ham]]: Terk, and arguably young Tantor. Oddly enough, ''not'' Clayton despite being voiced by [[Brian Blessed]], as his animation was more over-the-top than his voice acting.

* [[Letting Her Hair Down]]: Jane.

* [[Misplaced Wildlife]]: Averted and parodied: the movie replaces the lions and tiger in the book with a leopard, and when young Tantor says the river has piranha, another elephant quickly remarks they live in South America.

** ''Mostly'' averted. A couple of ring-tailed lemurs, exclusive to Madagascar (where there are no gorillas), show up near the start.

* [[The Native Rival]]: Kerchak

* [[Not Now, Kiddo]]

* [[Nubile Savage]]: Tarzan, although his hair hangs in messy dreadlocks from lack of haircuts and no combing.

* [[Offscreen Teleportation]]: Done realistically. Jane sneaks away but is only just around the other side of the tree.

* [[Oh Crap]]: The look on Clayton's face is [[Understatement|understandable]] when Kerchak charges at him.

** Watch the expression on Kerchak's face as he watches Clayton pull the shotgun on Tarzan.

* [[Pale Females, Dark Males]]: Kerchak is black, Kala is brown, the rest of the gorillas are different shades of grey.

* [[The Patriarch]]: Kerchak, so much.

* [[Papa Wolf]]: Kerchak, to his herd, and at the end, to Tarzan.

* [[Pop Star Composer]]

* [[Putting a Hand Over His Mouth]]: A villain does this to Jane, who quickly bites it.

* [[Raised by Wolves|Raised By Gorillas]]

** According to the DVD and a trailer on the ''[[Mulan]]'' VHS, Glen Keane was first inspired from his son's skateboarding, actually.

** There are arguably a couple of quotes referencing past Disney films as well:

'''Terk:''' ''Tarzan''? [[Bambi|Okay, he's your baby...]] }}

** During the start of the "Trashin' The Camp" sequence, as Tantor is frightened by every single object in the Porter camp, the object that scares him the most is a tea kettle and cup that bear a striking similarity to [[Beauty and The Beast|Mrs. Potts and her son.]]

*** Terk dances with a white skeleton in similar fashion and design to the classic Disney short ''[[The Skeleton Dance]]''.

'''Tarzan:''' I came home. }}

** A more subtle reference to Beauty and the Beast is {{spoiler|Kerchak's death.}} It almost completley mirrors Beast's.

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Animated Films]]

[[Category:The Renaissance Age of Animation]]

[[Category:Films of the 1990s]]

[[Category:Tarzan]]

[[Category:Disney]]