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Tarzan

This is Disney's 37th full length animated feature in all of its lush and verdant glory. Based on Edgar Rice Burroughs's tale of the legendary vine swinger, the film opens with a terrific sequence chronicling baby Tarzan's dramatic entrance into the jungle (shipwrecked with his parents), their subsequent deaths at the claws of a fearsome leopard, and Tarzan's coming of age among a family of gorillas led by father Kerchak (voiced by Lance Henriksen) and mother Kala (Glenn Close). It is a mark of the Disney genius that within this opening three minute segment, set to a rousing tune called "Two Worlds" by Phil Collins, audiences are given Tarzan's previous history, including introductions to many of the main characters, led by Tarzan's gorilla playmate Terk (Rosie O' Donnell) and a menagerie of comical animal sidekicks. The main story begins with Tarzan as a grown man, meeting humans for the first time since his parents' deaths, in the shape of lovely Jane (Minnie Driver) and her eccentric explorer father Professor Archimedes Q Porter (Nigel Hawthorne). Curiosity piqued, he follows the strangers back to their camp where he begins to realise that he is not like the other gorillas in the forest, a fact exploited to the full by a sinister big game hunter called Clayton (Brian Blessed) who hopes to capture the gorillas for sale overseas. All the classic Disney ingredients are present and correct: the flawed hero(ine), the impossibly handsome/pretty love interest, the cutesy comedy supporting cast, a British voiced villain, and a hearty message about the values of family, friendship and following one's heart. Where Tarzan deviates from the norm, and ultimately distinguishes itself, is in its sophisticated screenplay which doesn't flinch at depicting death (albeit off-screen) or suffering, and some of the most jaw-dropping animation ever captured on the big screen. Employing a new system called "Deep Canvas", animators are able to make Tarzan swing from vine to vine and literally surf down branches at incredible speeds through intricate three-dimensional backgrounds. The sensation of soaring through the tree-tops is truly exhilarating and really gets the old adrenaline pumping during the chase sequences. As usual, the comedy works on two levels - for children and their parents - and there are lots of in-jokes for the most ardent Disneyphiles. A perfect family movie: far too good to be left to the kids.