Tarzan

Movie, 1999, G

Premise - A baby whose parents are killed is taken into a family of gorillas and raised to be one of their own. Tarzan never had exposure to other humans, not knowing they exist, until a troop of scientists come to Africa in search for gorillas. When Tarzan is discovered, they take him back to their camp to educate him on human society.

Review - I was born in 1995, which was the center of Disney's golden era, so yeah, I was a Disney kid. Still am. I absolutely adore so many Disney films, but somehow I think this manages to be my favorite of all time. If not, it's at least in my top 2 (I think Mulan actually might be the winner). Nonetheless, I believe this to be a highly underrated film that deserves the world.

I cannot accurately describe my love for apes, humans included. I very obviously have a love for human beings, but the people who know me best know I also harbor a quieter love for gorillas. It feels odd to call them my favorite animal because they don't feel like animals, they feel like cousins. So usually when people ask me what my favorite animal is, I instinctively say "CAT!" because yeah, I love cats, but also because I forget that gorillas are even considered in that realm. If I were a Disney character, I would like to be Jane from Tarzan. She's a scientist who gets to study animals. That's a much bigger dream for me than being a princess.

This is a film that studies gorillas, humans, and how Tarzan bridges the beautiful relationship between the two. In contrast, Clayton is out to demonize the gorillas and place humans as superior. There are a lot of awful Disney villains out there, but none make my blood boil like Clayton. I suppose part of what makes him so deplorable is how realistic he is. He's trigger-happy, likes to make money, and could not care less about the well-being of the animals. There's got to be a dime a dozen of him that still exist today. The way he dares to use a gun against these creatures and seeing their terror and confusion... it just makes me sick.

Of course what also makes this film so memorable for me is the music. "You'll be in My Heart" is one of my favorite all-time songs and makes me feel at home whenever I listen to it. I also remember playing a Tarzan music medley in my junior high band, which just holds the happiest of memories. (98/100)

Quote - "I WANNA KNOW. CAN YOU SHOOOOOOOOOWWWW ME? I WANNA KNOW ABOUT THESE STRANGERS LIKE ME."

What to watch for - Phil Collins did all of the songs in this film, which I suppose means it's technically not a musical but a film with just a really iconic soundtrack. I know this film for its songs, so I'm going to count it under musicals anyways.

If you liked this movie, I'd recommend Hercules!

Based on the character by Edgar Rice Burroughs.
Directed by Kevin Lima and Chris Buck
Distributed by Disney