The Legend Of Tarzan - Movie Review

'The Legend of Tarzan' strangely feels like a comic book movie. As something that really wants to take itself seriously in all its gloominess, it mostly works when it wants to be fun.

The film opens with an idea that everyone in the audience already knew who Tarzan (played by Alexander Skarsgård) was. Countless iterations has been made before, its cinematic roots going all the way up to 1918 with 'Tarzan of the Apes'. The familiarity of the character really helped boosting the film's pacing, giving less time for an exposition and more to the main course.

Even Alexander Skarsgård's introduction as the titular character felt like he was hailing from a set of films we have seen before. We see him out of his jungle persona, naturally fitting in the urban world though there were hints of a wild-swinging beast lurking within him we are giving a hint of. Skarsgård, famously known from hit HBO TV series 'True Blood' was terrific for the role. The actor's performance was fueled with rawness and angst, setting a middle ground between being soft and all-out monster.

The action sequences were fantastic, but the real scene-stealer here are the apes, which thankfully are more developed than some of the human characters in the movie. Watch out for an excellent sequence involving a brawl between Tarzan and an ape that instantly became my favorite bit of the entire run.

Margot Robbie was also great here as Jane. Being the damsel in distress of the story, this new incarnation of Jane was smart, deceptive, and an all-around charmer. Robbie had an instant magnetic chemistry with Skarsgård, and their scenes together were well-executed.

As likeable as Tarzan is, the villains here are poorly developed. Christoph Waltz and Djimon Honsou somehow felt like they were there as a formidable foe for Tarzan, no more. The over-use of flashbacks also bugged the movie a bit, interrupting a present set-up sequence with a supporting scene that came out of nowhere.

Overall, I was very surprised of how much I enjoyed 'The Legend of Tarzan'. The recent onslaught of beloved stories being translated with a more ominous tone trend in Hollywood deemed unnecessary, but this year two films did it effectively: The Jungle Book and a welcomer, this one.

The geek rates it 7/10!

'The Legend of Tarzan' opens this Thursday, June 30 in cinemas nationwide from Warner Bros. Pictures Philippines! Rated PG by the MTRCB.