PC re-telling of Burroughs classic

Rating: 7/10 (6 July 1999)

There is no doubt that this is a very well-made, broad, sweeping epic - the kind of thing that Disney does very well. The animation is lush, utilizing a new technique called "deep canvas" that makes the background look more realistic and three-dimensional than any animated film that has gone before.
Tarzan himself doesn't swing from vine t ovine so much as he surfs the jungle canopy; the visuals of the film are unquestionably first-rate. Energetic and quite violent for a kiddie flick, TARZAN doesn't have a lot of musical numbers for a Disney film.
Yet, it is strangely unimaginative in the way it tells its story. The Burroughs tale had a racist element to it, which made it a fascinating study in multiculturalism. This version simply does away with the natives, to eliminate the thorny modern dilemma of racist subtext. Still, it's hard not to read the film in racial terms - it is ostensibly about figuring out where you belong, and about acceptance and tolerance, and the message is finally one about nurture defeating nurture.