Above Average Disney Fare

Rating: 7/10 (6 August 1999)

Tarzan is Disney's latest attempt at redoing a classic story. In general, they succeed. The film is fast paced and exciting. The messages in the film are not as overdone as they sometimes are in Disney films. Lessons about adoption, tolerance, and the meaning of family are all welcome from Disney. After all, as one of our children's leading entertainment producers it is important for them to include positive messages and role models in their films.
As for the negative parts of the film, one has to start with the music. Imagine how exciting some risk-taking music would be in a Disney film. Some real jazz musicians working on some jungle music, or maybe a little acid jazz. Instead, we get the whitest man on earth, Phil Collins, singing utterly forgettable tunes about topics he knows nothing about. Another bad point was, strangely, the animation, which seemed uninspired. Sure, some of the sequences had an undeniable flow to them, but in general the film felt like it had been ground out in a hurry. As Pixar continues to improve their methods, it will be interesting to see if Disney keeps up. In spite of these problems and the participation of the worst actress in Hollywood (O'Donnell) and the most overrated (Driver), the film is recommended to all who enjoy Disney films and those who believe that film can teach our children well.