Tarzan

Disney's visually magnificent Tarzan is unlimited by what human actors are capable of physically, and in terms of authenticity it makes all the difference in the world. As envisioned by Edgar Rice Burroughs, Tarzan is brought to vivid life by animation, moving like an animal, low to the ground, resting on his under-turned knuckles. He swings effortlessly from branch to branch like a gibbon, instead of like a stunt man looking for his next strategically-placed vine. He also surfs the jungle tree trunks like a skateboarder, making copious use of a new computer animation technique called Deep Canvas that gives an astonishing 3-D feel to Tarzan's kowabunga-ing through the jungle. The story is standard Tarzan fare (romance Jane, protect nature from diabolical Europeans), peppered with all the usual Disney accoutrements (wise-cracking animal sidekicks, etc.). No surprises, but this Tarzan is handsome, fun, and backed with the solid voice talents of Tony Goldwyn, Minnie Driver, Brian Blessed, Glenn Close and Rosie O'Donnell. Recommended. (R. Blackwelder)[DVD Review—Nov. 1, 2005—Walt Disney, 88 min., G, $29.99—Making its third appearance on DVD, 1999's Tarzan: Special Edition features a sharp looking transfer and Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound. DVD extras include audio commentary by producer Bonnie Arnold and directors Chris Buck and Kevin Lima, four deleted scenes (10 min.), a “DisneyPedia: Living in the Jungle” featurette on animals (6 min.), the music video “You'll Be in My Heart” performed by Phil Collins (5 min.), two performances of “Strangers Like Me” (one by Phil Collins, the other by Everlife), a “Trashin' the Camp” studio session with Phil Collins and ‘N Sync (2 min.), three “Terk's Tree Surfing Challenge” DVD games, and trailers. Bottom line: not as in-depth as the two-disc “Collector's Edition,” but boasting an impressive jump up from the original single-disc release, this is definitely recommended.][DVD and Blu-ray/DVD Combo Review—Aug. 26, 2014—Walt Disney, 88 min., G, DVD: $19.99, Blu-ray/DVD Combo: $29.99—Making its latest appearance on DVD and Blu-ray debut, 1999's Tarzan features a decent transfer and a DTS-HD 5.1 soundtrack on Blu-ray. Extras include audio commentary by producer Bonnie Arnold and directors Chris Buck and Kevin Lima, a “Music & More” section with music videos and behind-the-scenes featurettes (40 min.), the production featurettes “The Characters of Tarzan” (23 min.), “Animation Production” (14 min.), “History and Development” (8 min.), and “Story & Editorial” (6 min.), a “DisneyPedia: Living in the Jungle” segment (6 min.), trailers, and (on the Blu-ray edition) bonus DVD and digital copies of the film. Bottom line: Disney's entertaining re-visioning of Burroughs' classic swings onto Blu-ray.]