Tarzan 2: The Legend Begins

Remember the 'Son of Man' sequence from the original Disney 'Tarzan' film? It showed Tarzan learning how to be an ape man, he grew up - it lasted a few minutes and it was fine. We used our imaginations to fill in the blanks.

Disney obviously felt that more of the blanks needed to be filled in, so we end up with 'Tarzan 2', a misleadingly titled film that is actually a midquel, fleshing out the 'Son of Man' sequence to over an hour.

It's fine, it's ok, it has its moments, but you can almost hear the cash cow being milked.

I have been a huge fan of Disney for years, but their sequels have tended to be rather disappointing, with weak scripts and/or bad animation plaguing the productions.

After watching this, I must say, this is one of the best sequels to come from Disney. The animation quality is what most impressed me- it was cinema quality. The action sequences, effects, and the characters themselves were all rendered meticulously, with a lot of attention to light and color given as well.

The characters' acting (both in animation and voice) was very good, and Turk (who I found obnoxious in the first film 'Tarzan') was actually very endearing this time around. I was impressed with the children's voice acting, as they had to carry a good amount of the film, and they managed to do a good job with both the humorous scenes and the few more serious ones.

The adult voice acting was very very good, with some of the original cast such as Glenn Close and Lance Henriksen in the periphery, and the added great talents of George Carline, Estelle Harris, Brad Garret and Ron Pearlman.

It is not a story as grande or powerful as the big Disney classics, and doesn't hold quite as much 'awe' as 'Tarzan', but it was a nice tale for kids, with enough humor and production quality that the adults can enjoy it as well.

7/10

I didn't know what to expect considering Disney's negative reputation with their direct-to-video sequels. So when I watched it I have to say it was pretty good. It was well animated, acted and paced. The story's about a young Tarzan (Harrison Chad) trying to find his place in the jungle. After trying to keep up with his pack during a storm he gets separated and decides to run away feeling he doesn't belong with him. This leads him to a grumpy gorilla named Zugor (George Carlin) who pretends to be a monster in order to scare off the other animals near his home including a grumpy gorilla named Mama Gunda (Estelle Harris) and her two sons the irritable, aggressive Kago (Ron Perlman) and the happy yet dimwitted Uto (Brad Garrett) who think they are trapped by the "monster".

In exchange for keeping his secret Zugor reluctantly agrees to help him find out who he is. The movie's not as good as the first one but it's still good in its own right. The animation's a slight downgrade as the characters aren't as fluid as the original but it's still pretty good by direct-to-video standards. The characters are well-defined and enjoyable to watch. What Tarzan goes through is relatable as there's been a point in our life where we were trying to find out our place in this world. Mama Gunda and her sons antics are fun to watch as well. They really have good chemistry which leads to some good laughs. The songs aren't as memorable as the first but they're still written and performed by Phil Collins so they're ok. The pacing's pretty good. While there're moments of bouncing around there're also quiet thoughtful moments and I think they're done pretty well.

Tarzen 2's definitely a diamond in the rough. It has something for both kids and adults. It may not be memorable but it's still enjoyable nonetheless. If you have kids I'd say check it out.

I didn't see this film until fairly recently, and since I loved the original film and the fact I am a huge animation fan I thought why not check it out? And I liked it very much, it is not as good as the original, which I think is wonderful, but it is better than Tarzan and Jane, which was mediocre.

Now I don't hate all the sequels, in fact some of them I have liked, King of Thieves, Enchanted Christmas, Simba's Pride, Bambi 2 and Brother Bear 2, though none of them are as good as their originals, and then there are some like Cinderella 2, Little Mermaid 2 and Jungle Book 2 that almost completely lack the heart and charm of their predecessors.

This sequel(or midquel perhaps) as I have said is not as good as the first Tarzan, but it does have the original's heart and charm, that is one main reason why it is one of the better Disney sequels. I do agree that the story is lacking a bit and drags in spots and the film is too short. However, there is some nice humour, and some parts are even touching. Even better though is the animation, this is easily one of the better-looking sequels. The animation in the original undoubtedly was absolutely fantastic, but here the landscapes, colours and characters are just as gorgeously rendered. And I liked the soundtrack as well, not as catchy but it is still nice and upbeat and gives the film its heart and soul.

Tarzan himself is very likable, strong and charismatic even as a young boy, yet loyal to his family and friends, and I liked Terk as well, she was funny without being completely over-the-top. The voice acting is strong, Harrison Chad does a great job, as do Glenn Close, Estelle Harris and Lance Henrikson, while Brenda Grate was surprisingly good as Terk.

Overall, not as good as the first Tarzan, but it is for me one of the better sequels, as it is very well animated and has charm and heart. 7/10 Bethany Cox

Disney's "Tarzan II" is a fun family film to watch, and I must say that it is much, much better than "Tarzan and Jane." This sequel centers around Tarzan's childhood, and what he had to go through while seeking his real identity. All the lovely characters are back of course, with other new fun characters. The animation of this film was quite satisfying and the songs by Phil Collins were also lovely. I have to say, however, that this film is mostly for kids but it has some good laughs for adults though . Also, do not expect this sequel to be better than the original "Tarzan" but still, it is a good one compared to other sequels, and is worth watching.