Tarzan 2: The Legend Begins

This straight-to-video Disney sequel, taking place when Tarzan is still a boy, is so perfectly executed, it feels as though it could've been additional material cut from the first movie.

Tarzan, finding that he can't keep up with the other gorilla youngsters, begins to question who and what he is, and the film is more or less about his self-discovery and how he begins the transformation from just being a human boy to becoming the 'Tarzan' we all know and love.

All of your favorite characters are back (except Jane and the professor of course), as well as the voice talents of Glenn Close as Kala and Lance Henrikson as Kerchak. The casting director did a wonderful job in finding a young voice talent to perfectly match the young Tarzan from the original. Furthermore, it appears that most of the original animators are back as well, for the animation is something to behold, and a few new songs as well as a reprise from the first film by Phil Collins make it that much more convincing.

This film has the passion and heart that is usually lacking in the great majority of Disney sequels—you can really feel the care and respect for the material by all involved in the production. It's both touching and humorous, and not just for children—adults will find this amusing as well. Now if Disney will just follow suit and continue to make sequels such as this one, maybe they can actually put more than one every ten years in the theater.

VERDICT: Disney succeeds in finally making a worthwhile sequel, much of the caliber of the original. Recommended to all—if you liked the original Tarzan, you'll like this one. And to all you collectors out there, this one is definitely worth the $20—I know I'll be adding it to *my* collection sometime in the near future.

7.5 out of 10.0

~AleXa~

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.

Tarzan II is another example of an unneeded Disney sequel (or midquel in this case). It may be a slight improvement from Tarzan & Jane with some good animation and a nice score coming from Phil Collins that's traditional to its predecessor, but the execution ended up making this an easily forgettable adventure with a basic plot, weak comedy, characters that are downgraded into a bland cast, and a pointless trio of villains that often throw out filler than having legitimately evil moments. In terms of my recommendation, I'll say that if you really want to know more about Tarzan in his childhood, maybe this would be it. Outside of that, I honestly think it's best to just stick with the original film. I can tolerate this over Tarzan & Jane, but this one is not the kind of jungle I'll be returning anytime soon.

Tarzan II I would say is maybe the best looking of the direct-to- video sequels. I was pretty overwhelmed by the beautiful landscapes and how grand they were made.

To shortly sum up my impression of the idea of making a so-called midquel: I think it was a great idea, because we did not see that much of how Tarzan coped with his identity issues in the original. Is it handled perfectly, you ask? No, not exactly, but when the movie has that theme in its undivided focus it works out well without any need for words. George Carlin's role as Zugor did make a good impression on me, because I was a little skeptical to begin with. He and Tarzan share some heartfelt moments together, even if the pay-off of Tarzan's search for his identity comes off as underwhelming.

The harshest criticism I have towards Tarzan II is that these three apes, Mama Gunda, Kago and Uto were really unnecessary as bad-guys. They could have made the same impact on Tarzan's life with a smaller role. But it could have been awesome to see more of how Sabor thretened the gorillas, because he seemed like a real threat in the original.

Tarzan II is an okay watch, and kids can enjoy the adventure and the comedy while adults may find it pleasant to see the heartfelt moments. Again, this is a Disney sequel so therefore the original is by far a better movie, but with that said, this is not insulting to its predecessor.

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.