Disney Movie Challenge Bonus: Tarzan and Jane (2002) and Tarzan II (2005)

 Disney Movie Challenge Bonus

Tarzan and Jane (2002) and Tarzan II (2005)

Tarzan is one of the most confusing trilogies ever.  Tarzan II is really the third movie in the trilogy but takes place mostly before the first one.  

Tarzan and Jane was released as a direct to video film but consisted of 3 unaired episodes of the short lived The Legend of Tarzan animated show on Disney.  Similar to Cinderella 2 the movie is an anthology film.  This time the wrap-around story is about Jane trying to come up with a gift for Tarzan on their anniversary.  The first story tells about Jane’s friends coming to visit from England and trying to make Tarzan fit into their idea of what society is.  This story has some fun action but also one of Jane’s friends is constantly fawning over Tarzan’s physique and makes it oddly sexual.  The next story has Tarzan getting tricked to look for diamonds in a volcano, and the last one has some pilot that is trying to steal something from Jane.  All of the plots are convoluted.  Mostly because none of these characters have any reason to be in the jungle.  Also, for a sequel to a movie about a man raised by apes, these stories are noticeably absent of apes (aside from Terk).  

Tarzan II is more of a midquel to Tarzan, similar to Bambi II and Fox and the Hound 2.  The film shows Tarzan as a child trying to adapt to living with apes and not really knowing who he is. He realizes that he isn’t an ape and doesn’t fit it.  He runs away from home and finds himself on Dark Mountain where he encounters a monster called Zugor (George Carlin). Also trapped on the mountain is a gorilla family consisting of a mother (Estelle Harris) and her two grown and incompetant sons (Brad Garrett and Ron Perlman).   Tarzan befriends Zugor who really isn’t a monster just a gorilla who wants to be alone so he scares everyone. In the end Tarzan learns to just be himself and finds courage to take on the bad guys.  It’s a typical morality tale about not trying to be anyone else and everyone has special talents.  The best thing about this one is that it features the return of Glenn Close and Lance Henrikson as Tarzan’s adoptive parents.  

The biggest problem for me with both films is that all the characters seemed really annoying, especially Terk.  Everyone’s voice just really got on my nerves.  Maybe it was just me but really bothered me.  Neither of the movies had much of a compelling plot.  It was obvious Tarzan II was better funded.  It got bigger names and was more cohesive.  It did seem weird to have George Carlin in a family film but then I remembered he was also in Cars.  

Overall: Probably two of the least interesting direct to video sequels I have seen.  Both reuse Phil Collins songs and while I guess Tarzan II has a new Phil Collins song I can't say I know what it is.