Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
king of the swingers, 12 Oct 2004
One of the most popular figures of (pulp)fiction and the movies was finally taken seriously in 1984's epic Greystoke. Having read all 24 books- more than once- and grown up on the B-movie Tarzans fron Johnny Weissmuller to Mike Henry, and not forgetting the 6os TV Tarzan Ron Ely, I remember how excited I was when the Greystoke project was announced. Was I happy with the result? Well yes and no. The film looks fantastic - the jungle scenes are atmospheric and beautifully filmed. The apes were a revelation and still look good today despite the onset of CGI effects. Christopher Lambert was supremely well cast in the title role, a good decision to move away from the muscle-bound image of the character, and he brilliantly portrays the central dilemna of a man caught between two very different worlds. Best of all is Sir Ralph Richardson, in his last screen role, as Lord Greystoke - Tarzan's grandfather. My only reservation really was the overriding bleakness of the film. Tarzan is orphaned early on,loses his ape mother to hunters' arrows, his grandfather and his ape father. Apart from Tarzan, Jane, D'Arnot and Lord Greystoke everyone seems particularly dislikeable, selfish and seedy as "civilisation" is found wanting alongside the lore of the wild. It all becomes rather over-wrought and melodramatic. That said, I would heartily recommend the film as it raises the story to a higher level and tackles some weighty ideas. Having waited so long for its tranfer to DVD it is a pity that so few extras are included. The film is the same as the theatrical cut, and that which was available on video, despite extra scenes being available including an alternative ending. The audio commentary is amiable enough, if rather self-congratulatory, but rather technical - more anecdotal stuff would have been good. No mention of Andi McDowell's voice being dubbed by Glenn Close - is this just a malicious rumour? No booklet, no history of Tarzan in the movies, No "making of" - a wasted opportunity. I'd give the film 4 stars, but the DVD only 3.
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Greystoke, 3 Jul 2005
For me this is the definitive Tarzan film, no other adaptation of the Edgar Rice Burrows books comes anywhere near and for pure authenticity reasons alone this film is a superb version.What, I think, makes the film so good is its very subtle, almost subdued angle on the Tarzan legend. There's no beating of the chest and vine swinging acrobatics. There's no wrestling with crocodiles or "Me Tarzan, You Jane!" dialogue. Instead it takes a very realistic approach, giving real thought to how a human raised by apes might behave. It is also a very obvious forerunner of the some of ecological thoughts that we now take as part of everyday life. Who is the savage in the film? The Apes or the Victorian population? Is our society really any advanced from the wild in terms of respect for others or in terms of cruelty? The performances of the various actors are with one exception, superb. Christopher Lambert was perfectly cast as the taciturn, sad eyed Tarzan. He brings gentle steel to the role and he virtual "unknown-ness" at this point in his career was a boon. Ian Holm is likewise excellent as the explorer who finds Tarzan, Phillippe D'Arnot. Ralph Richardson quite possibly steals the show with such a tenderhearted performance as the Earl of Greystoke and fully deserved his posthumous nomination for an Oscar. As I say the one blimp on the landscape is that of Andie MacDowell. I scratch my head every time I see her in any lead role and still cannot for the life of me figure out why she has had such a successful career, even though nowadays we mostly see her in the advert breaks! It's not surprising her voice was dubbed over by Glenn Close, it's just a shame she wasn't replaced totally. One final plaudit for the film is the superb costumes and actions of the apes. Obviously if the film were remade today these whole sequences would be film with CGI brilliance, but never the less the most incredible life like suits and the brilliant mimicking of primate actions has stood the test of time fantastically well.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
highly under rated, 30 Jun 2005
this for my money is the best tarzan adaption. here treated like a literary novel source as opposed to the pulp of its origins. this is one of those film where i can find little fault, although critics have been less kind to it. as a story of alienation, and wanting to belong, i cannot fault it. christophe lamert is perfect as the sleek confused tarzan who is raised by the apes and brought back to humanity. sadly he never fulfilled the early promise he displayed here as an actor. the ape effects by rick baker are the most realisitc portrayed on screen. the photography is gorgeous. the music classical. and ralph richardson, perfect as the clayton elder. highly recommended for lovers of fine cinema, very much like the film.
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