Tarzan

Details

After the tragic death of his parents in the African jungle, the infant Tarzan is discovered and adopted by a family of gorillas led by the protective Kala. Raised among the animals, Tarzan grows into a powerful and agile young man, completely at home swinging through the jungle canopy and living by the instincts of the wild.

However, his life changes forever when he encounters a group of human explorers. Among them is the spirited Jane Porter, whose curiosity and kindness awaken Tarzan's interest in the world of mankind. Torn between the family that raised him and the people who share his own species, Tarzan must ultimately decide where he truly belongs.

Of course, no Disney adventure would be complete without a villain, and in this case it comes in the form of the ruthless hunter Clayton, whose intentions toward the gorillas are far from honourable. Naturally, the film also includes the usual Disney ingredients: a catchy soundtrack from Phil Collins, wisecracking sidekicks, a few emotional moments and plenty of thrilling action sequences.

There are also a few clever touches scattered throughout the film. One particularly fun moment occurs when the young gorillas explore the human campsite - eagle-eyed viewers may notice that the cups and saucers resemble the characters from Beauty and the Beast. A nice little nod to another Disney classic.

Picture & Sound

The picture and sound are both a delight and this disc will undoubtedly find its way into many home cinema demonstrations. The animation is beautifully presented, with vibrant colours, crisp detail and plenty of fluid motion throughout the jungle environments. Disney's blend of traditional hand-drawn animation and computer-assisted camera movement works extremely well here, creating a sense of speed and movement rarely seen in animated films of the time.

There are, however, rumours of an audio issue with some pressings of the disc. My copy is labelled as Dolby Digital 5.0, with the front left and rear left surround channels apparently matrixed together. Other reports suggest that some discs may feature the full 5.1 soundtrack, although this has never been officially confirmed. Disney have not issued a recall and, to be honest, on my own system the difference was hardly noticeable.

Menu & Extras

One thing I did find rather annoying - unless there is some way to bypass it - is the lengthy start-up copyright warning followed by several unskippable Disney trailers. Whilst you can skip chapters to eventually reach the menu, it still feels like an unnecessarily slow start-up process. On the plus side, one of the trailers offers a glimpse of Toy Story 2, which is certainly worth seeing.

Overall

Tarzan is another strong entry in Disney's long line of animated classics. The animation is spectacular, the characters are engaging and Phil Collins' energetic soundtrack fits the film perfectly. The famous "tree surfing" sequences in particular are genuinely thrilling and remain some of the most inventive animated action scenes Disney has produced.

Although the story follows the familiar Disney formula, it does so with enough charm and humour to keep both children and adults entertained. The voice cast is excellent across the board, with Glenn Close bringing warmth to Kala while Brian Blessed makes a suitably menacing villain as Clayton.

As a DVD release the disc offers strong picture and sound quality along with a respectable collection of extras. Minor annoyances aside, Tarzan is an easy recommendation for animation fans and another reminder that when Disney get things right, they really do produce something special.

Special features

• Strangers Like Me Music Video
• Trashin' the Camp Behind-The-Scenes Studio Session with Phil Collins
• Tarzan Interactive Read-Along
• Tarzan Interactive Trivia Game
• Sneak Preview of the New Disney Film "Dinosaur"
• Theatrical Trailer