The Legend of Tarzan, like its larger-than-life hero, is a film burdened with a legacy that it struggles to comprehend. Fortunately, David Yates, director of 4 of the best Harry Potter films, knows a thing or two about legacy. As Tarzan – or, more precisely, John – wrestles with his past and as the film slowly peels off his layers( quite literally), he becomes a man set free, unshackled from a life of manners. The same memories that once burdened him, he learns, correctly, are what define him. These are the memories that make him The Lord of the Jungle.
Waltz, like Irrfan Khan, plays a character he has now fine-tuned to a fault. Surrounded by slavery and Imperialism, he strikes a deal with Djimon Hounsou’s tribal chief. He will bring him Tarzan. He will receive, as they all do, diamonds for his services. For his plan to succeed, he will need to kidnap Jane, played by Margot Robbie. And you’d better be ready to clean some spit off your face if you call her a damsel in distress. Robbie’s Jane Porter is resourceful, brave, and madly in love. She will need rescuing, but not if she can rescue herself first.
