The Legend of Tarzan

THE LEGEND OF TARZAN (12)

D: David Yates

Warner Bros/Village Roadshow/Ratpac-Dune (Jerry Weintraub, David Barron, Alan Riche & Tony Ludwig)

US 2016

110 mins

Action/Adventure

W: Adam Cozad & Craig Brewer [based on characters created by Edgar Rice Burroughs]

DP: Henry Braham

Ed: Mark Day

Mus: Rupert Gregson-Williams

Alexander Skarsgård (Lord Greystoke, John Clayton III / Tarzan), Samuel L. Jackson (George Washington Williams), Christophe Waltz (Captain Leon Rom), Margot Robbie (Jane Porter Clayton), Djimon Hounsou (Chief Mbonga)

A confused action-adventure which can't make up its mind whether it's a sequel, remake or straight-up ripoff of Edgar Rice Burrough's Tarzan stories.

Ten years after Tarzan left the jungle to settle in Victorian England with his now-wife Jane, the vine-swinging ape man is tricked into returning by a corrupt Belgian captain who is heading a diamond smuggling expedition on behalf of the Belgian king.

Honestly, the story is a complete mess which fails to engage and might have you catching zeds before the first act is over.

Alexander Skarsgård looks the part as Tarzan, but the dialogue is so ropey that he never really convinces. Margot Robbie is grossly miscast as Jane, and Samuel L. Jackson, Christophe Waltz and Djimon Hounsou are just in it for the paycheck. 

There is time for some adventure during the 110 minutes, but not much. Not so legendary after all.

4/10