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The online film magazine Combustible Celluloid offers new movie reviews, DVD reviews, film reviews, actor interviews, actress interviews, director interviews, film books and all things cinema related for the thoughtful and passionate. Online for ten years! Over 3000 reviews!

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Tarzan (1999)

Rating: 3 Stars (out of 4)

Swingin'

By Jeffrey M. Anderson

Buy Tarzan on DVD.

Although it sticks strictly to the decades-old Disney formula, Tarzan is an exciting, accomplished work that ranks with the wonderful Johnny Weissmuller movies like Tarzan and His Mate (1934). Tony Goldwyn is the voice of the ape man, who not only swings on vines, but slides on tree moss. Minnie Driver plays Jane, and Glenn Close, Lance Henriksen, and Nigel Hawthorne provide other voices. Even the "sidekick" character played by Rosie O'Donnell and the music by Phil Collins don't deflate the picture. Tarzan is great fun.

DVD Details: Casting Rosie O'Donnell and hiring Phil Collins for the music were ideas that keep getting worse over time. Regardless, Tarzan is still a beautifully fluid film that has a lot of fun with the legend. Disney's 2005 DVD comes with "deleted scenes," games, music videos and a commentary track.

Starring: (voices) Tony Goldwyn, Minnie Driver, Glenn Close, Brian Blessed, Nigel Hawthorne, Lance Henriksen, Wayne Knight, Alex D. Linz, Rosie O'Donnell
Written by: Tab Murphy, Bob Tzudiker, Noni White, Henry Mayo, David Reynolds, Jeffrey Stepakoff, Ned Teitelbaum, based on the novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs
Directed by: Chris Buck, Kevin Lima
MPAA Rating: G
Running Time: 88 minutes
Date: June 18, 1999