Look. Somebody has to say this …
I realize that all of these “video premiere” prequels / midquels / sequels remain kind of a hot-button issue with the animation community. With a lot of folks saying that the only reason that the Walt Disney Company keeps turning these things out is that they make an awful lot of money for the Mouse. And that may well be true …
But — that said — there’s also no denying that the stuff coming out of DisneyToon Studios have taken a noticable step-up in quality over the past few years. Both in their art direction and overall animation. Not to mention the sort of stories that these straight-to-DVD projects try to tell.
Case in point: “Tarzan II.”
2005 Disney Enterprises, Inc.
Now, I know. It’s not like movie-goers were actually besieging the Mouse House, begging to be told more about Tarzan’s formative years. But — that minor quibble aside — there’s no getting around the fact that this is one very handsome looking “video premiere.” With some truly beautiful backgrounds as well as some really crisp, clean animation.
“Tarzan II” ‘s story (such as it is) covers a brief vignette in the “Son of Man” ‘s childhood. An “untold chapter” (or so says the film’s press release) that covers what happened to Tarzan when he was eight years old. When an accident involving a slippery log and a deep ravine makes the human child feel like he just doesn’t fit in anywhere, Tarzan strikes out on his own to try & find his place in the world.
Tarzan’s path eventually leads him to Dark Mountain. Where — after a run-in with a trio of rogue apes — the “Son of Man” befriends an elderly silverback, Zugor. Who (like Tarzan) feels like he doesn’t really fit in anymore. Which is why this aged ape is hiding himself away in the craggy peaks of an extinct volcano, keeping the world at bay by pretending to be a mysterious jungle beast.
Tarzan soon discovers Zurgor’s secret. And — in exchange for not telling the other creatures on Dark Mountain that they’re being terrorized by an ape who’s eligible to join the AARP — Zurgor will help Tarzan discover who he really is.
2005 Disney Enterprises, Inc.
Meanwhile, Tarzan’s mother Kala (voiced here — just as this character was in the original 1999 film — by multiple Tony Award winner Glenn Close), Terk and Tantor are worried about Tarzan. So they set off in search of the “Son of Man” and …
Look, “Tarzan II” doesn’t have a whole lot of story. Which is why I really don’t want to blow the film’s few surprises by talking too much about the plot here. But what this direct-to-video project DOES have is a killer vocal cast. Stand-up legend and best selling author George Carlin does a great job as the cranky old hermit ape. While Estelle (“Seinfeld,” “Toy Story II”) Harris, Brad (“Everybody Loves Raymond,” “A Bug’s Life”) Garrett and Ron “Hellboy,” “Beauty and the Beast”) Perlman provide the voices for the film’s trio of rogue apes: Mama Gunda and her two sons, Uto and Kago.
As I mentioned earlier, Close is back as the voice of Kala. While Lance (“Aliens,” “Millennium”) also returns to provide vocals for Tarzan’s stern father, Kerchak. Newcomers Harrison Chad, Brenda Grate and Harrison Fahn stand in for young Tarzan, Terk and Tantor respectively.
So — obviously — you’ve got a solid group of vocal performers on “Tarzan II.” But — given that Disney’s original “Tarzan” animated feature had such a distinctive look, had such beautifully animated characters — can that sort of film actually be duplicated on a direct-to-DVD budget.
Surprisingly, the answer is yes. Or should I say “a close approximation”? While I was watching “Tarzan II,” I was often struck at how good this “video premiere” looked. That the film’s backgrounds were so lush and highly detailed. How — through effective use of a sparing amount of CG — “Tarzan II” was able to recreate some of those surfing-the-trees scenes that made Chris Buck & Kevin Lima’s original film so much fun.
This is why I really have to give kudos to “Tarzan II” ‘s director, Brian Smith as well as the truly talented crew of animators at Walt Disney Animation (Australia) Inc. Given all that these guys accomplished on this direct-to-video project — particularly given this film’s tiny budget (Which was reportedly less than a 10th of what it cost to produce Disney’s first “Tarzan” animated feature) as well as its incredibly short production time — that “Tarzan II” looks as good as it does and is a basically a pretty entertaining flick is nothing short of remarkable.
2005 Disney Enterprises, Inc.
Again, I know. Saying something like isn’t going to exactly endear me to animation fans. Who (like me) mourn the fact that Disney doesn’t make these sorts of traditionally animated films at its stateside studio anymore. Though I have been hearing some very interesting rumors that that may be about to change …
Okay … One more interesting factoid before I wrap up this review. As part of the promotion of “Tarzan II,” the Walt Disney Company is making a very big deal about the fact that Phil Collins (Who actually won an Academy Award for “You’ll Be in My Heart,” a song that he wrote for the first “Tarzan” animated feature) came back to do two new songs for “Tarzan II.”
Well, a little bird over at Disney Theatrical (I.E. The folks who produce all of Disney’s Broadway-bound projects. Like the stage version of “Beauty & the Beast,” “The Lion King” and “Mary Poppins”) tell me that we should expect the two new songs that Phil wrote for “Tarzan II” — “Who Am I” & “Leaving Home” — to be prominently featured in the upcoming stage version of “Tarzan.”
Which — in effect — gives Disney two bites of the same apple. Which is rather appropriate, given that Disney Theatrical’s version of “Tarzan” is supposed to swinging into the Big Apple sometime in the Spring of 2006, following an out-of-town try-out in Boston.