Saw Legend of Tarzan at a dollar theater--actually okay?!
Aug 20, 2016 0:56:34 GMT -5
ComradePig, ganews, and 3 more like this
Post by Baramos on Aug 20, 2016 0:56:34 GMT -5
Hard to say why but I actually enjoyed this film quite a bit. It is far from flawless but I feel this is the more typical summer movie fare we used to get with some solid casting, solid storytelling, solid acting, solid action, all of that. This summer has been a pretty big disappointment to me but I have to say I'm sorry I skipped this when it first came out.
I wouldn't say rush out and see it or buy it, but if you do see it on Netflix, movie channels, or for rent, give it a whirl.
I was very surprised that Samuel L. Jackson was in it (did they just completely leave him out of all the promotional materials, or what?), and he was actually acting! He clearly actually gave a shit about emoting in this film. Might be the best acting he's done in ten years. I guess if they want that kind of performance out of him they have to give him co-star position like they did here.
It has some white savior connotations but it goes a long way towards addressing this issue with the source material. It co-stars Samuel Jackson as an ex-slave and Civil War hero, and I think he rises above a typical "sidekick" role, all the villains are white colonialists (Chief Labongo ends up burying the hatchet with Tarzan by the end), the exploitation of the Congo and its people by whites is directly addressed throughout, etc. There's still the issue of Tarzan defeating the mercenaries at the end without the aid of anyone other than Jackson, though (well, that and a cadre of animals). The African tribes all show up right after he's won the day. They could havehad a big battle where they defeated the bulk of the mercenaries and left Tarzan to the direct confrontation with Rom. This would still have some white savior issues but would have been another step towards ameliorating it even more. There's still room for criticizing it through the lens of historical discourse, no question, but they definitely were TRYING with this movie in ways that other attempts to reboot old franchises, such as, say, the Lone Ranger, did not. I mean, the Lone Ranger literally sticks a white actor in for Tonto. That's even more regressive than the old material.
Anyway, of the movies that came out during the actual summer (May isn't summer to me! I refuse it!), Star Trek Beyond is probably the actual winner in quality, but I would put this at a close second. I was disappointed by Jason Bourne and Suicide Squad, and everything else was pretty middling or outright terrible.
I wouldn't say rush out and see it or buy it, but if you do see it on Netflix, movie channels, or for rent, give it a whirl.
I was very surprised that Samuel L. Jackson was in it (did they just completely leave him out of all the promotional materials, or what?), and he was actually acting! He clearly actually gave a shit about emoting in this film. Might be the best acting he's done in ten years. I guess if they want that kind of performance out of him they have to give him co-star position like they did here.
It has some white savior connotations but it goes a long way towards addressing this issue with the source material. It co-stars Samuel Jackson as an ex-slave and Civil War hero, and I think he rises above a typical "sidekick" role, all the villains are white colonialists (Chief Labongo ends up burying the hatchet with Tarzan by the end), the exploitation of the Congo and its people by whites is directly addressed throughout, etc. There's still the issue of Tarzan defeating the mercenaries at the end without the aid of anyone other than Jackson, though (well, that and a cadre of animals). The African tribes all show up right after he's won the day. They could havehad a big battle where they defeated the bulk of the mercenaries and left Tarzan to the direct confrontation with Rom. This would still have some white savior issues but would have been another step towards ameliorating it even more. There's still room for criticizing it through the lens of historical discourse, no question, but they definitely were TRYING with this movie in ways that other attempts to reboot old franchises, such as, say, the Lone Ranger, did not. I mean, the Lone Ranger literally sticks a white actor in for Tonto. That's even more regressive than the old material.
Anyway, of the movies that came out during the actual summer (May isn't summer to me! I refuse it!), Star Trek Beyond is probably the actual winner in quality, but I would put this at a close second. I was disappointed by Jason Bourne and Suicide Squad, and everything else was pretty middling or outright terrible.
