The adventures of Tarzan are legendary but in 3D, they were supposed to look even better. Sadly, The Legend of Tarzan fails to make you fall in love because Tarzan (Alexander Skarsgård) doesn’t appeal to the viewers.

Yes, he does have his moments but when you are Tarzan and in search of Jane, you are supposed to be something big which this Tarzan wasn’t.

The story revolves around the abduction of Tarzan’s wife Jane (Margot Robbie) while they are visiting Congo as Lord and Lady Greystroke.

Tarzan goes all-wild in search of his wife who is kept captive by Captain Rom (Christopher Waltz), the Belgian who wants to exchange Tarzan for diamonds. Tarzan finds his ‘brother’ in the jungle and after fighting with him, he asks for his help and together, they win the day, the Tarzan way!

The story is too much to digest if you ask me; diamonds, apes, steamboats, railroads and the involvement of two governments could have been toned down to something simpler.

Tarzan uses his powers to ‘communicate’ with animals but that comes too late in the film, and by the time he asks for their help, most of the audience has either left the cinema or fallen sleep.

The fight sequences are well executed but could have been better; the release of similar-styled Jungle Book a few months back also made this version look familiar despite being directed by Harry Potter director David Yates.

Veteran actor Samuel L. Jackson has a significant role in the flick — as the sidekick — which shows how serious the filmmakers were with the movie. Margot Robbie looks beautiful in every frame she is in and her portrayal might have been approved by Edgar Rice Burroughs himself.

The biggest disappointment of the movie was Alexander Skarsgård who didn’t look like Tarzan at all; he looked more like a gym-going stud who was sent to jungle to find something, rather than someone.

Hope the producers learn something from this miscast and make a better Tarzan the next time.

Published in Dawn, Young World, August 20th, 2016