Tarzan - The Ape Man Review

This one is hardly a Tarzan movie. He is there only to justify the name. What the heck, people don't even go to watch Tarzan in the first place. How can they, when Bo Derek is around? Did we, for instance, put a picture up there that has any apeman in it?

Hubbie John had directed this wishy-washy Tarzan flick (ain't they all?) in 1981 for 'producer', Bo Derek. Bo plays Jane Parker, who visits her father, James Parker (Richard Harris), in Africa, where he is on a perennial expedition. Having reminded him of his betrayal of her mother, she gets closer to him. She leaves on an expedition with his entourage.

James Parker is on the lookout for a sea that is supposed to have a huge stock of ivory in it. They manage to find the sea, but also Tarzan (Miles 'O Keefe) with it - more than 40 minutes into the film. Rather, Jane finds Tarzan - at the beach, in the company of a lion. I find it difficult to believe that a stiffer actor played the role. Keefe is as emotive as a pole, and the lack of dialogues and expressions (that would be too much to ask) gets him as close as possible to being a log.

Tarzan keeps popping up to lift Jane, who is already in awe of him. James vows to have Tarzan's head stuffed for what he does to his daughter. Unfortunately, he never gets to him. The climax has the entire entourage kidnapped by savages, who scrub Jane 'like a horse' and 'paint her white'. Tarzan makes it in time to rescue all but James.

The thing that everyone would like to know is that Derek wears fewer clothes than Tarzan for a considerable amount of time. She looks mildly insane when she keeps biting her nails when confronted by Tarzan. I guess I have made my point about Miles. Richard Harris' histrionics are a little over the top. He is the only 'actor' here, but one wished that he did not try to compensate for the rest of the cast.

The technical aspects are nothing to write home about. The editing is patchy, with scenes snapping abruptly. The camera-work is interesting only where Derek and the surf go together.

Bottomline: Bo Derek is beautiful but the film sucks. Watch it only if you wanna check out the first part.