Tarzan & Jane
Year: 2002
Directed by: Victor Cook & Steve Loter
Starring: Olivia d'Abo & Michael T. Weiss
Runtime: 75 mins
BBFC: U
Published: 11/04/22
Directed by: Victor Cook & Steve Loter
Starring: Olivia d'Abo & Michael T. Weiss
Runtime: 75 mins
BBFC: U
Published: 11/04/22
I can’t help but feel a little mugged off by Walt Disney Television Animation. Having just come off the back of the disappointing Cinderella II I was hoping that the studio would ditch the three stories from the TV show angle in favour of a proper film for Tarzan & Jane but it seems I was mistaken. However, the rabbit hole goes even deeper than I thought with this one in what is probably one of the most egregious money grabbing schemes I have ever seen from the company.
Set one year after the events of 1998’s Tarzan, Tarzan & Jane tells three adventures about Jane’s (Olivia d'Abo) new life in the jungle with her now husband Tarzan (Michael T. Weiss). The first short depicts Jane’s friends coming to visit her and finding themselves rather out of their depth. The second sees Tarzan assist some diamond miners; and the third short is about Tarzan getting jealous of a man Jane used to know that turns up in the jungle. The stories themselves are pretty dire as it is, with none of them retaining the same wit or charm present in the 1998 film and thereby not having anything that made it enjoyable.
But to make matters even worse, the three shorts presented are three episodes of the ‘Legend of Tarzan’ TV show that was running at the same time the film released, but have bits missing from them. So not only have Disney sold content that you’ve already seen from the TV show under the pretence of it being a film, but they’ve actually cut bits out of it! I’m genuinely floored at the gall Disney had to release this and market it as a full-blown home video sequel to Tarzan.
Set one year after the events of 1998’s Tarzan, Tarzan & Jane tells three adventures about Jane’s (Olivia d'Abo) new life in the jungle with her now husband Tarzan (Michael T. Weiss). The first short depicts Jane’s friends coming to visit her and finding themselves rather out of their depth. The second sees Tarzan assist some diamond miners; and the third short is about Tarzan getting jealous of a man Jane used to know that turns up in the jungle. The stories themselves are pretty dire as it is, with none of them retaining the same wit or charm present in the 1998 film and thereby not having anything that made it enjoyable.
But to make matters even worse, the three shorts presented are three episodes of the ‘Legend of Tarzan’ TV show that was running at the same time the film released, but have bits missing from them. So not only have Disney sold content that you’ve already seen from the TV show under the pretence of it being a film, but they’ve actually cut bits out of it! I’m genuinely floored at the gall Disney had to release this and market it as a full-blown home video sequel to Tarzan.
The animation looks rubbish too, even in comparison to other Disney TV shows airing at the same time. The characters look rough, environments sparse and lacking detail. The voice performances are all pretty rubbish and none of the original voice cast have reprised their roles. This is such a major step back for the Disney Animated Sequels because this harkens back to the early days of the studio with films like Return of Jafar and Belle’s Magical World…but it’s even worse when you take into account that this is content they’ve already released before.
Nothing short of despicable, Tarzan & Jane is lower than I thought a studio could sink when trying to pump out low budget crap for kids. Whilst it may keep them entertained, if they’ve seen the Tarzan TV series then they’ve likely already watched the contents of this film. There is no reason why this film should even exist.
Nothing short of despicable, Tarzan & Jane is lower than I thought a studio could sink when trying to pump out low budget crap for kids. Whilst it may keep them entertained, if they’ve seen the Tarzan TV series then they’ve likely already watched the contents of this film. There is no reason why this film should even exist.