The Legend of Tarzan

Something about a fantastical character performing heroic deeds in a historical setting rings hollow—like Spider-Man conducting escaped slaves along the Underground Railroad. In this way The Legend of Tarzan, though richly filmed and action-packed, just doesn’t sit right.

On a mission for the Crown, Tarzan (Alexander Skarsgård), aka Viscount Greystoke or John Clayton III, leaves the comfort of his 1880s English manor, returning to the land where he was born and raised by apes. There he encounters diabolical Belgian envoy Leon Rom (Christoph Waltz), sent by King Leopold II to oversee the pillaging of the Congo’s mineral wealth and the enslavement of its people.

A fierce tribal leader (Djimon Hounsou) who holds an old grudge against Tarzan offers to secure diamond transport for Rom in exchange for Tarzan’s head. Rom nabs Mrs. Jane Clayton (Margot Robbie) and trainloads of native folks, and with Belgian troops lies in wait for Tarzan to swing to the rescue. But Jane’s no damsel in distress: With hands bound she high-dives from a riverboat and frees a slave caged underwater.

Evidently, the other captives aren’t so resourceful. Thus, Lord Greystoke sheds his morning coat (and, eventually, almost all his other clothing) and sets out to rid the Congo of its oppressors as only Tarzan can—by summoning hosts of gorillas, lions, and wildebeests. George Washington Williams (Samuel L. Jackson), a real-life, 19th-century human rights activist, tags along but contributes little more than comic relief. The film chances quite a dicey, throwback headline: Aryan savior single-handedly liberates ‘Dark Continent.’

Racial overtones aside, the oil of history and the water of fantasy do not mix successfully in this Tarzan film (rated PG-13 for violence, some sensuality, and rude language), delivering a diverting fantasy but an uninspiring cinematic experience.