At its heart, The Legend of Tarzan has a pristine plot of saving the slaves from the clutches of a ruthless army, befriending animals, fighting inner and outer demons, a menacing villain who leaves nothing on his way to reach the treasure trove of diamonds. However, the water-down approach to bring in some fine performances dilutes the entire experience. Few actors got it right but the protagonist stays miles from pulling off a great act.
A great piece of work in this film on Tarzan is the way the director interweaves the present happenings with past scenes to help you get the background right. But, sadly, the better acting comes from the animals than the lead.
Skarsgard is more muscular than any other hero but couldn’t flex his facial muscles a lot. When there is a dire need of an emotional payoff in the end, he falls flat. Robbie gets spunky at times, but that’s fleeting.
Samuel Jackson provides some comic relief and Christopher Waltz fills in the blanks with evilness. The Legend Of Tarzan has a fantastic setup and a strong plot, but it drags too much, which saps the energy out of the audience. The Legend of Tarzan has a clean setup but could have been much more than this offering. With few glorious moments and few dull ones, the film stands as an average fare.