Tarzan (1999)

Edgar Rice Burroughs first published his Tarzan stories in 1912, and the character has since been adapted for the screen more times than most people could count without pausing for breath. By the time Disney came to make their version in 1999, audiences had already sat through decades of jungle-swinging variations, from the black-and-white Johnny Weissmuller serials of the 1930s to the various live-action revivals in between. The challenge for Walt Disney Feature Animation, then, was not simply to retell the story of an orphan raised by apes in the African rainforest, but to find a way to make it feel fresh and worthy of a studio that had, across the previous decade, turned animated features back into genuine cultural events. That decade-long run, often referred to as the Disney Renaissance, had produced a string of films that set the template for big, emotionally ambitious animation. Whether Tarzan belongs in that company is very much a matter of opinion, and it's exactly the kind of question worth sitting with. For another Disney animation from this general era, it's worth reading what I made of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, which grappled with similarly weighty source material and with similarly mixed results.

The film was co-directed by Chris Buck and Kevin Lima, the former of whom has since become one of the more quietly prolific figures in modern Disney animation (his later work includes Frozen and Surf's Up). Released by Walt Disney Pictures in June 1999, the production is notable for its use of a proprietary software system called Deep Canvas, which allowed animators to paint three-dimensional backgrounds that the camera could move through with genuine depth and momentum, particularly during the tree-surfing sequences that became something of a signature for the film. It was a technical ambition that the studio leaned into heavily in its marketing. The source material is Burroughs' original novels, though the screenplay takes considerable liberties with the surrounding cast and tone, softening many of the harder edges of the source material in favour of a broadly family-friendly adventure.

The voice cast is a polished but unremarkable ensemble by Disney standards. Tony Goldwyn takes the lead role, lending Tarzan a warm and earnest quality, while Minnie Driver brings considerable energy to Jane, even if the script does not always give her enough to work with. Glenn Close and Rosie O'Donnell provide the voices of two of the principal apes, and the film also features a young Alex D. Linz in a supporting role. The Phil Collins soundtrack, written and performed entirely by Collins rather than sung by the characters in the traditional Disney musical style, was a deliberate departure from the conventions the studio had established through the early 1990s, and it proved to be one of the film's most discussed elements on release.

Disney’s Tarzan (1999) is a slick, visually impressive film that plays it safe when it should swing for the vines. The animation is fluid and dynamic, giving the jungle a lush, immersive feel. Action sequences soar through treetops with real momentum, and the character designs are expressive, particularly among the gorillas. But beneath the polish, the story feels formulaic: orphan raised by animals, torn between two worlds, must choose where he belongs. We’ve seen this arc before, and Tarzan doesn’t add much new. Where the film truly shines is its soundtrack. Phil Collins’ songs (“You’ll Be in My Heart,” “Two Worlds,” “Son of Man”) are emotional, anthemic, and seamlessly woven into the narrative. They elevate moments that would otherwise fall flat, adding heart and rhythm to an otherwise predictable plot. Collins’ voice becomes a kind of Greek chorus, guiding us through Tarzan’s inner journey with warmth and sincerity. The characters, however, lack depth. Tarzan himself is more physique than personality, Jane is charming but underwritten, and the villains (led by a cartoonishly greedy hunter) feel like placeholders. Even the apes, voiced by Glenn Close and Rosie O’Donnell, lean into broad comedy rather than emotional complexity. The film hints at deeper themes (colonialism, belonging, family) but never fully explores them. Tarzan is a decent, good-looking Disney package with a killer soundtrack and impressive animation, but it’s held back by a safe, surface-level story. Enjoy it for the music and the visuals, but don’t expect the emotional or narrative richness of Disney’s golden-era classics. It swings confidently… but never quite flies.

If I'm honest, Tarzan sits in a curious middle ground for me: a film that is easy to admire technically but harder to love wholeheartedly. The Phil Collins angle is something I keep coming back to, because it genuinely does the heavy lifting in a way that feels almost unfair on the rest of the film. Strip that soundtrack out and you have a handsomely produced adventure that coasts on formula. I'd be curious how it lands with people encountering it fresh today, without the nostalgia factor that cushions a lot of these late-nineties Disney releases. As it stands, it's a film you'd happily put on a Sunday afternoon and not regret, but probably not one you'd find yourself thinking about on Monday morning. Nice enough. Just never quite enough.

Rating: ★★½  | Year: 1999  | Watched: 2026-04-16

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Trailer

▶ Watch the official trailer for Tarzan (1999) on YouTube

Where to watch

Watch in the UK
Stream: Disney Plus
Rent: Rakuten TV · Sky Store
Buy: Apple TV Store · Rakuten TV · Amazon Video · Google Play Movies
Physical: Amazon UK · Zavvi

Watch in the US
Stream: Disney Plus
Rent: Amazon Video · Google Play Movies · YouTube · Fandango At Home
Buy: Amazon Video · Apple TV Store · Google Play Movies · YouTube
Physical: Amazon US

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