Tarzan II (G, 2005)

TARZAN II takes us back to Tarzan's youth, and delves into the outsider status that the human Tarzan always faced in a family of gorillas. Following a series of misunderstandings and a near escape from death, the young Tarzan fears that his physical inadequacies endanger the safety of the group, and runs away from his family. In the jungle, he discovers an isolated old gorilla named Zugor (voiced by George Carlin). While this grumpy old Oz has long foisted a reign of imaginary terror on the neighborhood, Tarzan threatens to expose Zugor unless he will befriend and apprentice Tarzan. Needless to say, the growth that ensues is two-sided: Zugor agrees to help Tarzan discover what type of animal he really is, and Tarzan provides Zugor with the care and friendship he has missed throughout his life.

Importantly, this animated movie is much less about Tarzan gaining acceptance or changing the minds of those gorillas who doubted his capacity to survive than it is about him acknowledging his unique talents and recognizing the enduring love of those friends and family who would never have abandoned him. His stages of self-understanding are punctuated without subtlety by the music of Phil Collins, but there are plenty of fun sequences in which Tarzan emulates other animals and acquires his renowned lassoing and vine-swinging techniques.

Like Disney's other Tarzan films, this one is full of topographical enjoyment and rollercoaster-like rides through the forest that provide a real rush. There are delightfully cute baby gorillas and a pair of hopelessly stupid adolescents that add some comedy into the mix, though the best lines are contributed by Tarzan's pink elephant pal, whose histrionics and liberal use of clichés are hysterical.

Studio: Walt Disney Pictures
Director: Brian Smith
Cast: Brad Garrett, George Carlin, Glenn Close
Genre: Family and Kids
Run time: 72 minutes
Theatrical release: January 1, 2005
DVD release: June 12, 2005
MPAA Rating: G
MPAA explanation: general audiences