Everything that could have gone well didn't.
It's pretty clear from the start that this movie has a lot on its mind. And well it should, as merely its title conjures ideas of colonialism, environmentalism, sexism, and racism. Its turgid script and attempted epic proportion, however, fail to match with the film's obvious emphasis on action and CGI sequences. It's hard to care much about the injustice done upon native peoples or the environment when you're dazzled by Alexander Skarsgard cuddling with lions.
That's not to say it's not an entertaining picture. Skarsgard is mostly naked most of the time, which is fine, and his Byronic take on the character is unexpectedly engaging. Director David Yates carries his mastery of atmosphere over from his Harry Potter films, dousing each shot with saturated light and mist in a colorful palette of hues. We get to see lovely moments like a hippo attack and the villain's demise by crocodile, which is obviously worthwhile. And, if you don't mind anachronistic weirdness, Samuel L. Jackson plays Samuel L. Jackson doing tiresome comic relief.
I'd go ahead and describe the plot for you, but there isn't much of one, and it's a pretty tedious amalgamation of other, better action/adventures.Consider the climactic wildebeest stampede: it was more emotional in The Lion King and more clever and awesome in Australia. I'd go ahead and praise the actors, but they don't do much: I don't know how the producers managed to get such a fine cast and then waste literally all of their talents. Christoph Waltz's villain is almost as dull as in Spectre. Actually, no, here it's worse. Margot Robbie is just pathetic as a lackluster American damsel in distress who fits the period about as well as Jackson. Jim Broadbent and Djimon Hounsou show up for a few speedy scenes, but then we forget they were there because it just doesn't matter.
It's just mindless fun. "Fun", I should say, if you let the eye candy distract you from the fact that it's astonishingly silly stuff, and from remembering that the 1999 Disney cartoon is an infinitely better way to spend your time.
IMDb: The Legend of Tarzan
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