PHENOMENALITY: *uncanny*
MYTHICITY: *poor*
FRYEAN MYTHOS: *adventure*
CAMPBELLIAN FUNCTION: *sociological*
Thus far, THE NEW ADVENTURES OF TARZAN is the worst Tarzan movie I've seen-- and yes, that even takes in pretentious junk like 1981's remake of "Tarzan the Ape Man."
This serial-- the last one to feature Tarzan-- is sometimes admired for having hewed more closely to the prose version of the ape man, in contrast to the two highly regarded MGM films that immediately preceded it. The Tarzan of the serial speaks full sentences. has a best friend named D'Arnot, and even pals around with an ape-buddy named N'Kima, though the book-version was a monkey and the serial-ape is a chimp. D'Arnot goes missing in Guatemala, providing Lord Greystoke with a motivation to join a party of treasure-hunters seeking to acquire (translated "rip off") an idol called the Green Goddess from a tribe of natives, apparently distant descendants of the Mayans.
However, these piddling concessions to the continuity of the books is a poor substitute for Burroughs' lively storytelling. I don't expect deep characterization from an adventure serial, but I like to feel that the characters, even if broadly drawn, are reasonably distinct. The Guatemalan expedition has its stock roles-- middle-aged archaeologist, cute archaeologist's daughter, female fiancee looking for her lost love, sneaking betrayer, and comedy relief-- but they aren't even rendered with the slight touches of humanity that one finds in average serials. Tarzan looks great as portrayed by Olympic competitor Herman Brix, but he too is a cipher. Early in the serial he encounters one villain who possesses a mild resemblance to the books' Priestess La, but she only appears in a few episodes. Once the expedition steals the fabulous Green Goddess statue from the sacrifice-loving savages, most of the serial's action concerns the heroes trying to hold onto the statue as the sneaky traitor keeps trying to steal it. But the Green Goddess is no Maltese Falcon, so I for one didn't care if the heroes succeeded or not.
The action-scenes are just fair; instead of artful choreography, Tarzan just wades into hordes of opponents, hitting and shoving. There's one memorable scene in which the ape man is bloodied by a falling spike-edged trap, but that's as visceral as things get. I'm not sure if the murky look of the photography is simply the result of the serial's age: perhaps it would look better after a proper restoration. But given that the events of the serial are so relentlessly humdrum, I don't know why anyone would bother.
Thus far, THE NEW ADVENTURES OF TARZAN is the worst Tarzan movie I've seen-- and yes, that even takes in pretentious junk like 1981's remake of "Tarzan the Ape Man."
This serial-- the last one to feature Tarzan-- is sometimes admired for having hewed more closely to the prose version of the ape man, in contrast to the two highly regarded MGM films that immediately preceded it. The Tarzan of the serial speaks full sentences. has a best friend named D'Arnot, and even pals around with an ape-buddy named N'Kima, though the book-version was a monkey and the serial-ape is a chimp. D'Arnot goes missing in Guatemala, providing Lord Greystoke with a motivation to join a party of treasure-hunters seeking to acquire (translated "rip off") an idol called the Green Goddess from a tribe of natives, apparently distant descendants of the Mayans.
However, these piddling concessions to the continuity of the books is a poor substitute for Burroughs' lively storytelling. I don't expect deep characterization from an adventure serial, but I like to feel that the characters, even if broadly drawn, are reasonably distinct. The Guatemalan expedition has its stock roles-- middle-aged archaeologist, cute archaeologist's daughter, female fiancee looking for her lost love, sneaking betrayer, and comedy relief-- but they aren't even rendered with the slight touches of humanity that one finds in average serials. Tarzan looks great as portrayed by Olympic competitor Herman Brix, but he too is a cipher. Early in the serial he encounters one villain who possesses a mild resemblance to the books' Priestess La, but she only appears in a few episodes. Once the expedition steals the fabulous Green Goddess statue from the sacrifice-loving savages, most of the serial's action concerns the heroes trying to hold onto the statue as the sneaky traitor keeps trying to steal it. But the Green Goddess is no Maltese Falcon, so I for one didn't care if the heroes succeeded or not.
The action-scenes are just fair; instead of artful choreography, Tarzan just wades into hordes of opponents, hitting and shoving. There's one memorable scene in which the ape man is bloodied by a falling spike-edged trap, but that's as visceral as things get. I'm not sure if the murky look of the photography is simply the result of the serial's age: perhaps it would look better after a proper restoration. But given that the events of the serial are so relentlessly humdrum, I don't know why anyone would bother.
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