The Legend of Tarzan (2016)

Coming off an extended break, we dive right back into our Margot Robbie filmography watch through with The Legend of Tarzan (2016).

Title: The Legend of Tarzan

Director: David Yates

Runtime: 1 hour 50 minutes

Watched via: VOD rental

IMDb synopsis: Tarzan, having acclimated to life in London, is called back to his former home in the jungle to investigate the activities at a mining encampment.

I would say better late than never that we finally get to The Legend of Tarzan, but that would be a lie.

Tarzan is a character that you could build a million different stories off of and around. Yet somehow we managed to get a story with no structure. With a cast including the likes of Alexander Skarsgård (Tarzan), Margot Robbie (Jane), Christoph Waltz (Leon Rom), and Samuel L. Jackson (George Washington Williams) one forms a certain set of expectations for what they’re about to see. A very long one hour and fifty minutes later, you realize that expectations do not always equal reality.

With an estimated budget of $180 million, what we are given in terms of CGI is downright atrocious. It looks like a cheaply made video game and laughably distracts you from what is happening onscreen. Also, why is it that every other shot required a closeup? The camera work was borderline nauseating throughout. Add to that the wooden performance turned in by Skarsgård and you’re in for a rough ride once you hit play.

However, it wasn’t all completely negative. The last time we saw Margot in Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, she made the best of her limited screen time. Here as Jane she has a substantially larger role and, for me, is one of the two bright spots of the entire film. She is able to get you to invest in the character of Jane, even when everything around her is doing its best to get you to turn the movie off.

The other bright spot, which should not come as a surprise to anyone, is Samuel L. Jackson. While he isn’t quite the “comedic sidekick”, I’m not sure how else to describe him in this role. You could almost argue that his character was borderline unnecessary, or at the very least that he didn’t need to make the journey to the Congo. Although you wouldn’t be completely wrong, Jackson as George Washington Williams makes The Legend of Tarzan (2016) slightly tolerable. He brings just the right amount of fun and funny to the table to make you want more of him.

Overall though, this is a hard avoid. Since it is not currently streaming for free, save your money and wait until it is. Even then, maybe checkout something that’s been rotting in your watchlist instead.

So, what did you think of The Legend of Tarzan (2016)? Are we on the same page? Did you enjoy it? Let me know in the comments below or by reaching out on social media.

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What’s next? Next up in our Margot Robbie filmography watch through will be 2016’s Suicide Squad. I have seen it once before and remember it not being as bad as everyone claimed. Curious to see how it holds up on a re-watch. You can currently stream Suicide Squad for free with an HBOMAX subscription. It is also available to rent for $3.99 through most major platforms.