lions

A bridge builder begins the hunt for two lions that start attacking the local construction workers : I may be in the minority with this one but I really enjoy revisiting Stephen Hopkins THE GHOST AND THE DARKNESS : the film has a familiar tone to Spielberg’s Jaws accept that the monster is the King of the Jungle and there are two of them killing for pleasure, stalking their prey and wreaking havok to a small African region known as Tsavo : Hopkins movie is based around the the Tsavo Man-Eaters the true story of those Lions dating back to 1898 : not only did I find the film’s story compelling, the Jaws like hunt and then to be hunted arc but I also loved the chemistry between Michael Douglas’s grizzled hunter Remington and Val Kilmer‘s Patterson both seemed to click and feed off each other’s energy & undoubted passion for Hopkins movie (ignore the Razzie nomination, for me it’s a top 5 Kilmer performance for sure) : one of my favorite moments in the movie is when Patterson runs to meet his wife who has arrived at the train station in Tsavo with their new born child, it’s a dream sequence, you see the Lion come out of the long grass to the side of the station savaging both mum & child (by the way the mum is played by a very young Emily Mortimer) it’s a really good scene : the film was shot by Vilmos Zsigmond (Close Encounters of the Third Kind) around the Songimvelo Game Reserve in South Africa and adds so much to the film’s spectacle, the authenticity of the regions beauty & danger is an overwhelming plus point, also worth mentioning that Bruce Stambler won an Academy Award for Sound Editing : If like me you enjoy revisiting the gems of yester-year then give The Ghost and the Darkness another watch, for me it’s still holds up well as a well acted, thrilling scare ride that will have your nerves a jangling from start to finish ★★★★½

Edgar Rice Burroughs creation has seen makeovers, there has been a lot of movies based around his character since the very first one back in 1918 – of course I grew up like many watching Johnny Weissmuller most people’s definitive Tarzan swinging through the jungle, his distinctive vocals and great build perfect in portraying our jungle born hero – in more recent times we have seen Tarzan, the Ape Man back in 1981 and Greystoke starring Christopher Lambert back in 1984 – so when I first heard the Harry Potter film-maker David Yates was involved in a new fresh take on this character and had lined up the talented True Blood actor Alexander Skarsgard for the lead I was pretty stoked on the possible direction of this new franchise…….

The Legend of Tarzan is one of the most visually beautiful movies to look at for many a year, from it’s sizzling, easy on the eye cast, it’s sweeping cinematography to it’s epic special effects this is an action adventure jam packed with all the niceties of modern Hollywood, everything about this movie reminded me of the classics of yesteryear, not only big in scale but family friendly, a real rip roaring big screen event that is a delight from start to finish – as actors go Alexander Skarsgard is the near perfect embodiment of Burroughs Tarzan, he’s not only got that athletic physique but he has plenty of screen presence, his muscular frame and chiselled features lend to that image that he was brought up by Gorillas in the African jungle – Margot Robbie meanwhile adds beauty, charm and wit to Tarzan’s Jane and more importantly I guess is their on-screen chemistry it’s hot (very hot) – the film’s villain is Leon Rom played wonderfully by the menacing Christoph Waltz he’s terrific as usual, his piercing eyes and that chain he carries used as a weapon is pretty badass – David Yates also delivered a casting master stoke when bringing onboard veteran Samuel L Jackson his portrayal of George Washington Williams an American who travels with Tarzan to Africa in search of proof that the Belgians are enslaving the Congolese people is a big part of the film’s appeal, he seems to be having so much fun with his role, his one liners and action scenes alongside Skarsgard are brilliant, and was it me or does Jackson look so much younger……

The Legend of Tarzan is a thrilling spectacle, full of excitement, adventure and romance, don’t wait for home media, take a trip to your nearest big screen and allow Henry Braham’s breathtaking cinematography to transport you to another place and time, the African landscape and those who inhabit it has never looked so good – Overall: I really enjoyed David Yates take on the Tarzan tale, he’s delivered an entertaining picture, one that I hope will spawn a sequel or two ★★★★