Tarzan (2013 film)

German animated film

Tarzan

Theatrical release poster

Directed by| Reinhard Klooss
Written by| Reinhard Klooss
Based on| Tarzan stories
by Edgar Rice Burroughs
Produced by|

* Robert Kulzer[1]
* Reinhard Klooss[1]

Starring|

* Kellan Lutz
* Spencer Locke

Narrated by| Jason Hildebrandt
Cinematography| Marcus Eckert
Edited by| Alexander Dittner
Music by| David Newman

Production
companies

* Constantin Film
* Ambient Entertainment

Distributed by| Constantin Film

Release dates

* 17 October 2013 (2013-10-17) (Russia)
* 20 February 2014 (2014-02-20) (Germany)

Running time

| 94 minutes
Country| Germany
Language| English
Budget| €25 million
Box office| €44.1 million[2]

Tarzan is a 2013 English-language German animated action-adventure film based on the Tarzan stories by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Written, directed and produced by Reinhard Klooss, the film features the voices of Kellan Lutz and Spencer Locke. The story sees Tarzan (Lutz), a helicopter crash survivor who was raised by apes, as he meets and teams up with Jane Porter (Locke) to protect an energy-abundant meteorite from the greedy CEO of Tarzan's late father's company.

Tarzan premiered in Russia on 17 October 2013, before releasing in Germany on 20 February 2014. It was distributed in Germany by Constantin Film, with international sales handled by Summit Entertainment. The film grossed €44.1 million worldwide against a budget of €25 million, despite receiving predominantly negative reviews from critics.

## Plot

[edit]

In prehistoric times, an asteroid crashes into Earth and kills all the dinosaurs. In the present day, industrialist John Greystoke funds an expedition to Uganda to locate the meteor and harness its energy. Aided by scientist James Porter, the expedition is a failure and John decides to leave with his wife and their son John Jr.

While flying over a semi-active volcano, the Greystokes' helicopter's instruments go haywire. Forced to land on the meteor, John explores a cave and discovers glowing rock formations. Using his pickaxe, John collects a sample, only to cause a chain reaction that awakens the volcano. While trying to escape, their helicopter crashes, with only John Jr. surviving. The boy is discovered by the Mountain gorilla Kala, who recently lost her child. Adopted into the troop, John chooses to be called "Tarzan", a name he made up meaning "Ape with no fur."

Tarzan grows up learning the ways of the animals. After the Greystokes' disappearance, Dr. James Porter funds his expeditions by acting as a jungle guide for wealthy tourists. During a routine safari, a client wanders away from the group, attracting the attention of a cassowary. Dr. Porter's daughter Jane saves him by putting herself in danger, as she is bitten by a viper. Infatuated with the girl, Tarzan carries Jane to a shelter and cures her. The next day, she returns to her father's camp with only vague memories of the night before.

Confused by exposure to humans after so long, Tarzan decides to leave his gorilla family. He wanders to the site of the helicopter crash, finds the meteor stone his father took, and builds a shelter. Years later, Tublat, the apes' abusive leader, noses around Tarzan's shelter and accidentally activates the helicopter's emergency beacon. The transmission is received by Greystoke Energies. William Clayton, its current CEO, knowing what John senior was looking for, sees a chance to make money. He promises Jane, who now works for a conservation group, to fund her organization if she accompanies him to Africa to speak with her father.

In Africa, Jane is disgusted by Clayton's greed. She leaves the party, wanders into the jungle and finds Tarzan, now a man. Astounded, he brings her to his refuge. As a mark of love, Tarzan chips off a piece of the meteor rock and gives it to her. The rest of the group tracks Jane down there, where Clayton is shocked to find the Greystoke heir alive. Seeing him as a threat to his power, Clayton starts opening fire. The couple flees and is forced to enter a valley affected by the meteor, which caused unique mutations in the local flora and fauna, turning them into monsters. Surviving many dangers, the couple reaches the meteor, where Tarzan recognizes his father's long-abandoned pickaxe. Jane realizes Tarzan's true identity as John's son.

Tarzan returns to his ape tribe, where he introduces Jane to Kala and challenges Tublat for the right to lead. In the ensuing fight, Tarzan defeats Tublat and exiles him from the troop. That night, Jane and Tarzan admit to their love.

Meanwhile, Clayton transforms Dr. Porter's base into an armed base filled with mercenaries. A conflict later ensues between the couple and Clayton's men. Kala runs in to protect Tarzan and Jane, getting shot in the process. Tarzan is attacked from behind and locked in a cage. Adided by his gorilla friends, he escapes, moves Kala into the jungle, and treats her wound, determined to get his revenge. Clayton moves his resources to the meteor and rigs it with explosives. Tied up there and left to die, Jane and her father are rescued by Tarzan. Dr. Porter decides to stay behind and try to stop the detonation. In the ensuing battle, Tarzan summons his animal friends with a loud cry, the meteor awakens the volcano and the mountain begins to give way. While Clayton and his crew fall to their demises, Jane and Tarzan escape.

The couple reunites with Tarzan's family and vow to protect the forest. Meanwhile, Dr. Porter climbs up the cliff where he had gotten a piece of the meteor.

## Cast

[edit]

* Kellan Lutz as John Greystoke Jr. / Tarzan, a man who was raised by Mountain gorillas from childhood following his survival of the helicopter crash that killed his parents.[3]
* Craig Garner and Jonathan Morgan Heit as 4-year-old Tarzan
* Anton Zetterholm as a teenage Tarzan
* Spencer Locke as Jane Porter, the daughter of Dr. Porter and Tarzan's love interest.
* Jaime Ray Newman as Alice Greystoke, Tarzan's mother who died in a helicopter crash along with her husband.[4]
* Robert Capron as Derek
* Mark Deklin as John Greystoke, the father of Tarzan and former CEO of Greystoke Energies. Before his death, John was exploring the site of an ancient meteorite crash, and was on the brink of a discovery.[5]
* Trevor St. John as William Clayton, the greedy and scheming CEO of Greystoke Energies who sends a mercenary army to eliminate Tarzan and Jane.[4]
* Brian Huskey as Smith
* Faton Millanaj as Miles
* Maximilian Nepomuk Allgeier as Pilot 2
* Christian Serritiello as Chris
* Brian Bloom as Miller
* Andy Wareham as Tublat, the rogue Mountain gorilla who takes over Kerchak's troop.
* Jeff Burrell as Derek's Father
* Jason Hildebrandt as the narrator
* Joe Cappelletti as Professor James Porter, Jane's father and an old friend of Tarzan's parents.

## Production

[edit]

Development on the film was announced in August 2010 when Constantin Film acquired animation rights to the Tarzan novels from the estate of author Edgar Rice Burroughs.[6] The film's motion capture was shot in the Bavaria Film studio in Munich, and the animation process was done at Ambient Entertainment studios at Hannover.[5][7] Director Reinhard Kloos wrote the screen story and screenplay, with uncredited contributions by Jessica Postigo and Yoni Brenner.[8]

## Soundtrack

[edit]

Tarzan

Soundtrack album by

David Newman

Released| 2013
Recorded| 2013
Studio| Teldex Scoring Stage, Berlin
Genre| Film soundtrack
Length| 64:45
Label| Parlophone
Producer| David Newman
David Newman film scores chronology
| A Christmas Story 2
(2012)  | Tarzan
(2013)  | Behaving Badly
(2014)

|
|

Title  | Performer

|

"Paradise" | Coldplay
"Loud Like Love" | Placebo

## Release

[edit]

Initially titled Tarzan 3D, the film was reportedly set to premiere in Germany on 17 October 2013.[9], although its release date was revised and set for February 20, 2014 after its release in several other countries.

On 24 April 2014, the Irish premiere of the film was in aid of conservation charity Ape Action Africa, supported by the lead, Kellan Lutz, who is himself interested in conservation.[10]

### Home media

[edit]

Tarzan was released on DVD and Blu-ray on August 5, 2014, by Lionsgate Home Entertainment.

## Reception

[edit]

### Critical response

[edit]

Tarzan was not screened in advance for critics, and received predominantly negative reviews, who panned the film's story and animation. The film holds a 20% approval rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, based on 30 reviews with an average rating 4.54 out of 10.[11] Peter Debruge of Variety called "an eyesore for anyone above the age of 10 — literally, for those opting to see it in badly miscalibrated 3D".[12] Jordan Mintzer of The Hollywood Reporter said, "All of this feels awfully simplistic, like a 10-minute cartoon sketch bloated into a full-length movie, and one that's backed by an over-explanatory voiceover that can sometimes sound awkward."[13] Reagan Gavin Rasquinha of The Times of India rated it 2 out of 5 stars, calling it "a slipshod rendering of a classic."[14] Angie Errigo of Empire rated it 2 out of 5, saying, "Ponderously plotted and unwonderfully animated, this will disappoint audiences spoilt by Pixar-grade animations."[15] Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian said, "Here's a muddled and dull new family film about Tarzan, who in keeping with tradition is as clean-shaven and all-over hairless as any male stripper."[16] Neil Smith of Total Film said, "Phil Collins songs aside, the last animated Tarzan marked the final flourish of the Disney Renaissance and coined a whopping $448M worldwide. This computer-generated mo-cap version can’t help to compete, even without a club-footed updating that turns Edgar Rice Burrough’s loinclothed apeman into a tree-hugger defending his jungle against capitalists." and added "Having trashed one icon in The Legend Of Hercules, Kellan Lutz shafts another with vocals admittedly well-suited to the muscle-bound mannequin. What really sabotages Reinhard Klooss’ film, though, is a subplot involving a meteorite-derived power source."[17]

### Accolades

[edit]

Tarzan was nominated at the Golden Trailer Awards for Best Foreign Animation/Family Trailer.[18][19] At the 2014 International Film Music Critics Association Awards, it was nominated for Best Original Score for an Animated Film.[20][21]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b McNary, Dave (9 August 2010). "'Tarzan' returns in 3D". Variety. Retrieved 7 October 2012.
2. ^ "Tarzan (2013)". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Archived from the original on 3 February 2016. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
3. ^ Chitwood, Adam (5 October 2012). "First Trailer for Motion-Capture Animated Tarzan 3D". Collider. Archived from the original on 8 October 2012. Retrieved 7 October 2012.
4. ^ a b Kay, Jeremy (10 May 2012). "Constantin Film enlists more cast members on Tarzan". ScreenDaily. Retrieved 7 October 2012.
5. ^ a b Kit, Boris (14 May 2012). "'GCB' Actor Joins Constantin's 3D 'Tarzan' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 19 May 2012. Retrieved 7 October 2012.
6. ^ "'Tarzan' returns in 3D". 9 August 2010. Archived from the original on 19 April 2021. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
7. ^ "Making of zu Tarzan (2013)". film.tv. Archived from the original on 18 May 2015. Retrieved 7 October 2012.
8. ^ Chitwood, Adam (4 November 2011). "Promo Posters and Synopses for Tarzan 3D and The Impossible; First Synopsis for The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones". Collider. Archived from the original on 16 October 2012. Retrieved 7 October 2012.
9. ^ "Release-Date in Germany (2013)". Traileroase.com. Archived from the original on 2 July 2013. Retrieved 2 July 2013.
10. ^ "TARZAN - Interview with lead actor Kellan Lutz". Movies.ie. 29 April 2014. Archived from the original on 3 May 2014. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
11. ^ "Tarzan". Rotten Tomatoes. 10 June 2020. Archived from the original on 25 July 2020. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
12. ^ Peter Debruge (26 February 2014). "'Tarzan' Review: The King of the Apes Has Seldom Looked More Primitive - Variety". Variety. Archived from the original on 30 November 2017. Retrieved 9 December 2017.
13. ^ Jordan Mintzer (27 January 2014). "Tarzan: Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
14. ^ Reagan Gavin Rasquinha (24 April 2014). "Tarzan Movie Review". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 25 April 2014. Retrieved 8 April 2016.
15. ^ "Empire's Tarzan 3D Movie Review". empireonline.com. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
16. ^ Peter Bradshaw (May 2014). "Tarzan review – a witless knock-off". The Guardian.
17. ^ Neil Smith (2 May 2014). "Tarzan". totalfilm.com. Archived from the original on 6 May 2014. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
18. ^ Wolfe, Jennifer (6 May 2014). "Golden Trailer Award Nominees Announced". Animation World Network. Archived from the original on 5 March 2022. Retrieved 19 March 2025.
19. ^ Pedersen, Erik (30 May 2014). "Golden Trailer Awards: Gravity Wins Best Of Show; Warner Bros Tops Studios". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 15 September 2014. Retrieved 19 March 2025.
20. ^ "Evil Dead, Gravity and The Hobbit lead film music critics nominations". Uproxx. 11 February 2014. Archived from the original on 24 February 2021. Retrieved 19 March 2025.
21. ^ "Romeo and Juliet, Evil Dead and Walter Mitty win film music critics awards". Uproxx. 23 February 2014. Archived from the original on 18 January 2017. Retrieved 19 March 2025.

## External links

[edit]

* Tarzan at IMDb

* v
* t
* e

Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs

Literature

| Edgar Rice Burroughs'
official canon|

* Tarzan of the Apes (1912)
* The Return of Tarzan (1913)
* The Beasts of Tarzan (1914)
* The Son of Tarzan (1915)
* Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar (1916)
* Jungle Tales of Tarzan (1919)
* Tarzan the Untamed (1920)
* Tarzan the Terrible (1921)
* Tarzan and the Golden Lion (1922/23)
* Tarzan and the Ant Men (1924)
* Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle (1927/28)
* Tarzan and the Lost Empire (1928/29)
* Tarzan at the Earth's Core (1929/30)
* Tarzan the Invincible (1930/31)
* Tarzan Triumphant (1931/32)
* Tarzan and the City of Gold (1932)
* Tarzan and the Lion Man (1933/34)
* Tarzan and the Leopard Men (1932/33)
* Tarzan's Quest (1935/36)
* Tarzan and the Forbidden City (1938)
* Tarzan the Magnificent (1939)
* Tarzan and the Foreign Legion (1947)
* Tarzan and the Madman (1964)
* Tarzan and the Castaways (1965)

|

Related works|

* The Eternal Lover (1925)
* The Mad King (1926)
* Tarzan and the Tarzan Twins (1963)
* Tarzan: The Lost Adventure (1995)

Licensed works|

* Tarzan and the Valley of Gold (1966)
* Hadon of Ancient Opar (1974)
* Bunduki (1975)
* Flight to Opar (1976)
* Tarzan: The Epic Adventures (1996)
* The Dark Heart of Time (1999)
* The Adventures of Tarzan (1921/2006)
* Tarzan: The Greystoke Legacy (2011)
* Tarzan: Return to Pal-ul-don (2015)
* Tarzan on the Precipice (2016)
* King Kong vs. Tarzan (2016)
* Tarzan Trilogy (2016)
* Tarzan: The Greystoke Legacy Under Siege (2017)

Films

| Silent films|

* Tarzan of the Apes (1918)
* The Romance of Tarzan (1918)
* The Revenge of Tarzan (1920)
* The Son of Tarzan (1920)
* The Adventures of Tarzan (1921)
* Tarzan and the Golden Lion (1927)
* Tarzan the Mighty (1928)
* Tarzan the Tiger (1929)

|

1930s theatrical films|

* Tarzan the Fearless (1933)
* The New Adventures of Tarzan (1935)
* Tarzan's Revenge (1938)

MGM/RKO film series|

| Johnny Weissmuller|

* Tarzan the Ape Man (1932)
* Tarzan and His Mate (1934)
* Tarzan Escapes (1936)
* Tarzan Finds a Son! (1939)
* Tarzan's Secret Treasure (1941)
* Tarzan's New York Adventure (1942)
* Tarzan Triumphs (1943)
* Tarzan's Desert Mystery (1943)
* Tarzan and the Amazons (1945)
* Tarzan and the Leopard Woman (1946)
* Tarzan and the Huntress (1947)
* Tarzan and the Mermaids (1948)

|

Lex Barker|

* Tarzan's Magic Fountain (1949)
* Tarzan and the Slave Girl (1950)
* Tarzan's Peril (1951)
* Tarzan's Savage Fury (1952)
* Tarzan and the She-Devil (1953)

Gordon Scott|

* Tarzan's Hidden Jungle (1955)
* Tarzan and the Lost Safari (1957)
* Tarzan and the Trappers (1958)
* Tarzan's Fight for Life (1958)
* Tarzan's Greatest Adventure (1959)
* Tarzan the Magnificent (1960)

Jock Mahoney|

* Tarzan Goes to India (1962)
* Tarzan's Three Challenges (1963)

Mike Henry|

* Tarzan and the Valley of Gold (1966)
* Tarzan and the Great River (1967)
* Tarzan and the Jungle Boy (1968)

Remakes|

* Tarzan, the Ape Man (1959)
* Tarzan, the Ape Man (1981)

Warner Bros. films|

* Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan (1984)
* Tarzan and the Lost City (1998)
* The Legend of Tarzan (2016)

Television films|

* Tarzan's Jungle Rebellion (1967)
* Tarzan's Deadly Silence (1970)
* Tarzan in Manhattan (1989)

Disney animated films|

* Tarzan (1999)
* Tarzan & Jane (2002)
* Tarzan II (2005)

Other animated films|

* Tarzan of the Apes (1999)
* Tarzan (2013)

Related documentaries|

* Investigating Tarzan (1997)

Non-English language|

* Vanaraja Karzan (1938)
* Tarzan and the Brown Prince (1972)
* Adventures of Tarzan (1985)
* Tarzan Ki Beti (2002)

Television

| Series|

* Tarzan (1966–1968)
* Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle (1976–1980)
* Tarzán (1991–1994)
* Tarzan: The Epic Adventures (1996–1997)
* The Legend of Tarzan (2001–2003)
* Tarzan (2003)
* Tarzan and Jane (2017–2018)

|

Adventure hours|

* The Batman/Tarzan Adventure Hour
* The Tarzan/Lone Ranger Adventure Hour
* Tarzan and the Super 7

Characters

| People|

* Tarzan
* Jane Porter
* Harry Holt
* Korak
* La
* Meriem
* Muviro
* Waziri
* William Cecil Clayton

|

Animals|

* Cheeta
* Jad-bal-ja
* Kala
* Kerchak
* Mangani
* Nkima
* Tantor
* Tublat

Disney version misc.

| Adaptations|

* Musical
* Tarzan Rocks!
* Tarzan's Treehouse

|

Video games|

* Disney's Tarzan Activity Center
* Kingdom Hearts
* Disney's Extreme Skate Adventure

Music and radio

| Disney|

* Soundtrack
* "Two Worlds"
* "You'll Be in My Heart"
* "Son of Man"
* "Strangers Like Me"

|

Radio|

* Tarzan (radio program)

Other|

* "Gitarzan" (1969)
* "Jungle Boogie" (1973)
* "Tarzan Boy" (1985)
* "Tarzan & Jane" (1998)

Miscellaneous

| Speech|

* Kreegah bundolo
* Tarzan yell

|

Games|

* Jungle Lord
* Tarzan: Lord of the Jungle
* Tarzan
* Tarzan: Untamed
* Tarzan: Return to the Jungle

Comics|

* Tarzanesque
* Tarzan vs. Predator: At the Earth's Core
* Superman/Tarzan: Sons of the Jungle
* Tarzan on the Planet of the Apes
* Tarzan: The Complete Russ Manning Newspaper Strips

General|

* Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc.
* Tarzan Alive: A Definitive Biography of Lord Greystoke
* "Brothers of the Spear"
* Opar
* Pellucidar
* Starzan: Shouting Star of the Jungle
* Tarzan and Jane (musical)
* Tarzana, Los Angeles
* Zone (play)

* v
* t
* e

Films directed by Reinhard Klooss

* Go Trabi Go 2 (1992)
* Impy's Island (2006)
* Impy's Wonderland (2008)
* Animals United (2010)
* Tarzan (2013)
* Pets United (2019)

Portals:

* 2010s
* Germany
* Animation
* Cartoon
* Speculative fiction

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