The Legend of Tarzan is now over a century old and after much rebooting, yodelling and loinclothing, has become a mainstay of popular culture. This latest iteration, directed by David Slade, makes the sensible decision to keep the backstory to a minimum, beginning not in the wilds of the jungle but in the gentrified world of London's upper classes. John Clayton, Lord of Greystoke (Tarzan to his mates) is a member of the House of Lords, wears elegant suits and raises a pinky when he sips his tea. Although he left Africa years ago, his fame as King of the Jungle follows him; it is this reputation that causes him to be selected to lead an exhibition to the Congo, where King Leopold II of Belgium is making unprecedented strides into the country. And so, our hero leaves the shores of England to return from whence he came, accompanied by his wife Jane (Margot Robbie) and an American representative, George Washington Williams (Samuel L. Jackson).
The film created from these raw fictional parts, mixed with real historical events is an almost unmitigated failure. First and foremost is the problem of Tarzan himself. This is arguably the closest on screen portrayal to Rice Burroughs' creation – an unconflicted hero, the perfect mixture of the noble and the wild. Unfortunately, with this nobility comes an overwhelming dullness. He lacks charm, nuance and any kind of spark. Skarsgard's physicality is certainly impressive but he is far too content being the strong and silent type; even the trademark Tarzan call happens off screen. Thank goodness then for Robbie and Jackson, who light up their scenes in a way that Skarsgard never does.
Still, at least Skarsgard can lay claim to the achievement of being more convincingly wooden than the jungle which surrounds him. If you've seen The Jungle Book this summer, or indeed any of the recent Planet of the Apes franchise, the shoddy CGI created for The Legend of Tarzan will come as something of a shock. Human characters appear to float in front of the landscape, while the animals are incompetently rendered.
Layered on top of these technical problems are more serious ones in terms of storytelling. In theory, weaving the brutal history of African colonialism into the story should have made for a more satisfying take on the legend but tonally Slade only undermines the inclusion of these issues as he attempts to weave together romance, action and comedy alongside images of slavery and brutality.