Bob Leeper: Weird World: Tarzan in 2016, the Red, White, and Blue
via Nerdvana:
It’s not easy to be a fan of Tarzan in 2016. With the release of the new film, The Legend of Tarzan, it is an exciting time that fills Ape Man aficionados’ hearts with hope that their century-old hero willkill it at the box office and that we’ll soon hear an announcement from Warner Bros. that a sequel has been greenlit. It’s a battle to be sure, and one that no other fictional hero in memory has ever had to face.
When you’re big, it seems that everyone wants to take you down, and you have to be ultra-careful not to give them the ammunition they need to do it. It’s the same whether you are a giant corporation like Apple or Facebook, or a popular fictional franchise like Superman or Tarzan. In the latter’s case it seems one of the greatest obstacles to be overcome is the simple fact that the character is white, and that sort of politically correct reverse-racism makes me angry and sad at the same time.
SEEING RED
As a Tarzan fan I’ve paid closer attention to the critical response of The Legend of Tarzan than I do most films. As one who dabbles in movie criticism myself I try to steer clear of others’ opinions –and in the end that is all film reviews are – lest someone else’s thoughts sway my own. But in this case I strongly desire The Legend of Tarzan to be successful for the selfish reason that I want to enjoy a few more Ape Man films before I check out of man’s crazy-ass world.
