Film

Tarzan

Name: Tarzan
Genre: Animation, Family, Adventure
Released: 1999
Cast: Tony Goldwyn, Minnie Driver, Glenn Close, Alex D. Linz, Rosie O'Donnell

Other titles called Tarzan: the 1966 series (NBC).

Coming-of-age

Disney's 1999 Tarzan is a lavish, kinetic adventure about belonging and identity wrapped in jungle spectacle. Phil Collins' Oscar-winning score drives gorgeous hand-drawn animation and surprisingly emotional character work. It's a film that moves fast, looks stunning, and genuinely wrestles with its hero's torn loyalties—smart enough for adults, thrilling enough for kids.

TMDb rating

3.7

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you enjoy bright, buoyant animation where the jungle is a playground and the songs and slapstick carry the emotional weight, with a warm sense of humour running alongside the drama.

Skip it if you find musical numbers and gag-driven comedy grating in an animated feature, or you want a grounded, realistic take on a wild-child story rather than a stylised, cartoonish one.

What it asks of you: Roughly ninety minutes of brisk, cheerful storytelling with a light touch; it moves quickly, stays colourful and playful, and rarely asks you to sit with heavy or lingering darkness.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

The Lion King1994

Another Disney adventure about identity and belonging in a richly animated world, with a powerful score by the same composer that elevates every scene. Equally moving, equally gorgeous.

But If you've seen it, you know exactly how it ends and what it's trying to do. Some find the emotional beats heavy-handed.

Aladdin1992

A street orphan discovering his place in the world—same core question as Tarzan, but funnier and more playful. Brilliant voice acting and animation that rewards repeat viewings.

But The Robin Williams impression comedy hasn't aged perfectly for everyone. Dated references creep in around the edges.

How to Train Your Dragon2010

Another outsider finding his tribe and learning that the "enemy" might be family. Stunning animation, genuine stakes, and a relationship between boy and creature that rivals Tarzan's bond with Kala.

But The first film is the strongest; sequels dilute what made it special. And if you're not into dragons, the whole thing might seem thin.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Tarzan

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Bambi1942

Both are about young creatures orphaned and raised outside their kind, learning identity through loss and relationship. Tarzan is Bambi grown up and given speech, but the emotional architecture is identical.

The ancestor to all of this. A young creature learning the world after loss, raised by surrogates, navigating danger and beauty in nature. No dialogue heavy-lifting, just gorgeous animation and a score that speaks volumes.

But It's slow and patient in ways modern adventure films aren't. Some find it boring. Also: it's about a lot of death, treated with genuine gravity.

Moana2016

A hero who knows who they are but must discover *why* they matter. Gorgeous animation, a soaring score, and a surprisingly rich mythology underlying a joyful adventure.

But Very much a modern Disney product—formulaic at its core, however beautifully executed. Familiar beats in a fresh wrapper.

The Jungle Book2016

Jon Favreau's live-action reimagining of another jungle foundling learning where he belongs. Stunning photorealism and Bill Murray's easy voice work make it feel like a different animal entirely.

But The photorealism can feel sterile compared to hand-drawn animation. Lacks the kinetic energy and emotional punch of the original.

Brother Bear2003

Another transformation story about learning empathy and belonging, with a gorgeous wilderness setting and a surprisingly poignant relationship between brothers. Phil Collins score again, if you love that sound.

But It's uneven; the tone wobbles between genuine emotion and slapstick. Nowhere near as tight as Tarzan's grip on its own story.

Atlantis: The Lost Empire2001

A more adult-leaning Disney adventure with a similar outsider-finding-home structure. Bold art design, genuine peril, and characters who surprise you.

But It mixes too many tones—sometimes feels like an action film, sometimes a romance, sometimes a heist movie. Doesn't always know what it wants to be.

Treasure Planet2002

Swap the jungle for space and you get the same story: an orphan, a father figure, a world that doesn't make sense until it suddenly does. Wildly imaginative design and a genuine emotional core.

But The mix of 2D animation and early CGI looks dated now. Plot can feel scattered, and it underperformed enough that Disney abandoned this style.

The Black Cauldron1985

A darker, older Disney adventure about a foundling pig-keeper finding courage and purpose. If you want Tarzan but with more genuine peril and a bleaker edge, this is it.

But It's genuinely dark for a Disney film—scarier and more visually grotesque than what modern audiences expect. Pacing drags in places too.

The Shape of Water2017

Both are about a speechless or near-speechless being learning to communicate and choosing between worlds. Both have that same magical-realist quality—the impossible treated as inevitable once you're inside the film's logic.

Guillermo del Toro's adult love letter to the same question: can you communicate across species and worlds? Gorgeous, strange, erotic where Tarzan is innocent—but structurally about bridging two incompatible families.

But It's sexually explicit and violent in ways that have nothing to do with adventure. Very much an adult film. If you want Tarzan's warmth, this won't give it to you.

Princess Mononoke1997

Both feature humans raised by animals, learning their adoptive family's way before colliding with human civilization. But where Tarzan chooses love, Mononoke's hero must live with irreconcilable tragedy. Same setup, opposite emotional register—a reminder that this story contains multitudes.

Hayao Miyazaki's masterwork: a human raised by wolves, nature and civilization colliding, impossible love, no easy answers. Hand-drawn animation that moves like music. A film that stays with you for decades.

But It's in Japanese (subtitled), violent, and philosophically complex in ways adventure films usually aren't. Not a comfort film. Darker than Tarzan in every way.