--- title: "Tarzan: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/tarzan/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/tarzan" critics_score: 68 critics_reviews: 9 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Tarzan (1999): what the critics said Critics' score 68 from 9 reviews: 5 positive, 3 mixed, 1 negative. Most critics respond warmly to Tarzan, with praise clustering around the animation and the energy of its jungle adventure. The reviews repeatedly single out Tarzan’s movement through the trees, the fluid action and the combination of drawn animation with computer-generated depth. Several also welcome the storytelling, finding a polished, engaging Disney adaptation. The portrayal of the apes draws praise, as do Minnie Driver and Brian Blessed’s voice performances. The spread is fairly wide, though even the less enthusiastic reviews admire the visuals. Reservations concern the weak villain, occasional mawkishness and whether the action leaves enough space for feeling. Variety finds the pace too relentless and misses quieter, emotionally resonant moments. Radio Times is the clearest dissenter, judging the film well below Disney’s stronger work and finding the comic relief weak. The disagreement centres on how much the storytelling offers beyond the animation. ## Empire — Ian Nathan Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. Nathan calls it a polished, entertaining return to classic Disney storytelling. He singles out its strong story and superior animation, while noting that its villain falls short of the best Disney antagonists. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/tarzan-review/) ## Total Film — Total Film Rating 4/5. 22 October 1999. The critic calls it one of Disney’s best, praising its lively, energetic adventure. They single out the fluid animation and spectacular jungle visuals, alongside well-choreographed action. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/tarzan-review/) ## IndieWire — Greg Ehrbar Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 10 August 2014. Ehrbar regards Tarzan as a beautiful, worthwhile film that looks especially impressive on Blu-ray. He singles out Glen Keane’s animation and the near-seamless blend of 2-D artwork and computer-generated depth. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/culture/blu-ray-review-disneys-hercules-and-tarzan-124053/) ## Los Angeles Times — JOHN TALIAFERRO Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 20 June 1999. The critic finds Disney’s adaptation a lively, credible realization of Tarzan, even as it softens the original story. He especially praises the animation’s intimate portrayal of the apes and Tarzan’s exhilarating movement through the jungle. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-jun-20-ca-48207-story.html) ## The New York Times Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 18 June 1999. The accessible page does not expose the critic’s verdict. It provides no reliable information about what the review praises or criticizes. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1999/06/18/movies/film-review-monkey-business-rewriting-the-jungle-book.html) ## Time Out — WH Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). The visible description presents the film as advancing deep-focus cel animation, but does not reveal the critic’s overall verdict. It singles out the animation’s computer-aided deep-focus technique as a point of interest. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/tarzan) ## Variety — Todd McCarthy Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 7 June 1999. McCarthy finds the film engaging and visually arresting, but not among Disney’s top animated features. He praises its richly detailed animation while faulting its relentless action and lack of quiet, emotionally resonant moments. [Read the review](https://variety.com/1999/film/reviews/tarzan-1117499855/) ## Radio Times — Alan Jones Rating 2/5. Jones says the film falls well short of Disney’s best output. He praises its visually arresting action scenes but criticizes the weak comic relief. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-r7jg87/tarzan/) ## Eye for Film — Gary Duncan Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 13 May 2005. Duncan finds the animated adventure entertaining and its storytelling-and-animation combination successful, despite occasional mawkishness. He especially praises the exhilarating jungle-swinging sequences and Minnie Driver and Brian Blessed’s voice performances. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/tarzan-film-review-by-gary-duncan) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/tarzan.md