Bullet Points: Tarzan and the Lost City

I have had a few Tarzan themed posts over the years here on Bulletproof Action.

I have reviewed more than a few Casper Van Dien movies over the years here on Bulletproof Action.

But I have yet to review Casper Van Dien’s turn as Tarzan and for good reason. Up until a few days ago I had never even seen 1998’s Tarzan and the Lost City…

• Cue the Narrator: The movie begins with a brief overview of the Tarzan lore and the news that some unscrupulous men are trying to find the Lost City of Opar. We then see those unscrupulous men led by scholar/explorer Nigel Ravens (Steven Waddington) pillaging and plundering a village. They even stop the burial of the recently deceased chief of a tribe much to the dismay of the chief’s son, Kaya. It is at this point that they find one of the jewels of Opar… once Ravens gets his hands on the jewel, he tells his men to stop their looting and torch the huts because they found what they were looking for.
• Africa Calling: John Clayton (or Tarzan for those in the know) has returned to England where he claimed his rightful title of Lord Greystoke. When we first see John Clayton (Casper Van Dien, Starship Troopers) he is celebrating his upcoming nuptials to Jane Porter with his friends at a pub and that’s when he also has a vision… it is a cry for help from Mugambe, the tribe’s shaman… John leaves the bar and immediately breaks the news to Jane, who does not understand why her husband-to-be has to go to Africa, especially the night before his wedding! Six weeks later, John arrives in Africa and tries to reason with Ravens and ask him to let the Lost City of Opar remain lost and to move on… Ravens isn’t having it.

• Welcome to the Jungle: They say actions speak louder than words, so John Clayton goes into Tarzan mode (yell and all) and along with his ape friends does some pillaging and plundering of Ravens’ camp. Something Ravens finds out about after he bumps into Jane Porter, who has made her way to Africa to reunite with her fiancé John Clayton… Ravens sends some of his men to kill John Clayton and bring Jane Porter to him… That doesn’t work out as John is able to get Jane out of harm’s way and take her to his home in the jungle. John shows Jane a world she has never seen, introduces her to his animal friends and the tribe that called for his help. The battle between good and evil is looming.
• Lost and Found: Things don’t look so good for the good guys as the movie enters the third act… Tarzan has been bitten by a cobra, Jane has been captured by Ravens and Kaya and his soldiers are seriously outgunned by Ravens’ superior firepower. Worst of all, Ravens has found the Lost City of Opar… But its always darkest before the dawn as they say and thanks to some bees and Mugambe’s magic, Tarzan not only survives the cobra bite, but comes back in all his loin cloth glory, ready to rescue Jane and his final showdown with Ravens.

I thought Tarzan and the Lost City was a simple and effective movie. It was Tarzan defending his homeland against greedy bastards and it didn’t need to be anything more. Casper Van Dien looked the part of Tarzan and had great chemistry with Jane March’s Jane Foster. March brought way more than “damsel in distress” to the Jane character and both of them had a ton of unlikable characters to go up against, with Steven Waddington’s Nigel Ravens being at the top of the heap and easily the most hated man in the movie.

I had fun watching Tarzan and the Lost City and I am sorry I waited 25 years to do it. You’ll be sorry if you don’t read these Bonus Bullet Points…

• If You Ever: …wanted to see Jane get frightened by Tarzan’s big snake, then Tarzan and the Lost City is the movie for you.
• Familiar Face: I instantly recognized Paulo Tocha as Fitt, one of Ravens’ men. Tocha may be most famous to action fans for his turn as Paco in Bloodsport, but I also remember him from his work in Stone Cold and Born to Defense.
• Working Overtime: According to IMDb, Tarzan and the Lost City had two working titles… Tarzan and Jane and Tarzan Jungle Warrior.