I appreciate John Derek's "Tarzan the Ape Man" (1981) because it’s a distinctive movie that inspires a sense of wonder about nature, whether you look at the scenery, the animals, the people, or the romance. The story centers on Jane Parker (Bo Derek), who travels to remote Africa searching for her missing explorer father, James Parker (Richard Harris). She joins his expedition—which includes John Phillip Law—and they reach a mysterious escarpment where they find a wild white man: Tarzan (Miles O'Keeffe). At the same time, the local tribespeople aren’t happy about the group intruding on their land. The opening MGM logo gives away that the film shouldn't be taken too seriously; instead of a lion's roar, we get Tarzan’s familiar jungle yell. The movie is generally serious, but in a comic-book style. There's a pleasant feeling of awe as the group makes its way through the wilderness—it was filmed in Sri Lanka and the Seychelles islands, which are 1500 miles southwest of Sri Lanka—especially when they discover the escarpment and, later, an inland sea that’s made up. The animals are great too, notably a magnificent lion, a friendly elephant who carries Tarzan's body, and playful chimpanzees and orangutans. It’s obvious that the Asian elephant and orangutan don't belong in Africa. Also, James' native companion, Africa (Akushula Selayah), is clearly of East Indian descent—though he might have picked her up on a previous trip. And the muscular man playing the "Ivory King" (Steve Strong) is obviously a white man who’s been painted black. Speaking of the Ivory King, Steve Strong really overacts in a way that fits a bodybuilder and it takes forever to simply wake him up. The second act feels kind of slow. It mainly shows Jane and Tarzan getting acquainted with each other in the jungle. There's a beauty and innocence to these scenes, even a sense of awe, but they probably drag on longer than most viewers would like. Still, the film celebrates this aspect of human experience much like "Song of Songs" in the Bible celebrates intimacy between a man and woman using very direct language—you should read it if you’re curious. “Tarzan the Ape Man” has similarities to 1976's “King Kong” in tone. Remember that sense of awe combined with the comic-book elements? Remember when Kong bathed Dwan under a waterfall and looked at her with wonder? Remember the dramatic, drawn-out moments? You’ll find those things here. It’s an adventure film with plenty of drama but not much conventional action. When the action does happen—Tarzan versus a huge snake and Tarzan versus the Ivory King—it's shown in slow motion, which is odd and not very exciting. However, that also sets the film apart. "Tarzan the Ape Man" takes its time telling its story; by contrast, 1998’s “Tarzan and the Lost City” rushes through one scene after another with no room to breathe. They're both Tarzan films but taken from completely different approaches. I watched them back-to-back and it was an interesting comparison. Of course, "Tarzan the Ape Man" is designed to showcase Bo Derek. She’s a beautiful woman inside and out, but she’s not my idea of a perfect “10.” Her body is certainly statuesque, but her rear end is too flat and her thighs are too skinny—sorry if that sounds crude; I'm just being honest. Miles O'Keeffe looks great as Tarzan, but that’s about it. He has zero dialogue beyond Tarzan’s yell and, even worse, he lacks any depth as a character, other than the fact that he’s gentle and heroic. This is disappointing because Burroughs’ books presented him as highly intelligent—even like a version of Yahweh (the LORD)—as in "the Lord of the jungle." But the film focuses on Tarzan when he was first discovered by Europeans (when he knew how to read from children's books, but hadn't yet learned English), so that can be excused. One aspect of the film stands out: Tarzan’s connection with the animals. A good example is the innocent playfulness of Tarzan, Jane and the orangutan in the closing scene. Richard Harris deserves to be mentioned because he gives his all to the role and seems genuine. Despite his constant (and loud) talking, he does offer some interesting insights—like the importance of living life to the fullest and turning to God when you’re at your wit's end, which actually works! In other words, the film isn't just a mindless adventure; it has some worthwhile thoughts to consider. "Tarzan the Ape Man" was a modest success in 1981 but, surprisingly, there wasn't a sequel. It would have been interesting to see O’Keeffe’s Tarzan develop as a character and his relationship with Jane. But maybe John and Bo accomplished everything they set out to do with this film and thought a sequel was unnecessary. BOTTOM LINE: "Tarzan the Ape Man" is a unique Tarzan film and worth seeing for the sense of awe—the wonders of nature, the amazement of animals, the beauty of the (fit) human form and the wonder of (true) sexuality. The film runs 107 minutes. GRADE: B-

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