Tarzan - The Apeman who swung into my live

Interacting with friends and even family I just can't help but laugh at them trying to make me feel bad because I am still head over heels for animations. According to them these forms of entertainment are meant for children, something I obviously outgrew years back!!! They don't know how far back my attraction runs or how deep the bond is. Growing up I did not get enough opportunities to watch what I wanted especially at the younger phase so any opportunity I got, I grabbed with both hands and legs. Since both my parents were very busy, I often spend most of my afternoons with a neighbor and to my benefit she had a little kid who loves cartoons as well and that was the Genesis of my journey down cartoonsville.

When I was 8 years old, my best friend and I bought our first entertainment film ever. He purchased an Aladdin CD while I got a Tarzan with the intention of switching our treasures after watching them. Buying that film is probably one of the best decisions young me ever made as it became the foundation resulting to who I am today further solidifying its place in my heart as my favorite Disney movie to this very day.
Tarzan- a Disney animated movie was released in the year 1999 tells the story of a boy raised in the jungle by apes as one of their very own. It starts off with an infant and his parents surviving a shipwreck and drifting off on water till they arrive at the jungle. They start to build their life in the wild as a family but this was shortlived as both man and wife were killed by a leopard in the jungle. The beast also tries to kill the baby as well but he was rescued by a gorilla named Kala who also lost her own baby to the very same leopard. Kala tries to raise the baby as her own naming him Tarzan despite objections from the Troop's leader Kerchak.

Growing in the jungle was no easy feat for Tarzan as he struggles to fit in with the gorillas despite having obvious physical differences with the creatures he refer to as family. However, this does not stop him as he vows to become the best Ape ever with help from his best friend Terk- a female gorilla and Tantor- the cowardly elephant.

Life in the journey isn't easy and Tarzan is now a full fledged adult strong enough to hold his own against the creatures of the wild and with time he eventually defeats and kills the leopard that murdered his parents, was trying to attack the herd and was a threat to safety of all in the jungle. This single act of bravery earns Tarzan respect and recognition from the entire troop all except the leader - Kerchak but our hero pays no mind to it as he is only here to help.

Things continue to go smoothly until Tarzan encounters Jane, a female human on the run from angry monkeys. Jane takes Tarzan back to their camp where she introduces him to her father and the rest of the crew revealing to him that there were others like him. Jane educates Tarzan about civilization and he begins to fall for her torn in between staying in the jungle or returning back to where he truly belongs with his own kind . Tarzan decides to leave with Jane but as he boards the ship back home,he realizes that the entire crew( besides the ships captain) and Clayton their guide had an ulterior motive of capturing all the gorillas in the jungle and selling them off in the city.

With the help from the entire jungle,Tarzan is about to stop Clayton but the leader Kerchak becomes a casualty to the scuffle. Before dying, Kerchak finally acknowledges Tarzan, calls him his son and makes him the leader of the pack.

In the end Tarzan stays back in the jungle to lead the park, Jane realizing she loves him to stay back to be with and together with her father, they continue to live out their lives as jungle people.
The cartoon was created to fill the viewers with all kinds of emotions allowing you connect with it on a deeper level. It explored themes of identity, strength, love and trying to fit in in a world that says you don't belong. The animation also excelled with its sound track, I mean you can never go wrong with Phil Collins.

My personal favourite will have to be Son of Man as it aligned with the heros journey of an outcast trying to fit in despite the obvious obstacles which he not only endured but dominated. Another song I loved in the movie was that of Terk as she wrecks the camp of the humans with help from Tantur and the other gorillas. I know the song is actually gibberish but I just can't help myself from loving it even more .

To some the film is filled with a lot of imperfections as it strays away from the true story but I don't care, it will always be a 100 to me as it is not just some movie i watch for entertainment, it is also a part of my own story. I don't plan on forcing my kids to like it but they are stuck with two options. You either you love Tarzan or find a new place to live🤣🤣🤣.

PS pictures are screenshots from IMDB