First thing I want to say here is this... There are TONS OF SPOILERS here. You'll read the entire set ups to both films, plus a lot of praise. As I have said before, it is my belief that TOY STORY II's script was far better than the original film, and I absolutely love every frame of the first film. As for TARZAN, this chap here saw pieces of the film, but he saw 'most' of the film. I'd be curious to hear what was... deemed cut out-able... hmmmm.... Both of these films are absolute winners, and I'm dying to hear more about them. But once again... there are TONS OF SPOILERS for both films here... BEWARE... If you read the TOY STORY II stuff... keep it to yourself, don't spoil any of the surprises for your friends and strangers that want to keep it all secret. But know this... the film will be great. I guarantee it.
Thursday started off with nothing to look forward to but Friday. Then my boss mentioned a Buena Vista presentation starting at 11 showcasing Toy Story 2 and Tarzan. This seemed a lot more appealing than hanging round the office searching high and low for more Star Wars gossip, so I went along. This may all be old news - it seems rare when we in London learn something before you lot.
Off we trooped to the Empire in London’s Leicester Square (doubling the treat as it’s our favourite cinema) to be met by a whole stack of completely unfamiliar folk. It was a big promotional tour (“7 countries in almost as many days” we were told) for the merchandising and marketing types.
After a short introduction, they screened an in-house 2 minute promo for Toy Story 2. It was poor quality and ungraded (having been just made on tape and transferred to 35mm) but the general flavour couldn’t be missed, and it does look very good.
The storyline centres on Woody being “kidnapped” by a toy collector, and brainwashed into believing that living in his new controlled, unplayed-with environment is a good thing. It’s then left to Buzz (who is indebted to Woody for saving his life in the first film, and is a lot more pleasant from the out-set), Mr Potato Head, Rex, Slinky Dog and the rest of the familiars (and a few new ones) to travel across town in order to rescue Woody. The promo is a spoof of the Mission Impossible trailer, with the music, letters flying in – a la action movies etc.
Of the new characters, it was announced that Mattel gave in and allowed the inclusion of “Tour Guide Barbie” (Joan Cusack) who, whilst driving the gang around gives safety warnings in both English and Spanish. There are also a few new-style Buzz Lightyears – including the silver one that was out to buy a few years ago – who have the same attitude issues as Buzz had when he first appeared.
After the promo, a full scene (much better quality) was shown where the familiar bunch have to make their way across a busy road, with excellent computer animated traffic, and spot on physical comedy. The story sounds better than the original, and if the script is as tight as the scenes we saw, combined with the advances in computer animation, we were left chomping at the bit for the rest.
Then there was Tarzan.
First another intro – explaining why it was decided that Tarzan moves how he moves (and he does move VERY well) then a good half of the film in clips broken up by commentary and explanations.
The storyline (holes were intentionally left, but this is all we were told):
A respectable family living in the African jungle are savaged by a vicious leopard (Sabor), leaving only a small baby alive in the tree house (that’ll be Tarzan then). A motherly ape (Kala – Glenn Close) finds the wrecked homestead and the little baby. They immediately have a bond, she fights Sabor off when he returns and takes the child back to the dark part of the jungle where the apes live.
The apish leader Kerchak (Lance Henriksen) doesn’t approve of the human until when he’s about 20 and saves Kerchak from an attack by Sabor.
Enter Jane (Minnie Driver), with her old exploring dad Porter (Nigel Hawthorne) and their evil guide Clayton (Brian Blessed). Jane upsets a baby baboon when she draws it, and gets attacked by a whole gang of Baboons... enter the now grown up Tarzan. His movement is the result of detailed study of surfers and skateboarders, and he slides around brilliantly. He saves her, then returns her to the camp. Falls in love with Jane, finds out that he really is human and is then left with the dilemma of going back to England with her or staying.
Clayton the guard has other ideas, and locks the three in the ship, leaving the apes (including sister Rosie O’Donnell) and chicken elephant Tantor (Wayne Knight) to save him. That’s all we were told.
The detail of the characters and performances feel very good in Tarzan. Minnie Driver (who inspired a groan when introduced) really pulled off comic lines, and came across the best. Now, I’m not saying that to be supportive of a fellow brit – to be frank, she’s been irritated me since the Matt Damon thing, and her jarring “performance” in Good Will Hunting.
There’s something special about watching animation when it isn’t quite animated. This was a combination of complete sequences, black and white sequences and storyboard stills. The story obviously is one that’s been told (by Disney) a billion times before, but I think this could be a winner where Hunchback, Pocahontas and Hercules were runners up. I remember seeing a screening of Hercules in New York, and although it felt Disney, it didn’t feel epic. This, on the other hand (with music by Phil Collins) does.
