p***@nyc.com
2003-11-23 18:18:52 UTC
"This ain't your parent's Tarzan."
If you aren't watching the WBs Tarzan, you're missing out on one of the
best new shows of the season. I know what you're thinking, how good can
a remake of Tarzan be. You're talking about a guy that runs around the
jungle in a loin cloth, swinging from vines and yodeling. Oh and saving
wimpy girlie girl Jane from the wild beasts that raised him like one of
their own.
But it isn't your parent's Tarzan. First off, this Tarzan isn't in the
jungles of Africa but rather the urban jungle of modern day New York
City. And there's no loin cloth (but for those that like some nice eye
candy he does go shirtless a few times). And yes he has a knack from
climbing trees and such but there's no yodeling and no little monkey
buddy named Cheetah. There's also no monosyllabic vocabulary. Nor is
there a wimpy and swooning Jane constantly in need of saving.
What there is is John Clayton Jr, the only survivor of a plane crash 20
years ago in the jungles of the Congo. He wasn't raised by the apes but
did manage to survive on his own and did learn a lot by watching the
animals around him. Including how to hunt and fish, how to climb trees
and so on. He's smart and a quick learner and trying to figure out the
rules of this world. What there is is Jane Porter, a by the book,
slightly obsessive (in that keep things orderly and clean kind of way)
cop who is still trying to rise in the ranks as a Detective in the NYPD.
And there's Richard and Kathleen Clayton, the estranged siblings who are
fighting tooth and nail for the share of controlling stocks in the
family owned Greystoke Industries that their brother John Clayton Sr
left behind when he died. These shares (and additional money equaling
several billion dollars) have been held in trust since the crash.
Richard wants the trust to gain control of Greystoke, Kathleen wants to
give it away to charity as a tribute to her lost family members.
Unlike Tarzan's of the past, this show is hip and smart. It's more than
just a Romeo and Juliet romance, more than a cop show, more than a
conspiracy story, more than a drama. It's all this at it's best. And the
cast is truly amazing. Who would have thought that an underwear model
could possess the skills to convey in a look what most people would take
a small soliloquy to express. Or could express so much in only a few
words. (as one reviewer said "The guy that played Tarzan didn't really
have much to say but even after a few grunts he showed more acting
acumen then the entirety of Tom Welling's two season run.") And to his
credit, Travis Fimmel obviously spends a lot of time working on the
physical aspects of the character. He does almost if not all of his own
stunts and his animal like moves look totally natural, unlike the cheesy
stunts of his predecessors. When he moves, you see that he's no
superhero. Muscles strain and ache. When he is tossed off the hood of a
car, he doesn't pop right up but slowly and painfully gets to his feet.
And Travis's chemistry with leading lady Sarah Wayne Callies is perfect.
She is not only totally believable as the woman completely entranced
and completely confused by John, she's one heck of a kick ass cop. She's
not afraid to get down and dirty and she doesn't wait for John to jump
to her rescue. She even steps right into the line of fire to help him
escape from pursuers. And gets in a few hits in the process. Mitch
Pileggi and Lucy Lawless as the Clayton siblings are icy hot and
perfectly matched. You can feel the tension in the room when they are
together.
This is a show that is too good to miss. One episode and you'll be
hooked. I challenge you to watch it on Sunday Nov 23rd (9pm Eastern on
the WB). You won't regret it.
If you aren't watching the WBs Tarzan, you're missing out on one of the
best new shows of the season. I know what you're thinking, how good can
a remake of Tarzan be. You're talking about a guy that runs around the
jungle in a loin cloth, swinging from vines and yodeling. Oh and saving
wimpy girlie girl Jane from the wild beasts that raised him like one of
their own.
But it isn't your parent's Tarzan. First off, this Tarzan isn't in the
jungles of Africa but rather the urban jungle of modern day New York
City. And there's no loin cloth (but for those that like some nice eye
candy he does go shirtless a few times). And yes he has a knack from
climbing trees and such but there's no yodeling and no little monkey
buddy named Cheetah. There's also no monosyllabic vocabulary. Nor is
there a wimpy and swooning Jane constantly in need of saving.
What there is is John Clayton Jr, the only survivor of a plane crash 20
years ago in the jungles of the Congo. He wasn't raised by the apes but
did manage to survive on his own and did learn a lot by watching the
animals around him. Including how to hunt and fish, how to climb trees
and so on. He's smart and a quick learner and trying to figure out the
rules of this world. What there is is Jane Porter, a by the book,
slightly obsessive (in that keep things orderly and clean kind of way)
cop who is still trying to rise in the ranks as a Detective in the NYPD.
And there's Richard and Kathleen Clayton, the estranged siblings who are
fighting tooth and nail for the share of controlling stocks in the
family owned Greystoke Industries that their brother John Clayton Sr
left behind when he died. These shares (and additional money equaling
several billion dollars) have been held in trust since the crash.
Richard wants the trust to gain control of Greystoke, Kathleen wants to
give it away to charity as a tribute to her lost family members.
Unlike Tarzan's of the past, this show is hip and smart. It's more than
just a Romeo and Juliet romance, more than a cop show, more than a
conspiracy story, more than a drama. It's all this at it's best. And the
cast is truly amazing. Who would have thought that an underwear model
could possess the skills to convey in a look what most people would take
a small soliloquy to express. Or could express so much in only a few
words. (as one reviewer said "The guy that played Tarzan didn't really
have much to say but even after a few grunts he showed more acting
acumen then the entirety of Tom Welling's two season run.") And to his
credit, Travis Fimmel obviously spends a lot of time working on the
physical aspects of the character. He does almost if not all of his own
stunts and his animal like moves look totally natural, unlike the cheesy
stunts of his predecessors. When he moves, you see that he's no
superhero. Muscles strain and ache. When he is tossed off the hood of a
car, he doesn't pop right up but slowly and painfully gets to his feet.
And Travis's chemistry with leading lady Sarah Wayne Callies is perfect.
She is not only totally believable as the woman completely entranced
and completely confused by John, she's one heck of a kick ass cop. She's
not afraid to get down and dirty and she doesn't wait for John to jump
to her rescue. She even steps right into the line of fire to help him
escape from pursuers. And gets in a few hits in the process. Mitch
Pileggi and Lucy Lawless as the Clayton siblings are icy hot and
perfectly matched. You can feel the tension in the room when they are
together.
This is a show that is too good to miss. One episode and you'll be
hooked. I challenge you to watch it on Sunday Nov 23rd (9pm Eastern on
the WB). You won't regret it.