At one point in David Yates’ lush depiction of Lord John Greystoke’s reluctant return to Africa, plucky damsel in distress Jane (Margot Robbie) taunts wicked schemer Leon (Christoph Waltz) by telling him that his moustache is a trifle lower on one side than the other. But the really remarkable thing is that it isn’t long enough to twirl. This is a man whose murder weapon of choice is a Catholic rosary, whose white linen suit hides a heart of utter darkness. He’s got a plan to enslave and exploit the Congo, and all that remains is to is deliver Tarzan the Ape Man (a buff, brooding Alexander Skarsgaard) to a seething tribal chief. Yates’ moral hand is heavy (viz. an underperforming, speechifying Samuel L. Jackson, lamenting violence the world over), and his action can be tricky to follow (let alone enjoy). But he’s got a knack for conveying the grandeur of Africa, the fierce power of the animals, the currents of straightforward emotion (love, rage, hate, grief, etc.), and the thrill of nature (human and otherwise) unleashed. (2016) — Matthew Lickona
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