TARZAN

MARK MANCINA

Rating:

Original Review: The latest Disney feature to hit the big screens is another literary adaptation, this time taking Edgar Rice Burroughs' oft-told tale of Tarzan the Ape Man and adapting it for contemporary adolescent audiences. With an excellent voice cast including Tony Goldwyn as Tarzan, Minnie Driver as Jane, Glenn Close as Tarzan's mother Kala, and with support from Brian Blessed, Nigel Hawthorne, Lance Henriksen and Rosie O'Donnell, Tarzan will surely appeal to both adult audiences (for whom there a multitude of in-jokes) and children alike. Much has been made of Tarzan's visual flair, especially the new animation technique called "deep canvas" which allows two-dimensional characters to fully interact with each other and their 3-D surroundings with depth, texture and differing degrees of focus. In this respect, Tarzan is a technological triumph, with several stunning sequences incorporating some of the most beautiful animation I have ever seen.

As has happened on several recent Disney efforts, the film's musical accompaniment is a collaboration between an established film music composer and a giant of the rock world - so after Hans Zimmer and Elton John come Mark Mancina and Phil Collins, both of whom are working for the Magic Kingdom for the first time. On the whole, their collaboration is a winning one, and although it doesn't quite scale the same heights as The Lion King did back in 1994, it still stands as worthy and enjoyable instalment in Disney's recent musical history.

Collins' songs are, in my opinion, resounding successes, and the best efforts to come from the Disney stable since Alan Menken's swansong in The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Unsurprisingly, Collins has not greatly changed the musical style which has characterised his solo efforts and those of his rock group, Genesis, the only concessions coming through the use of significantly increased percussion section. Even more surprising is that fact that, despite their stylistic differences, Collins' songs and Mancina's score actually sit together quite snugly - an effect that I can't fully explain. For some reason they just seem to connect beautifully, and fans of any of Collins' earlier mainstream efforts will undoubtedly enjoy his work here.

The cornerstone of the song score is the soaring 'Two Worlds', a powerhouse ballad with a stirring chorus and, in the finale, a children's choir belting out the staple message of being true to ones self, respecting others and maintaining individuality. It's not original, but it's worked for 50-odd years, so why change it now? The tender and restrained 'You'll Be In My Heart' characterises the relationship between the infant ape man and his adoptive simian mother, while the rousing, anthemic 'Son of Man' underscores the now-famous "tree surfing" sequence in which the adolescent Tarzan comes of age while moving swiftly in and out of the jungle treetops. Collins' ode to musique concrete, the barnstorming 'Trashin' the Camp', takes a shoo-be-doo jazz beat and mixes it with a multitude of sound effects, from typewriters and cutlery to mixing bowls, before the songs as heard in the film conclude with the hopeful 'Strangers Like Me', a testament to Tarzan's gradual discovery of his past.

Disregarding the arrangement duties he carried out on Collins' songs, Mark Mancina's work finally takes centre stage during the four dedicated score tracks at the end of the album - 'A Wondrous Place', 'Moves Like An Ape, Looks Like A Man', 'The Gorillas' and 'One Family'. For most of the score, and in many of the songs, the predominant musical style is that of throbbing jungle drums accompanied by a full symphony orchestra, although unlike many of the earlier Disney scores, Mancina's efforts seem to be more subdued, more carefully constructed and less obviously manipulative. Mancina regularly tries to incorporate synthesisers, ethnic percussion and exotic flutes into the mix, and at times the music seems to echo his lovely oriental score for Return to Paradise. Of course, there are the pre-requisite spine-tingling crescendos, some great Media Ventures action music in 'The Gorillas' and a lovely romantic finale.

In the grand scheme of things, Tarzan is a notch below the soaring triumphs of Mulan and Beauty and the Beast, but is infinitely better than tepid efforts like Hercules. It is also encouraging to see that Disney are continuing to employ different composers for each new project - a welcome development which, after having stuck with Alan Menken for years, has seen Rachel Portman, Jerry Goldsmith, Hans Zimmer and Randy Newman all contribute their talents to the animated genre. Although it would have been nice to have had just a little more than 16 minutes of Mancina's score on the album, I can't really complain about the commercial package this time round. It is heartening to see that, finally, Disney are learning, and I fully expect to see Oscar nominations heading their way in the New Year.

Track Listing: Running Time: 41 minutes 02 seconds

Disney/Edel 0102472DNY (1999)

Music composed by Mark Mancina. Conducted by Don Harper. Orchestrations by David Metzger and Mark Mancina. Featured musical soloist Phil Collins. Score recorded and mixed by Steve Kempster. Songs recorded and mixed by Frank Wolf. Edited by Earl Ghaffari. Mastered by Joe Gastwirt. Album produced by Mark Mancina, Phil Collins, Rob Cavallo and Chris Ward.

Cinemusic Online: Review by Helen San (****)
Filmtracks: Review by Jon Turner (***1/2)
Movie Wave
Score!: Review by Andreas Lindahl (****)
Scorelogue


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