#tarzan is such a lovely movie

[angry-nightwing]

I don't remember which YouTuber it was that said something about how Tarzan defeating Sabor at the end of basically the first act of Tarzan sucks because Sabor should've been the final boss since they killed his parents, but it ANNOYS me because it reveals how little that person understood the whole damn point of the movie lol.

Like, Tarzan explicitly expresses that he wants to become the perfect gorilla to earn his place in the family, and a whole montage of him training for that follows. Defeating Sabor, where Kerchak couldn't, is essentially there to show that Tarzan has achieved his goal. He's become the gorilla he wanted and he's earned the respect of his family.

He WON.

But then - humans show up. And another opportunity is offered. He finds out he might not actually belong with the gorillas. Maybe he belongs with these "strangers like him". What he thought he knew, what he thought he wanted, is in flux. He's just achieved his goal of becoming the perfect gorilla, and now he doesn't even know if he should be a gorilla anymore.

He spends another montage learning to become human. It's actually interesting how the purpose of those two songs are mirrors of each other.

And here we dive into Want vs Need. Tarzan wants to become the perfect gorilla, but what he needs is to figure out where he really belongs, and who he really is.

At the end he obviously finds out that he belongs with his family - but in a place sort of between both worlds. He takes what he's learned during Son of Man and what he's learned during Strangers Like Me, and he finds balance.

But like. Tell me how the fuck a big boss battle with Sabor would work in that setting. The final boss HAS to be man and a human construct. Otherwise the movie confirms that the jungle will always reject Tarzan, and human society truly is where he belongs.

[artist-issues]

And another thing—the whole premise of Asha’s motivation, her whole character, is that she believes the people of Rosas deserve “more” than what Magnifico is giving them.

And I’ve already made posts about how that’s already kind of lame, because the movie doesn’t give you a good look at the citizens of Rosas really “suffering” because of Magnifico. They’re not all dull, or diffident, or zombies or anything. So she’s not really rescuing them from anything too bad, in that sense.

But that’s not the point of this post.

The point of this post is that Asha believes all the wishes in Rosas deserve the chance to come true, because she believes that all the intentions of the people in Rosas are basically good…she believes they’re all basically good people.

All their wishes are, therefore, good, harmless wishes.

But that’s so boring. And untrue. Not all wishes are good! Very few of the things we choose to wish for are the best things we could choose to wish for. And even less of the things people wish for are what they actually need.

Wish makes a lame attempt at the end, with the clunky Peter-Pan background character, to suggest that what the people of Rosas were missing was a work ethic to achieve their dreams, and collaborate with others, themselves. But it’s lame. And still not compelling. Because not everybody has good wishes. In fact, almost ALL of Disney’s best stories are about a character wishing for something that isn’t completely good for them. I already made a post that was kind of about this, but seriously. Having characters who want something, then discover that something is not so good for them, or something else would be even better, is one of Disney’s trademark tools for making compelling characters and adventures.

Flynn, in Tangled, just wanted to live a life of ease where nobody could bother him or take anything from him. And you know, he’s an orphan. They explained why he has that bad wish, because of his life and the circumstances that made him how he is—so we understand. We don’t hate him for having a bad wish. We get it. But then it’s wonderful to watch him learn to wish for something better! That’s a big chunk of the story! Just like how Rapunzel wished to see the floating lights, because it meant exploring and understanding the world. Not a bad wish, but not everything she could’ve had. Love, with Flynn, was an even better wish.

You could do this with villains, too, as the opposite. You can say,

Gaston had a bad wish. He wished to have Belle, simply because she was the most beautiful girl in town and he felt like he “deserved” her as the most beautiful man in town—and didn’t want to settle for second-best. And he has plenty of evidence to look at in order to recognize that his wish is bad, it’s not good for anyone including him—he has Belle’s selfless love for her father, the Beast’s refusal to fight back, and other adoring girls who would love to have him. But he won’t let it go. He won’t give up his wish or change it to something good—because he won’t acknowledge that it’s bad. So you have a great villain.

You get lots of great villains that way. Having bad wishes, but refusing to give them up. I mean, every Disney villain has a dream too, you guys realize that? And Disney had no problem saying “some wishes are bad” then. So they had strong characters with believable motivations/performances and a gripping story. Plus, actual impactful morals.

Stitch realizing his wish to destroy is bad, and changing it to a wish for family, like what Lilo and Nani have.

Clayton wishing he could “conquer” Africa, right down to selling its most fearsome creatures, right down to refusing to give up in a fight with Tarzan and winding up getting killed for it.

Hercules changing his wish from being a god to being on earth with Meg, because that’s a better fulfillment of his previous wish, which was just to find where he belongs.

Cruella refusing to change or give up her bad wish for a fur-skinned coat made from the pelts of the pets of the friends who insulted her.

The fairies continually giving up their wishes to do what’s best for Aurora and the kingdom—they give up their magic when it fails to undo Maleficent’s curse, then they give Aurora herself back to her real parents even though they’ve loved her, then they put the whole kingdom full of their friends to sleep to spare them the heartbreak of losing Aurora.

I mean, you could think of this as Part II of my earlier post, but what I’m saying is, Wish doesn’t acknowledge one of the most fundamental things about Disney stories: wishes aren’t always good, and they’re not always good for the people making them.

I get that Magnifico was taking away the chance for Rosas to find that out for themselves. No character in Rosas gets to go on their own journey of “is my wish worth getting.” But basing a movie off of that set them up for a boring movie. The whole concept of forgetting the wish you have, but it was probably good/harmless, makes the characters stop being characters, and the story super bland.

The only character that has a wish that he tries to make come true and has to choose to either keep or let go of is Magnifico—and his wish is “maintain absolute power.” Not even the Evil Queen had a wish that was that one-dimensional and bland—at least she had something personal in there. Magnifico doesn’t have a backstory or a personality that hints at a backstory which would explain his being a control-freak. He just has a burnt tapestry hanging on a wall that he sometimes glances at and says super vaguely, “nobody should ever have to live with their wish not coming true!” What wish, Magnifico? What did you wish for that you didn’t get? Say something that makes you real to me, or else I don’t care. Like everything else in this movie.

[cyren-myadd]

A list of characters who remind me of Spider Socorro, but it gets progressively worse

[pinkmirth]

. . . is it okay if i say something?

[angelxd-3303]

Idk who needs to hear this, but just because things are better than they were doesn't mean you're obligated to be completely ok.

Tw for swearing, mention of trauma, and traumatic responses. Also for Mario and DK being idiots together.

--------------------------------------------------

DK probably should have remembered that it was the rainy season in the jungle kingdom. Then again, a certain red-clad human had a way of making Donkey Kong forget everything but him. He and Mario had gone out into the forest, chasing one another back and forth through the thick foliage. All had been going well, both parties were laughing and joking around, and Mario looked so much more relaxed than he used to. Peach had done wonders for his anxiety, but DK took great pride in the fact that he could make Mario truly forget his inner demons and embrace his inner child instead.

The first few drops of rain, however, had DK skidding to a halt. Mario, who was chasing him, launched himself against the ape with a triumphant laugh. A laugh that died down as DK cursed under his breath.

"What's wrong?" Mario inquired, instantly tensing up. That was one thing DK despised, how no matter how relaxed Mario was, the slightest hint of something amiss would send him into an internal panic. The muscles on his comparatively small body would lock up, and those sky blue eyes would instantly be darting around their surroundings, desperate to find the danger. 

DK felt Mario grip his fur tighter, and the ape took a deep breath. He had to stay calm, but this was really bad. They were too far from the city to make it before the rain, and there were no caves in sight. He shifted Mario to ride him piggyback style.

"Ok, hold on. Don't let go, no matter what, alright?" Mario nodded, although he'd begun to tremble. There was a rumble of thunder from above, and DK scrambled to the nearest tree. Huffing, the ape grabbed onto the vines that encircled the trunk, using them to hoist himself up towards the canopy. They made it almost halfway when the sky finally burst.

There was a loud cursing from DK, and a terrified yelp from Mario as the downpour suddenly bore down on them. Shaking the rain from his eyes, Donkey Kong continued his climb up the tree. There was a frightened whimper from behind him, and DK realized with horror that Mario's grip was failing. The human struggled to hold on as the rain beat down on him, and the increasingly soaked fur wasn't doing him any favors. Desperate, DK scrambled onto the first branch he saw, making it onto the partially shielded surface just as Mario's hands began to slip. Both of them panted, DK with exertion and Mario with terror. Mario scooted backwards so his back was braced against the tree trunk. 

DK shuddered, shaking like a dog to rid his fur of water. Afterwards, he crept closer to his human. He stopped, however, at the panicked gasping that escaped Mario. Scarred hands were pulling at his hair, and Mario was literally fighting for breath. DK sighed, nudging his foot gently.

"Hey." He whispered, drawing Mario's attention. God, that terrified expression was one DK never got used to. Mario was usually such a smug little bastard; seeing him so vulnerable and frightened made DK want to scoop him up and hide him away from the world to protect him. He wondered for a moment if Bowser often felt the same way about Luigi. 

Shaking the thought, DK held out his hand. Wordlessly, Mario raised his own, placing it against the much larger one. Mario's hand barely encompassed DK's palm. It was something they often did to calm Mario down. When asked about it, Mario had said that it reminded him of how much bigger and stronger DK was than anything that would want to hurt him, and that the hulking ape was there to protect him.

Mario sucked in a breath, slowly exhaling as his shoulders relaxed. Afterwards, he gave DK a frazzled half-smile.

"Wow…" Was all he said. DK chuckled.

"Yup. Wow." All was silent for a few moments as Mario shook the residual anxiety. As the silence grew between them, DK's attention was drawn to the long scar that curved along Mario's jaw. He hated looking at it, but now that it had his attention he couldn't look away. At his sobered expression, Mario gave him an inquisitive look. DK had a lot of things he wanted to say about that scar, but didn't know how. Especially considering the fact that Mario was surprisingly touchy with regards to his past. 

"I…I wish I'd been there." 

"What do you mean?" Mario asked. DK sighed. Better now than never.

"When you…y'know…were younger." Mario's eyes lit up with understanding, and he sighed, long and weary.

"Ehh, there's nothing you could've done." DK frowned at this.

"Of course I could've! I would've kept you and your bro from getting hurt, I'd've kept ya safe, made sure no one ever hurt you!" Mario offered a sad smile, shaking his head.

"Donkey, no. What's done is done, the past doesn't matter anymore." DK actually growled at that, punching the branch they sat on angrily. Mario jumped back, yelping softly as his arms came up to shield his face. Filled with guilt, DK moved closer.

"Hey, hey, I'm sorry." He took Mario's clenched fists in his hands, pulling them down to press his forehead against Mario's. The panicked breathing slowed a bit.

"Look, I'm sorry. I don't mean to blow up. I just-GAH!" He pulled Mario closer, and the human instantly melted in his arms. Feeling Mario bury his face in the still damp fur of his neck brought a sense of calm that nothing else did. 

"It just pisses me off that anyone thought it was ok to hurt you. I love ya to death, Mario, but do you have any idea how hard it is to look at you some days? To see that ugly-ass scar and know that I coulda kept it from happening? It just makes me feel…" He searched for the right word.

"Helpless." It was a feeling Donkey Kong was entirely unprepared for. A feeling he absolutely hated. Mario sighed again, a tired sound that made DK's chest tighten. The rain poured down around them, a steady din that seemed to drown out everything else. Finally, Mario spoke.

"I've just…I've just been telling myself that the past doesn't matter anymore, because Lu and I are in a better place now." He ran his fingers through the drying fur on DK's arm.

"But…the truth is…I think it's still hurting me. I still can't sleep through the night, I can only eat a little bit before I start to feel anxious, every little thing scares me…I just…" He hid his face in DK's fur, chest heaving.

"I'm just tired of always hurting. I'm trying to be better, I really am!" He looked up at DK pleadingly, as if he had to convince the ape of his words. As if Donkey Kong would ever doubt that he was trying. Large tears streamed down, and DK wordlessly pulled him impossibly closer.

"I know." The ape whispered. "I know."

Mario clung to Donkey Kong tightly, not caring that they were both still soaked from the rain.

"I just feel so bad, because things are better now! Things are so much better now, so why am I not better?!" 

"Because you went through shit, ok? People let you down your whole life, you can't expect yourself to be totally fine! You're still healing, ok? Cut yourself some slack, dumbass!" Mario gave a wet chuckle. 

"I'm sorry I didn't realize how much it hurt you. I can probably get, like, some kind of concealer to hide it or something." DK pulled back, giving Mario an unimpressed look.

"You wanna use makeup. Just to make me feel better." Confused, Mario nodded. DK facepalmed, shaking his head. 

"Good grief, who gives a shit?! There you are again, trying to make everyone else happy instead of yourself! Ya gotta stop this habit, Rio. Quit caring so much about what everyone else thinks. Yeah, it hurts me to look at it, but I care more about what's goin' on in here." He pressed a finger to Mario's forehead.

"You have the right to heal." Sky blue eyes stared up at him, as if the thought had never crossed his mind. 

"I know I can't go back in time and save you and your bro, but I can make a difference now. I can keep you safe now. I can give you so much fucking love, you'll drown in it!" He rubbed his cheek against Mario's, relishing the laughter it pulled from his human.

"You're gonna be ok. It'll take time, but you will be ok. Besides, I'll kill anyone who tries to hurt ya." Mario rested his head against Donkey Kong, chuckling at the declaration. 

"Yeah. I'll be ok."

Later, the rain would stop. The couple would make their way back to the city, discovering a frantic search party that had gone out to find them. Cranky Kong would scold them for being out in the downpour, tugging at DK's ear and smacking Mario's arm with his cane. They'd go back to DK's place, Mario changing and leaving his drenched clothes hanging on the porch railing, and they'd soak in the sun together until dinnertime.

For now?

For now, they sat in a much more comfortable silence, Mario cradled in DK's arms as the rain fell around them. The rest of the world didn't matter in that moment, because they had each other and knew.

It would be ok.

[once-upon-a-time-a-crow]

If I missed you favourite pls share it!! ⬇️

[gregor-samsung]

Gaza mon amour (Tarzan Nasser, Arab Nasser - 2020)

[perdidosbucky-yyo]

I would like to thank Phill Collins for the Tarzan movie soundtrack, 25 years later and it's still a banger 😩💚

[tolerateit]

happy bingo night!!!

[shebeafancyflapjack]

Recently rewatched Tarzan (1999) with my niece the other day and literelly all I could think watching it, this scene especially, is baby Robin (aka Budget Tarzan) growing up. 🥰

[blueskyscribe]

At the very end of ATLA they delve into Azula's psyche a little, but for the most part I don't think she was supposed to be viewed as a victim; she is 14, and to the intended audience of six to ten year olds, a fourteen year old might as well be a thirty year old. That is OLD to a child. ANCIENT. When I was six I thought fifth graders (11 year olds) were extremely grown up, lol.

And children hate the message that "children can do no wrong" anyway; it's a dehumanizing message at that age because it suggests they're not a real person who can make autonomous decisions. Only once you're an adult do you see how much kids are buffeted and shaped by their circumstances. But as a child it's like, "If I can choose not to punch my brother when he teases me, this fictional kid in Goosebumps should be capable of not bullying the protagonist, and since he IS bullying the protagonist, I hope the monster eats him."

[baronessofmischief]

I think Tarzan also has one of the best setups for a villain who monologues their true intentions at the end of the movie.

Clayton’s introduction is someone we hear before we see, spending the entire time hacking through the brush bragging about his accomplishments as a safari hunter. He lives for the thrill of the hunt and the recognition, praise, and notoriety those exploits garner. It means when Tarzan is restrained at the end on the boat, it’s entirely in character for Clayton to brag about exactly what he plans to do in betraying them and capturing the gorillas. He doesn’t even have to do it for long, just long enough to break the spirit of the hero before throwing him to the lowest point he’s been in the story.

If you’re going to have a character monologue it can’t feel out of place or disrupt the flow and pacing of the movie, and it definitely can’t be out of character for that particular character to give it. Too often monologues can sound like they were written for the satisfaction of the writer instead of serving the story, and when that’s the case it’s a “kill your darlings” scenario; every word in a monologue has to be necessary, or else it needs to be cut out

[mikiruma]

getting (back) into mtr reminded me how much i. genuinely love disney movies. i wish the corporate chunk of disney wasnt complete dogshit though bc the creatives are basically the whole reason i wanted to get into drawing and storytelling in the first place. so many of those movies hold a special place in my heart but i hate the corporate side so much that it just feels embarrassing to want to gush. not gonna stop me from doing it anyway but. man i genuinely hope the animation industry can recover from the production culture its inflicted on itself.

[butts-bouncing-on-the-beltway]

I uh. I have never really watched a lot of movies in my lifetime. I think the first time I watched a movie that wasn't Totoro, a deep sea/space documentary, or Tarzan, I was like.....14? Just not a whole lot of TV exposure in my household growing up lmao

How many of these movies have you seen that people said “you haven’t seen [blank] yet??” to me about

[snorlaxlovesme]

ppl say that Mufasa is Disney's saddest death but that's because they haven't seen me weep during Kerchak's death in Tarzan