Search - Tarzan, The Ape Man on DVD

2/3rds of the Best of Bo

joseph Corey | Raleigh, NC United States | 01/05/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"If you grew up in the early 80s, it was hard to ignore Bo Derek. She was everywhere. On talk shows, posters and magazines - and mostly unclothed. These two films represent her true arrival on the scene. She had made a minor splash as the gal who gets her leg bit off by "Orca," but who can rememeber a pretty woman in the wake of a Killer Whale rampage? But who can forget Bo bouncing on the beach with her hair in beads? "10" was one of those films that you conspired to sneak into at the multiplex. And it was the reason some of us put up with irritating guys so we could get a second shot of seeing it on HBO (or was it Showtime?). Bo was hot and the rest of the movie was there for the old people.

Tarzan, The Ape Man was Bo's attempt to turn her star power into cinematic gold. She wasn't merely going to be an actress, she would produce "Tarzan, The Ape Man" along with her husband John directing. And it's not that bad of a Tarzan film - with the great John Phillip Law (Danger Diabolik) and Richard Harris along with Miles O'Keeffe as the Ape Man. And in order to keep people sitting in the theater until the last frame of the film runs through the projector, Bo remains topless for the end credits - don't cut this DVD off early.

The only other DVD that you need to truly lust for Bo's glory days is "Bolero."

I wouldn't recommend these films to someone who doesn't have a lust for Bo. But the price of this double feature is just right for me to put it on my guilty pleasure shelf - and I do have one."

There are some bad movies you have to see just to believe

Lawrance M. Bernabo | The Zenith City, Duluth, Minnesota | 04/10/2003

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I remember watching the trailer for "Tarzan the Ape Man" and be so impressed by the shot of a half naked figure on an exotic beach. To this day I think that shot of Miles O'Keeffe as Tarzan, rising majestically from his crouch, is the single most impressive shot in a Trazan film in the history of the world. The problem, of course, is that despite the title this 1981 film from director John Derek is supposed to be showcasing his wife, Bo Derek, who plays Jane. You would think that have a great looking Tarzan in a Tarzan movie would be a good thing, but he ends up being only secondary eye candy in this film.Granted, "Tarzan the Ape Man" is a legendary bad film, but it is the sort of bad film that you really have to see to believe. You can have a lot of fun laughing at a movie. In terms of Tarzan films this goes back to the Johnny Weismuller approach; actually, it goes beyond, because this Tarzan says absolutely nothing, which would be the Elmo Lincoln approach I guess. More importantly, he looks like if he had to go hand-to-hand with a great ape he would end up standing at the end (compare him to Christopher Lambert in "Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan," which is still the film version that best embodies the original Edgar Rice Burroughs novel). The big irony here is that if Bo Derek said nothing the film would be greatly improved; the problem with this film is not so much the visual images as the lousy dialogue (this is symbolized by the fact that the film begins with Tarzan's yell replacing the roar of the MGM lion in the opening credit). Bo shared the Razzie Award for Worst Actress with Faye Dunaway in "Mommie Dearest"; this film might have been bad but it managed to avoid winning any other awards, leaving those honors (or lacks thereof) to the likes of "Heaven's Gate" and Klinton Spilsbury in "The Legend of the Lone Ranger." Richard Harris plays Jane's father and tries gamely to bring some dignity and intelligence to the film, but Bo's babe in the woods act keeps bringing the film crashing down (when she starts crying about getting painted white near the end of the film is when I lost it).I had a friend who insisted that this was supposed to be a comedy, an outright spoof, and that nobody should be taken it literally. I have to disagree. They thought this was going to be a more sensual version of the Tarzan story, more like "The Blue Lagoon" for grown ups than anything else. However, the black & white films that Weismuller made with Maureen O'Sullivan in the early 1930s during the pre-Code era are still the sexiest Tarzan films ever made. As Bo Derek amply proves in this film, there is such a thing as showing too much skin. The rating for this film has to do with its unintended entertainment value and not its quality. Again, there are simply some films in the Bottom 100 of all time that you have to see to appreciate why they have found their appropriate place in cinematic history."

Bo Derek grabs that big vine!

Marty Martinez | Albuquerque, New Mexico United States | 10/22/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Beautiful Bo Derek (as Jane Parker) embarks on an erotic jungle adventure to West Africa to find her estranged explorer father (Richard Harris). Along the way she meets up with the handsome and extremely buff title character (Miles O'Keefe). The locations (Sri Lanka) are almost as gorgeous as Bo, and the photography (courtesy of John Derek) is equally breathtaking. I enjoyed this film, despite the campy script and preposterous story. It is a silly adventure that shows all the interactions between this sexy jungle duo that usually happened behind the palm trees. I liked the fact that Jane Parker was portrayed as a liberated and independent woman (even though it's supposed to be 1910). I think that Bo's performance (despite the critical backlash) was spirited and appealing. The late Richard Harris seems to overact a bit in his role as the demanding expedition leader, and his constant bellowing gets old after a while. Also, the incestuous overtones make some scenes uncomfortable to watch. Miles O'Keefe is a wonderful Tarzan (how did that tiny loincloth stay on anyway?). This DVD adds the previously edited "controversial" scenes that were missing from the cinematic and video release! (And yes, a chimpazee really does kiss Bo's nipple in one innocent moment) The only "extra" in this DVD is the original theatrical trailer. For those who admired that famous leather bikini that Bo wears in the promotional posters and DVD cover, you'll be dissappointed - as she never wears it on camera. When this movie was first broadcast on network T.V., she wore it during the closing credits during a beautiful walk on the beach with Tarzan and C.J. the famous movie orangutan. I prefered this ending to the semi-nude wrestling romp that accompanies the closing credits on the DVD. This is a great film, and the picture/sound/music quality transfer to DVD is great. Bo's star may have faded in the following decades, but I still remember waiting in a very long line at the theater to see the perfect "10" swing with Tarzan..."

BO-ring!!!!

Fruit Loop | Down South | 12/28/2004

(1 out of 5 stars)

"Possibly one of the worst movies ever made, Bo and John Derek managed to massacre the Tarzan legend while wreaking cinematic havoc with this unbelievably bad waste of celluloid. Where to begin....the lousy script, the poopy cinematography, the atrocious acting....I can't think of enough adjectives to describe how putrid this actually is. As for erotic - forget it. Jane should have boffed the ape instead. Jane and papa head through the jungle, delayed by her repeated falls into the river. Despite the time period, when women were supposed to be modest, Jane doesn't seem to know what underwear is. Yeesh. I can't believe people actually paid to see this tripe. If you must watch it, rent it and save some $. You'll be glad you did"