The Legend of Tarzan appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 2.40:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. Overall, the image seemed positive.
Most of the time, the movie gave us a good sense of definition. Low-light shots could feel a little tentative at times, but the majority of the film boasted nice clarity and delineation. I saw no moiré effects or jagged edges, and I also detected no print flaws.
Legend opted for desaturated hues that varied based on setting. These mixed blues and tans for the most part to create a limited but satisfactory presentation of colors. Blacks seemed deep and dense, while shadows offered appropriate thickness. Though not excellent, the transfer still seemed very good.
Even more pleasing, the movie’s Dolby Atmos soundtrack soared. Downconverted to Dolby TrueHD 7.1 on my system, this mix used the channels in an active and engulfing manner, particularly during the many sequences set in the Congo.
Those announced their intentions early when we saw the Belgian army against the locals, and the mix of shots that involved Tarzan and animals brought the track to rousing life. Add in a few more combat sequences and this turned into a rich, involving soundscape.
Audio quality also satisfied. Speech threatened to get buried at times but remained concise and distinctive, while music showed warm, lively tones. Effects came across as vibrant and dynamic, with excellent low-end response. The audio added a lot of zest to the film.
The package offers five featurettes. Tarzan Reborn runs 15 minutes, 10 seconds and presents comments from director David Yates, producers David Barron and Jerry Weintraub, screenwriter Adam Cozad, physical trainer Magnus Lygdback, movement choreographer Wayne McGregor, African technical advisor Josh Ponte, executive producer Nikolas Korda, costume designer Ruth Myers, and actors Alexander Skarsgard, Samuel L. Jackson, Margot Robbie, and Christoph Waltz.
“Reborn” examines story/characters, cast and performances, historical elements, allusions to prior films, and costumes. Nothing especially meaty emerges here, but “Reborn” gives us an acceptable overview of production basics.
During Battle and Bare-Knuckle Brawls, we get three pieces: “Tarzan vs. Akut” (5:15), “Boma Stampede” (4:53) and “Train Ambush” (4:57). Across these, we hear from Skarsgard, Yates, McGregor, Barron,
visual effects supervisors Tim Burke, Frank Petzold and Alex Pejic, stunt coordinator Buster Reeves, 2nd unit director Stephen Woolfenden, special effects supervisor David Watkins, and visual effects animation supervisor Kevin Spruce.
These clips examine the execution of a few effects-intensive scenes from the movie. The “Battle” bits bring us good details, and the behind the scenes footage adds a lot.
Next comes Tarzan and Jane’s Unfailing Love. It takes up six minutes, one second with info from Robbie, Yates, Skarsgard, McGregor, Barron, Cozad, and Korda. As expected, “Love” looks at the Tarzan/Jane relationship as well as performances. A couple of minor tidbits emerge but the piece usually seems blah.
Creating the Virtual Jungle goes for 15 minutes, 16 seconds and delivers material from Yates, Robbie, Woolfenden, Burke, Petzold, Skarsgard, Robbie, Spruce, Pejic, McGregor, production designer Stuart Craig, animal performance artist Ace Aristotle, and actors Djimon Hounsou and William Wollen. “Virtual” tells us the methods used to reproduce the African locations/creatures in a London soundstage setting. This turns into a satisfying program.
Finally, we locate Gabon to the Big Screen. It lasts two minutes, 28 seconds and features Yates, Jackson, Ponte, Waltz, Skarsgard, and Robbie. It’s basically an ad for Gabon and a way to raise awareness about the elephant population crisis.
The disc opens with an ad for Kong: Skull Island. No trailer for Legend appears here but we do find an anti-ivory PSA with Skarsgard and Robbie.
A third disc provides a DVD copy of Legend. It lacks any of the Blu-ray’s extras.
Though The Legend of Tarzan starts with some intriguing choices, most of it follows a predictable path. Despite its stabs at action and excitement, the movie fails to generate any real heat. The Blu-ray offers very good picture and audio along with a handful of supplements. Legend fails to reinvent Tarzan in a compelling manner.