Movie Review: Greystoke (1984)


Greystoke (1984)

3.5/4 out of 5 stars

I cannot remember now, nearly thirty years later, if I saw this film in a movie theater.  I don’t believe I did.  In fact, I think I saw it on a grainy VHS tape recorded from someone’s cable or satellite dish system (back when the dishes were six to eight feet in diameter).  After attending a recent library event on Edgar Rice Burroughs, I placed the DVD for Greystoke in my Netflix queue.  Terry and I watched most of it one evening, but didn’t get the last bit watched until the weekend. Even though not a BluRay, the wide-screen format on the HD plasma still provide stunning vistas out of Dark Africa.

Not having read any Tarzan novels, I can’t confirm (or deny) the authenticity of the adaptation.  Most critics consider this one of the closest to the author’s vision.  I liked it because of it’s believability, whether in the jungle or in late Victorian England.  Lambert’s debut acting role still impresses me.  This also happened to be Andi MacDowell’s first film.  Both of them played very well together.

I liked the movie overall.  I think it has held up well and is probably my favorite Tarzan movie to date.