Adventure, Drama  •  1984  •  143 min  •  Older Kids (7+)

Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes (1984)

Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes poster

Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes (1984)


Rating & Dimensions

Bias Rating
Analyzing...
Center
Political: Leans Left
Diversity: Low
Family Values: Strongly Traditional

Viewer Rating
6.7

Overview

Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes reimagines the classic jungle tale with a focus on Tarzan’s upbringing in the wild and reluctant return to human society. The film’s Mixed bias label reflects opposing forces: the environmentalist critique of civilization pulls toward progressive ideals, while its adherence to traditional casting and family-centric themes leans conservative. Though respectful in tone and historically grounded, it sidesteps modern DEI discourse in favor of timeless themes of identity, legacy, and belonging.


Starring Cast

Christopher Lambert  •   Andie MacDowell  •   Ralph Richardson


Where to watch

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Detailed Bias Analysis

Analyzing...
Center

Primary

Political: Leans Left
Confidence: High

The film leans left by idealizing nature and critiquing the artificiality and perceived corruption of human civilization, culminating in Tarzan's rejection of his aristocratic heritage for a return to his primal home.

Diversity: Low
Confidence: High

The movie features traditional casting for its main characters, adhering to the established racial and gender portrayals of the source material. The narrative explores themes of nature versus civilization without explicitly critiquing traditional identities or centering on DEI themes.

Secondary

Family Values: Strongly Traditional
Confidence: High

The film strongly endorses traditional family values through its depiction of fierce parental devotion, respect for elders and lineage, and the ideal of a committed, lifelong partnership between Tarzan and Jane, despite the unconventional nature of his adoptive ape family.

LGBTQ: N/A
Confidence: High

Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes does not feature any identifiable LGBTQ+ characters, relationships, or themes. The narrative centers on Tarzan's journey from the jungle to aristocratic society and his subsequent return, focusing on his personal identity and romantic relationship with Jane Porter.

Trans: N/A
Confidence: High

Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes does not feature any identifiable transsexual characters or themes. The story centers on Tarzan's journey from the jungle to Victorian society, exploring themes of nature versus nurture and identity within that context, without engaging with gender identity issues or depicting transsexual lives.

Female Combat: No
Confidence: High

The film features Jane Porter as the primary human female character. She is not depicted engaging in or winning any close-quarters physical combat against male opponents. Kala, Tarzan's adoptive ape mother, is an animal and does not participate in or win human-style physical combat against men.

Gender Swap: No
Confidence: High

The film adapts Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan novels, portraying all established characters, such as Tarzan, Jane Porter, and Professor Porter, with their canonical genders from the source material. No character's gender was altered for this adaptation.

Race Swap: No
Confidence: High

No characters canonically established as one race in the source material are portrayed as a different race in the film adaptation. The main characters, including Tarzan and Jane Porter, maintain their established racial depictions.

Hinduism: N/A
Confidence: High

Not depicted in the film.


Viewer Rating Breakdown

6.7

Viewer Rating

Combines user and critic ratings from four sources

User Ratings

IMDB logo
6.4
The Movie Database logo
6.4

Critic Ratings

Rotten Tomatoes logo
7.9
Metacritic logo
6.2

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