History YMMV / Tarzan

* BrokenBase: Phil Collins' soundtrack for the film is divisive as hell. Viewers think it's either an awesome and effective collection of songs that complements each scene well, or a mess of unfitting, generic pop songs with Collins' sudden voice feeling awkwardly placed in. Some viewers in the latter are even fans of Collins' music or think the songs themselves are good but feel their placement in the actual film is clumsy and off-putting.

* VindicatedByHistory: Not for the film itself, but its soundtrack. By 1999, Music/PhilCollins had become so widely detested for his sheer overexposure in [[TheEighties the preceding decade]] that many were vocally apprehensive towards the ''Tarzan'' soundtrack simply because it was Collins' work. However, the critical and public redemption of Collins in the 2010s, spurned on by a mix of '80s nostalgia, nostalgia from people who grew up with the movie, and endorsements of Collins by popular [=R&B=] artists, ended up extending to the ''Tarzan'' soundtrack as well. Nowadays, it's gone from being seen as gimmicky treacle to one of the best film soundtracks for a Disney film to date, with the soundtrack album being considered Collins' best release since ''Music/FaceValue''.

* BrokenBase: Creator/PhilCollins' soundtrack for the film is divisive as hell. Viewers think it's either an awesome and effective collection of songs that complements each scene well, or a mess of unfitting, generic pop songs with Collins' sudden voice feeling awkwardly placed in. Some viewers in the latter are even fans of Collins' music or think the songs themselves are good but feel their placement in the actual film is clumsy and off-putting.

* CommonKnowledge:
** At one point, Sabor was going to be a black leopard. Disney fans who know this refer to this case of WhatCouldHaveBeen as a reference to Bagheera, but in reality it is just a case of pragmatism, something that even Joe Kubert used in his own run of Tarzan comics by having every leopard be a black leopard, as did previous animated Tarzan work ''WesternAnimation/TarzanLordOfTheJungle.'' The reason this was done in previous works and almost done with this movie is because constantly drawing all the spots on a leopard would prove challenging.
** Although popularly thought of as an EvilPoacher, dues to the standards of the time, Clayton does not actually commit any poaching. Yes, he tries to capture the Tribe of Kerchak, but there were no breeding programs at the time, meaning that was the only way animals were brought to civilization. Clayton's actual crimes include mutiny and attempted murder, but not poaching.

* CommonKnowledge: At one point, Sabor was going to be a black leopard. Disney fans who know this refer to this case of WhatCouldHaveBeen as a reference to Bagheera, but in reality it is just a case of pragmatism, something that even Joe Kubert used in his own run of Tarzan comics by having every leopard be a black leopard, as did previous animated Tarzan work ''WesternAnimation/TarzanLordOfTheJungle.'' The reason this was done in previous works and almost done with this movie is because constantly drawing all the spots on a leopard would prove challenging.

* BaseBreakingCharacter: Some people love Terk for being a rare example of a female comic relief character who isn't overtly feminine in appearance and personality, no doubt due to her being written as male in earlier drafts. Others dislike her because of Creator/RosieODonnell's performance and her schtick with Tantor being a blatant repeat of [[WesternAnimation/TheLionKing1994 Timon and Pumbaa]].

* ObviousJudas: Clayton is an EgomaniacHunter who is rude, condescending and shows an open disregard for the wildlife in the jungle. Is it really a surprise that he's plotting against the protagonists? It should be noted that according to various texts, such as ''Disney's Tarzan'' by Russell K. Schroeder and Victoria and Saxon, they didn't want Clayton to be an obvious villain from that start.

* ObviousJudas: Clayton is an EgomaniacHunter who is rude, condescending and shows an open disregard for the wildlife in the jungle. Is it really a surprise that he's plotting against the protagonists?

* TheyChangedItNowItSucks: The Weissmuller films and their imitators have received outcry from Burroughs purists for making multiple changes to the source material, from the introduction of TheScrappy Cheetah to portraying Tarzan as less intelligent than his literary counterpart.

* HilariousInHindsight: In 1996, a subspecies of chimpanzee has been discovered in the Bili Forest of the Congo Republic that shows many gorilla-like behaviors -- much like how Burroughs' Mangani mix traits of those same apes with some primitive human. Doubles as AccidentallyCorrectZoology.

** Clayton's FamilyUnfriendlyDeath due to being perhaps the darkest villain death of the Renaissance, if not if the entire animated canon, though it is not without some fierce competition.

%%* SignatureScene: Do not unhide without explaining why these scenes are famous
%%** The shot where Tarzan "surfs" across the jungle foliage at the end of the "Son of Man" sequence.

%%** Clayton's FamilyUnfriendlyDeath.

* CommonKnowledge: At one point, Sabor was going to be a black leopard. Disney fans who know this refer to this case of WhatCouldHaveBeen as a reference to Bagheera, but in reality it is just a case of pragmatism, something that even Joe Kubert used in his own run of Tarzan comics by having every leopard be a black leopard, as did previous animated Tarzan work ''WesternAnimation/TarzanLordOfTheJungle.''

* CommonKnowledge: At one point, Sabor was going to be a black leopard. Disney fans who know this refuse to this case of WhatCouldHaveBeen as a reference to Bagheera, but in reality it is just a case of pragmatism, something that even Joe Kubert used in his own run of Tarzan comics by having every leopard be a black leopard, as did previous animated Tarzan work ''WesternAnimation/TarzanLordOfTheJungle.''

* MoralEventHorizon: Clayton from the Disney version crosses this when he shoots Kerchak, Tarzan's adoptive father, then, much like [[WesternAnimation/BeautyAndTheBeast Gaston]], tries to kill Tarzan [[UngratefulBastard after being spared]], resulting in a gruesome KarmicDeath afterward.

* {{Flanderization}}: The original Tarzan was a GeniusBruiser, an inveterate prankster with a pitch-black sense of humor, and a [[TheDandy dandy]] of the first water even before he came in contact with civilization. Adaptations tend to downplay all aspects of Tarzan except his physical prowess.

* HarsherInHindsight: Kerchak's death has been compared to the death of Harambe, a gorilla from the Cincinnati Zoo, in 2016.

** Applicable to the above due to Harambe becoming a [[MemeticMutation viral joke]].

* SignatureScene:
** The shot where Tarzan "surfs" across the jungle foliage at the end of the "Son of Man" sequence.
** [[TearJerker The intro]], under Phil Collins [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic "Two Worlds"]].
** When Tarzan realizes that he and Jane have the same hand shape.
** Clayton's FamilyUnfriendlyDeath.

* BigLippedAlligatorMoment: "Trashing the Camp." Other than letting Jane learn that Tarzan is part of the gorilla community, all the scene does is show off a cool scat jam written by Phil Collins. (The main reason it was added is because Rosie O'Donnell requested a song if she was going to be in a Disney film.) The commentary reveals that the directors considered cutting it several times, but it was a big hit with kids in the test audiences, so it was kept in.

** Did Sabor kill Tarzan's birth parents out of predatory instincts, or because she had never seen humans before and thought they were invading her territory?

* VindicatedByHistory: The film's ''soundtrack'' of all things went through this. By 1999, Music/PhilCollins had become so widely detested for his sheer overexposure in [[TheEighties the preceding decade]] that many were vocally apprehensive towards the ''Tarzan'' soundtrack simply because it was Collins' work. However, the critical and public redemption of Collins in the 2010's, spurned on by a mix of 80's nostalgia, nostalgia from people who grew up with the movie, and endorsements of Collins by popular [=R&B=] artists, ended up extending to the ''Tarzan'' soundtrack as well. Nowadays, it's gone from being seen as gimmicky treacle to one of the best film soundtracks for a Disney film to date.

* BaseBreakingCharacter: Some people love Terk for being a rare example of a female character who isn't overtly feminine and allowed to be a comic relief, no doubt due to her being written as male in earlier drafts. Others dislike her because of Creator/RosieODonnell's performance, and her schtick with Tantor being a blatant repeat of [[WesternAnimation/TheLionKing1994 Timon and Pumbaa]].

* VindicatedByHistory: The film's ''soundtrack'' of all things went through this. By 1999, Music/PhilCollins had become so widely detested for his sheer overexposure in [[TheEighties the preceding decade]] that many were vocally apprehensive towards the ''Tarzan'' soundtrack simply because it was Collins' work. However, the critical and public redemption of Collins in the 2010's, spurned on by a mix of 80's nostalgia, nostalgia from people who grew up with the movie, and endorsements of Collins by popular [=R&B=] artists, ended up extending to the ''Tarzan'' soundtrack as well. Nowadays, it's gone from being seen as gimmicky treacle to one of the best film soundtracks for a Disney film to date. [[WesternAnimation/SouthParkBiggerLongerAndUncut Just don't tell]] [[Creator/TreyParkerAndMattStone Trey Parker this]].

* VindicatedByHistory: The film's ''soundtrack'' of all things went through this. By 1999, Music/PhilCollins had become so widely detested for his sheer overexposure in [[TheEighties the preceding decade]] that many were vocally apprehensive towards the ''Tarzan'' soundtrack simply because it was Collins' work. However, the critical and public redemption of Collins in the 2010's, spurned on by a mix of 80's nostalgia, nostalgia from people who grew up with the movie, and endorsements of Collins by popular [=R&B=] artists, ended up extending to the ''Tarzan'' soundtrack as well. Nowadays, it's gone from being seen as gimmicky treacle to one of the best film soundtracks for a Disney film to date.

* CrossesTHeLineTwice: Tarzan trying to peek under Jane's dress. If a civilized person did it, it would be totally unacceptable, but when it's done by a savage that [[InnocentlyInsensitive doesn't know the norms]] because he's never interacted with people before, it becomes funny.