In 1999, Golden Films released a film they had made two years prior in time for another adaptation of the same beloved story: Tarzan of the Apes. In contrast to the Disney film, this production more or less follows the original book but it is, for the most part, a Lighter and Softer adaptation.
The film has examples of:
- Adaptational Alternate Ending: In the original ending, Tarzan gives up on pursuing Jane and would only be with her at the end of the first sequel The Return of Tarzan. However, since the couple is iconic, this film has Jane go with Tarzan.
- Adaptational Heroism: Rather than Terkoz being Tarzan's enemy, he is Tarzan's friend and adoptive brother.
- Color-Coded for Your Convenience: Kerchak's apes have brown fur (though a few of them, like Kala, are white-furred), whereas Bolgani's apes have dark grey fur.
- Composite Character: Sabor, a blanket term for lionesses in the Mangani language of the book series, is the name of a lion, whose blanket term in the Mangani language is "Numa."
- Death by Adaptation: Black Michael and his mutineers are killed in a storm not long after marooning the Claytons. It is never stated what happened to them after the marooning in the novel.
- Decomposite Character: Terkoz's role as a villainous exile of the ape tribe is given to Kerchak.
- Dies Differently in Adaptation: Tarzan's biological father John dies because of an illness rather him being killed by Kerchak. Illness was how his mother Alice died in the original novel making it the exact same.
- Distant Duet: In "Everlasting Love", Tarzan and Jane sing about their love despite being in different destinations.
- Fur Bikini: After spending a day with Tarzan in the jungle, Jane ends up wearing a pink furry bikini-like outfit.
- Gender Flip: Sabor is a male lion instead of a lioness.
- Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold: Jane Porter has long blonde hair, and she's kind, modest and caring.
- "I Am Great!" Song: "Tarzan of the Apes" is a song that Tarzan sings boasting about his skills.
- Killer Gorilla: Kerchak and Bolgani, or rather a killer "brown ape" and "grey ape" respectively.
- Lighter and Softer: Just for an example, Kerchak does not kill John Clayton. Rather he dies of illness just as his wife Alice does.
- Misplaced Wildlife: The film shows lions and giraffes living in the jungle.
- Mockbuster: Came out the same year as the Disney version, but lacks the high-quality animation and mature writing, being a much Lighter and Softer version with Limited Animation.
- Nice Girl: Jane Porter is very brave, kind, loving and good-hearted.
- Non-Indicative Name: While "Brown Apes" and "Grey Apes" would imply the two tribes are based on fur color, many of both tribes don't have the indicative fur color with Kerchak, Leader of the Brown Apes, having orange fur, and Bolgani, Leader of the Grey Apes, having black fur.
- Pink Means Feminine: All of Jane Porter's outfits, from her fancy dress to her jungle bikini, are pink.
- Primal Chest-Pound:
- Kerchak and Bolgani both pound their chests as they lead their tribes to battle against the other ape tribe.
- Tarzan pounds his chest as he lets out his Signature Roar during the song "Tarzan of the Apes".
- Spared by the Adaptation:
- Kala is not killed by the Tribe of Mbonga, as they were called in the original book.
- Terkoz is not killed by Tarzan due to the Adaptational Heroism.
- Truer to the Text: As strange as it is, this film pretty much covers many of the episodes from the original novel: the marooning of the Claytons, Sabor's attack at the water hole, Tarzan following Jane to Baltimore, it is all there. Kerchak being depicted as a villain is also truer to the original novel.
