AP: Tarzan, Revised — New Film Swings Beyond Troubled Past

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Tarzan may be among America’s classic fictional characters, but he’s not beyond reproach.

Like so many well-worn tales, Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Tarzan was borne of a vastly different time more than 100 years ago, when narratives rooted in colonialism, white saviors and African stereotypes were the norm. Throughout the decades, Tarzan also became a staple of Hollywood — there have been 52 authorized films and seven television series that have told the tales of the King of the Jungle.

For a bygone era, he’s the model romantic adventurer. Today, he’s a blemish on the history of literature and film.

“The Legend of Tarzan ,” out Friday, is the first big-budget studio attempt to take on the character in the modern CGI world. Not only does the Warner Bros. film show feats of derring-do that not so long ago could only be imagined, but it also endeavors to spin a more contemporary story for today’s sensibilities.

Click here to read the rest, including some quotes from our ERB pal, author Scott Tracy Griffin, who was interviewed for the story.