| Feature | Tarzan the Ape Man (1981) | Greystoke (1984) | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | | Exploitative, erotic, campy | Literary, dramatic, philosophical | | Tarzan's Speech | Minimal, grunts | Learns English, articulate | | Jane | Central character (voyeuristic lens) | Supporting role, romantic interest | | Apes | Real chimps & stock footage | Rick Baker animatronics/costumes | | Critical Reception | Very negative | Very positive | | Box Office | Moderate ($36.5M on $6.5M budget) | Moderate ($45M on $30M budget) | | Legacy | Cult camp classic | Respected literary adaptation |
The 1980s also saw a few lower-tier entries, primarily for television: tarzan movies 1980s
The decade started with a bang. By 1984, the "sword and sorcery" boom was in full swing, but director Hugh Hudson ( Chariots of Fire ) had something different in mind. He didn’t want a "Me Tarzan, You Jane" adventure; he wanted a return to Edgar Rice Burroughs' original literary vision. | Feature | Tarzan the Ape Man (1981)
The 80s didn’t have a unified vision for Tarzan. Instead, it gave us a bi-polar split: one serious, Oscar-nominated epic, and a swarm of campy action flicks that leaned heavily into the decade’s obsession with action heroes. The 80s didn’t have a unified vision for Tarzan
The 1980s marked a pivotal turning point for Edgar Rice Burroughs’ iconic jungle hero. Moving away from the campy, low-budget serials and formulaic matinee features of earlier decades, Hollywood shifted from viewing Tarzan as a simple action hero to analyzing him as a psychological study of nature versus nurture, or a symbol of raw cinematic sensuality. Major Tarzan Film Releases of the 1980s