Tarzan the Ape Man
Directed by John Derek
Where to Watch Tarzan the Ape Man
- Rob MacKinnonMay 3, 2026This movie did not need to be nearly two hours long. It was so boring. By the time we get to Tarzan himself, it’s 55 minutes in and nothing has happened but achingly dull set-up. All of the action scenes, such as they are, were shot incomprehensibly in super slow motion with overly serious dramatic musical accompaniment. A scene in which Tarzan rescues Jane from a giant snake I think is a full five minutes of super slow-mo close-up cross dissolves and you cannot tell at all what is happening. It’s not even worth watching for a Richard Harris performance cranked to 11 and the gratuitous fetishization of Bo Derek’s naked body. If you want to see Richard Harris and Bo Derek together in the same film I would recommend 1977’s “Orca”. Yes that movie is a little ridiculous and silly but at least it’s entertaining.
Tarzan the Ape Man Trivia
Tarzan the Ape Man was released on July 24, 1981.
Tarzan the Ape Man was directed by John Derek.
Tarzan the Ape Man has a runtime of 1h 55m.
Tarzan the Ape Man was produced by Bo Derek.
The Tarzan story from Jane's point of view. Jane Parker visits her father in Africa where she joins him on an expedition. A couple of brief encounters with Tarzan establish a (sexual) bond between her and Tarzan. When the expedition is captured by savages, Tarzan comes to the rescue.
The key characters in Tarzan the Ape Man are Jane Porter (Bo Derek), James Porter (Richard Harris), Harry Holt (John Phillip Law).
Tarzan the Ape Man is rated R.
Tarzan the Ape Man is an Adventure, Action, Comedy film.
Tarzan the Ape Man has an audience rating of 1.9 out of 10.
Tarzan the Ape Man had a budget of $6.5M.
Tarzan the Ape Man has made $36.6M at the box office.