Walt Disney Pictures, Rated G
Directed by Chris Buck & Kevin Lima
Written by Tab Murphy and Bob Tzudiker & Noni White adapted from novels by Edgar Rice Burroughs

The latest Disney animated feature is nothing less than a visually -astounding look at animation in the 21st century. The title character, whom we all know, doesn't just swing on vines, he "surfs" the trees and we follow his exciting heart-racing path through the forest thanks to a new form of computer enhanced animation that breaks the two-dimensional wall by which other Disney features have been held back.The film improves upon every other hand-drawn Disney animated feature since The Lion King. The voice work here is much better than average , especially the performance of Minnie Driver as a funny, yet very-British Jane. Tarzan's voice is pitch perfect with a few new twists to the character. Rosie O'Donnell and Wayne Knight provide good (as opposed to annoying as we have seen in so many other Disney films) comic relief as a wisecracking ape and a cowardly elephant. The villain, however, is a bit too cliched compared to the other characters and some of the messages are none too subtle most of the time. A visual masterpiece and a better script than most, however, give me high hopes for this year in animation after the bang-up year we had in '98. *** 1/2