Available to watch altogether or as individual chapters, The New Adventures of Tarzan (1935) is a 12-part serial starring Herman Brix as the title character who more resembles the educated Englishman of creator Edgar Rice Burroughs novels than the mono-syllabic iteration popularized by Johnny Weissmuller, who by this time starred in two successful Tarzan films for MGM and would go on to star in twelve.
Buy The New Adventures of Tarzan Blu-rayTarzan joins Major Martling’s (Frank Baker) expedition to Guatemala to seek the jewel-encrusted Green Goddess idol, which contains an explosive formula (and during opening titles is referred to as the Lost Goddess). Ula (Ula Holt) also searches for it because her late fiance David lost his life seeking the formula. The villain Raglan (Don Costello, a pseudonym for producer Ashton Dearholt) is pursuing it as well and he is willing to kill to get his hands on it. Of course, the local Guatemalan natives have no interest giving their idol up and in the first chapter nearly throw Martling’s daughter Alice (Dale Walsh) in with jaguars and Tarzan in with crocodiles.
The first chapter runs about 57 minutes, which is too long because it isn’t entirely engaging in part because of its slow pacing. For another example, the film cuts to Nkima the chimp going through Alice’s luggage too many times upon their arrival to Guatemala. The remainder each run under 20 minutes. The final chapter (#12) sees our characters make their way to Greystoke Manor where a recap occurs by way of a gypsy and her crystal ball, showing what occurred like a television clip show.
There is action, although too often the director choices have made them unintentionally funny, from herky-jerky fight scenes due to being shot in fast motion, to archival footage of jungle animals that don’t match the Tarzan scenes. Early in Chapter 1, a stuntman is clearly wrestling a live lion, other times it’s clear Brix is wrestling stuffed animals. The best is when he is in a pit with a jaguar and hurls it at the natives watching above, who run off scared. Similarly, there are a lot of dummies thrown around and off cliffs, a technique that always entertains me.
The video is available in 1080p/MPEG-4 AVC displayed at an aspect ratio of 1:33.1. Blacks range from inky to muddled gray. Sunlight causes some of the whites to be blown out. The image has occasional imperfections, from black marks to thick vertical scratches running through entire frame and even missing frames. Image jitter is apparent, particularly during the superimposed titles and transitions. The latter also contain a softer focus than the rest of the film. Film grain is heavy.
The audio is available in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono. Dialogue is not always clear. Composer Mischa Bakaleinikoff’s score can sound muffled, especially during opening titles where it sounds under water. The effects also lack clarity. There are no extras.
Most modern viewers will likely prefer watching The New Adventures of Tarzan in chapters rather then in one four-hour session, especially with the repeated material which was used to refresh or catch viewers up to the cliffhanger the characters were surviving. Fans of Tarzan and these classic serials should enjoy this adventure, although the high-definition presentation may be found lacking to some due to the poor quality of the source material.
