Plot

The heir to the Earl of Greystoke (Paul Geoffrey) and his wife Alice (Cheryl Campbell) are marooned in Africa. Lady Greystoke gives birth to a son, then she dies and her husband is killed by an ape. Their infant son is adopted and reared by a family of chimpanzees as he grows up naked, wild, and free.

At age 5, Tarzan (Danny Potts) tries to fit in with his ape family. When a black panther attacks, he manages to learn how to swim in order to evade it while another chimp was killed (humans can swim while great apes can’t).

At age 12, Tarzan (Eric Langlois) discovers the tree-house in which he lived as a baby with his mother and father and finds there a wooden block, with pictures of both a man and a monkey (a chimpanzee) painted on it. It is there, after seeing himself in a mirror, that the physical difference between him and the rest of his ape “family” is discovered more fully. He later discovers a hunting knife and how it works. The objects fascinate the naked ape boy who carries them with him.

Years pass and Tarzan (still naked, but now wearing a hunting belt to hold his hunting knife) becomes the dominant male of the ape group. He protects and shows love toward his adopted “mother”, “father” and siblings. He loses one of them to a bunch of natives where he kills one of them.

Years later, a now half-naked Tarzan (Christopher Lambert) is found by Philippe D’Arnot (Ian Holm) who is injured by natives while exploring the surrounding jungle. Tarzan nurses him back to health and D’Arnot teaches him to speak some rudimentary English, albeit with a French accent. D’Arnot knows of the fate of Earl Greystoke and his wife and convinces “Jean” (the French version of John, the name of his father) as he calls him, to return to England with him to reunite with his family.

On arrival at Greystoke, the family estate, Jean is welcomed by his Grandfather the Earl of Greystoke (Ralph Richardson in his last performance on film) and his ward, a young American woman called Jane (Andie MacDowell). The Earl is now elderly and has obviously suffered at the loss of his son and daughter-in-law years earlier, displaying eccentric behaviour and sometimes forgetting that John is not his grandson, but his son returned.

John finds it difficult to be seen as anything but a novelty by the local social set and some of his behaviour is seen as being somewhat threatening and savage. He befriends a young mentally disabled worker on the estate and in his company is able to revert to the more natural physical manners that he was used to in Africa.

Jane takes it upon herself to try to teach John more English, French and social skills (such as table manners and dancing) and the two become very close, making love one evening in secret.

Lord Greystoke seems to enjoy renewed vigour at the return of his grandson and, reminiscing about his childhood game of using a silver tray as a toboggan to travel down the large flight of stairs in the grand house, does so again with disastrous consequences. He dies, apparently from a head injury, in the arms of his grandson, who displays similar emotion and lack of understanding about death as he does earlier in the story when his ape “mother ” was killed in Africa.

John and Jane become engaged.

At a visit to the National Museum in London John is very disturbed by the crude displays of stuffed animals that he recognises from his upbringing in Africa and, slipping into rooms behind the displays discovers his ape “father” in a cage, having been captured in Africa and brought to England.

They immediately recognise one another and John breaks open the cage and escapes with his ape companion, releasing other caged animals as he does so, pursued by police and museum officials. They make it to a woodland park nearby but the ape is fatally shot and John is devastated to lose yet another whom he loves.

His overall failure to assimilate to human society forces him to make the decision to return to Africa.

Plot

Plot

Dr. Singleton, an archeologist, and his daughter Mary travel to Africa to search for an ancient artifact called The Blue Stone of Heaven. The legend is that this stone has the power to endow whoever stands to the right of it with godlike powers. Tarzan agrees to help Dr. Singleton and his daughter find the stone near the ancient pyramids. Once it is uncovered Colonel Tatakombi driven by the idea of being powerful uses the large blue statue to start a rebellion among the natives. He turns the natives against Tarzan and Tarzan is imprisoned but Mary, who has fallen in love with Tarzan, comes to his rescue with the help of Jai.

Plot

Tarzan loses his hearing after a bomb blast, and is hunted through the jungle by the ruthless Colonel.

Plot

At home in Africa, Tarzan assists Myrna, a photojournalist, and Ken, her associate, in their search for Erik Brunik, a thirteen-year-old boy lost in the jungle since he was seven years old. Tarzan is assisted by his friend Buhara, whose brother Nagambi does not wish the boy found, and attempts to kill him before Tarzan saves the day.

Plot

Tarzan is called to Brazil by an old friend (The Professor) to help stop the Jaguar Cult, led by Barcuma, from running off Dr. Ann Philips who is there to give much-needed inoculations to native villagers along the Amazon River.

Tarzan is assisted by Baron (a lion) and Cheeta (a chimpanzee), both of whom he brought from Africa, as well as Captain Sam Bishop, a riverboat pilot, and Bishop’s young ward, Pepe.

Plot

Augustus Vinero, a wealthy international criminal, known for his habit of sending explosive wristwatches to those not in his favor, kidnaps Ramel, a small boy who may know the location of the fabled Valley of Gold in Mexico.

Tarzan is called in by an old friend to track the kidnappers and rescue the boy. Along the way, he rescues Sophia Renault.

The finale involves Tarzan battling Vinero’s hulking hennchman, Mr. Train, and a showdown with a helicopter.

Plot

Tarzan is summoned to an unnamed Asian country to protect Kashi (Ricky Der), the youthful heir to the throne, from his evil uncle, Khan, played by Tarzan veteran Woody Strode. In the course of the film Tarzan must compete against Khan in three tests of strength.

First is an archery contest. Then Tarzan stands between two tall posts, grasps handles which are attached to two ropes which run over the top of each post and are attached to buffalo. When the buffalo are driven apart, Tarzan is lifted into the air and stretched. He passes the test by not letting go of either handle. Third, he and Khan are asked to answer a question designed to test their wisdom. When Tarzan triumphs all three times, he and Khan undergo a fourth challenge.

Tarzan kills Khan when they face each other with sabers on a net suspended above vats of boiling oil.

Plot

Tarzan is called to India to save three hundred elephants that will be drowned if a dam is opened to create a man-made lake to power an electric plant. Tarzan is pitted against two engineers who ignore the catastrophic results their work will create.

Plot

The Bantons (father, Abel and four sons, Coy, Ethan, Johnny and Martin) rob a pay office in a settlement, killing some people. Coy Banton is tracked down to their camp and taken away by policeman, Wyntors. Taking him back to town, Wyntors is killed as two of the brothers seek to rescue Coy. Tarzan appears and kills Ethan Banton. The other brother escapes. Tarzan decides to take Coy to Kairobi for the $5000 reward so he can give it to Wyntors’ widow. However, no one in the town of Mantu (same town as beginning of Tarzan’s Greatest Adventure) wants to help him. The boat he is waiting for to take him and his prisoner to Kairobi is ambushed by the Bantons who send the passengers off and destroy the boat.

Tarzan decides on an overland trek and agrees to take along the boat passengers and the boat’s mate, Tate. The presence of so many people to watch out for hinders Tarzan. The Bantons threaten to kill anyone who helps Tarzan. Pausing only to shoot the doctor who has told them what they want to know, the Bantons set out after the party and Coy.

Ames is a boastful windbag whose wife begins to detest him. Seeing this, Coy plays up to her, knowing he might be able to use her later. The party are captured by natives and the leader wants to kill Coy who killed his brother when the Bantons raided their village. However, the chief’s wife is having a difficult childbirth labour, and since Conway (who was a doctor) is able to help her have her baby (a breach birth), the chief agrees to let the party go.

Coy sees his chance and escapes. Thanks to Ames, Tate is shot and later dies. Tarzan captures Coy and he hides them both in a quicksand pit as the other Bantons search for them. Later, Lori wanders off and is caught by Johnny Banton. As she screams, Tarzan comes on them and after a fight, Johnny dies with an arrow in him. Later, seeing his grave (along with Tate’s) Martin Banton has had enough of a father who taught them to steal and murder by age sixteen and leaves him.

Coy’s wiles have paid off and Fay Ames releases him while the others sleep, and they leave camp together. Tarzan goes after them and finds Fay’s scarf. Coy left her behind when she was out of breath and a lioness found her. Tarzan eventually comes on Coy and Abel Banton, and in a roving battle, a ricochet from Coy’s rifle kills Abel. A prolonged battle on rocks, on sand and underwater follows before Tarzan finally knocks Coy out. The film ends with Tarzan and the remaining three people handing Coy over to the Kairobi police on the border and telling them to make sure Wyntor’s widow gets the reward money.