Tarzán y el muchacho de la selva

In his third and final outing as the jungle hero, muscular Mike Henry (as Tarzan) sheds the trendy "James Bond" pseudo-spy opening for his regular game. After this film, interest was mainly on TV's "Tarzan" (Ron Ely). Clinging to more traditional vines, Mr. Henry finds the boy who went missing after the mishap in the opening sequence. He is little brown-haired Steve Bond (as Erik) - not the blond-haired boy lost, but you get the idea. Young "Jungle Boy" Bond grew up to become a muscular "General Hospital" TV soap opera hunk. Bond gets the job done, in his first feature appearance. Rafer Johnson does well, too. Beautifully proportioned Aliza Gur (as Myrna) is the feminine presence - watch for her Bond-age scene.

**** Tarzan and the Jungle Boy (5/68) Robert Gordon ~ Mike Henry, Steve Bond, Rafer Johnson, Aliza Gur

Allow me a moment to wipe the drool from my mouth, what with Mike Henry being such a delicious piece of prime beef! Even if the film was no good, it would still have been worth the watch. I could easily pause the movie and just stare at his great physique. He is also the first hairy chested Tarzan - and oh-so-yummy! Fortunately, I enjoyed the movie as a whole.

In this film, Tarzan is a civilized man who is educated and very well spoken. There is no Jane, hence no "Me Tarzan, you Jane." In fact, there is no romantic interest whatsoever. On the contrary, Tarzan is trying to get away from the only female character in the film!

Ok, but let's start at the beginning. The film opens with a father and his young son running into trouble in white waters. The father is washed away and we can safely assume he drowned, leaving the boy stranded in the wilderness.

Six years later, a journalist, Myrna, and her assistant, Ken, travels to the jungle to meet with Tarzan hoping to find the boy. Meanwhile, the Chief of the Secunda tribe is ill and his two sons, Buhara and Nagambi, are in a contest to determine who will be the next Chief. Buhara is Tarzan's friend and agrees to help locating the boy, while Nagambi is the film's antagonist and wants the boy killed.

'Tarzan and the Jungle Boy' delivers non-stop action and adventure, and is also a story of rivalry and jealousy. Mike Henry makes a credible hero, but I found the character a bit too well educated to be a jungle man. Unfortunately I did not find Steve Bond believable at all as the young boy, Erik, but I think the casting was too blame. He was too small and skinny for the character, and it wasn't believable - especially when he was helping an injured Buhara.

'Tarzan and the Jungle Boy' didn't really feel like a Tarzan movie, but it was still a good enough adventure film.

This is a formulaic Tarzan movie. You have your girl, natives, and even a jungle boy. You would think that it would be pretty lame, but it's not. If I had to guess, I would say that the people making this movie knew how formulaic it was and so they pulled no punches. It's a simple Tarzan story and that's the way it's presented.

First, the movie takes place in Africa. It doesn't try taking Tarzan to far off places. It's stays right in Tarzan's backyard.

Second, Mike Henry does a much better job in this one than any other one. It was like he finally figured out how he should play Tarzan.

Third, the boy, played by Steve Bond, does a really good job. He doesn't over act and is believable.

Fourth, the evil and good natives, who are brothers in real life and in the movie do a great job. They are fit and much like everyone else, they don't over do it.

Fifth, the girl, Aliza Gur, is very pretty and has your classic 60's look. Wearing the riding pants, boots, low cut top, long hair with the wide head band. She looks like she stepped off the set of the Beverly Hillbillies.

So if you want a simple Tarzan movie that you can get into, this one will definitely work.

Mike Henry in his last appearance as Tarzan assists a pair of journalists (Gur and Gans) in attempting to locate a boy (Bond), missing in the jungles for several years. Complicating matters is the volatility of a local tribe after its chief dies, leaving the sons (Ed and Rafer Johnson) to battle for succession.

Strictly formula Tarzan fare with all the usual motifs (pet leopard, a pair of chimps et al) blends some nice scenery with watchable action scenes. Henry is not as relaxed in his role as Ron Ely (the TV Tarzan), but does the business well enough to be convincing. Lacks intensity (the scene where Gur & Gans are attacked by the megalomaniacal brother Ngambi ends rather abruptly), although enough of the cast end up skewered on spears that it's perhaps too violent for the pre-adolescents.

If you're into Tarzan, and especially if you grew up on Ely's TV rendition, then this instalment should satisfy a Sunday afternoon.

this movie is fine!mike henry is at his best once again!the plot involves tarzan finding a lost boy!the boy sees him,sets a trap!the ape man steps into it.but he is too big for it!the boy tries to run,but tarzan calls him before he escapes!after that,they engage in male bonding!they swing in vines,swim in the river!the film is set in brazil,which makes it very special!!