Wolf Larson’s TARZAN-69-THE DANGEROUS COMPETITION
Wolf Larson’s
TARZAN-69-THE DANGEROUS COMPETITION
There’s
actually dialog before the Dan journal narration. Tarzan is feeding a cute baby
elephant. He seems to call the elephant Bala.
Dan’s
journal: Friday the 25: 1993 has June; 1994 has Feb, Nov, and March; 1997 has
April and July; 1998 has Sept and Dec.
An
intriguing start as Dan narrates, “Today we learned just how far Tarzan would
go to protect the animals in his jungle.”
Tarzan
detects trouble and tells Bala to stay there. He runs past a giraffe and some
other animals, the others running, to find an elephant in a trap by a hunter
and his helper. NOTE: Wolf’s hair seems to change from scene to scene in this
sequence. First it looks thin and straight, then fluffy and almost rock
star-ish and then longer and straight again as he loads an arrow into his bow.
Also note:
it’s very annoying having the action having the credits over them. It’s
distracting from the action, which is well filmed as ever and colorful. In the
past, the post theme credits were over slower moving moments. Now, the entire
scene of Tarzan running, swinging, firing his bow, and more as well as the
elephant (is this Tantor?) chase the two men up a tree has the credits over
them. Sigh.
Jane is in
her fringe crop top and denim shorts at the compound, unbefitting a scientist,
to be honest. She has a headband on. She calls for Rog. He is in his tent, on
his bunk, reading a magazine with Sharon Stone on the cover. Their chat across
lab and tent reveals it was Tantor and that the men were after an elephant hair
bracelet.
World famous
archer, Robin Conway is driven up by Dan, who drives fast here. Robin has heard
about Tarzan for years and came to see him for himself. He’s come all the way
from London. Robin asked Dan questions at the airport about Tarzan but never
revealed that he wants to see how good Tarzan is with a bow and arrow, which
Jane mentioned. He seems, so far, non nefarious.
In a “not so
great way to meet Tarzan” way, Robin shoots a gathering of fruit from a tree
Tarzan was aiming at. As Tarzan meets Robin and Jane introduces him, we see
what could be a boom mike above her head, swaying. Tarzan asks if he is famous
and Jane acknowledges that he is. Roger jokes, “The next thing you know we’ll
see you on the cover of Rod And Arrow.” This makes Jane roll her eyes.
When Robin
wants to challenge him for a one shot competition, Roger wants to sell tickets
but Tarzan says, “Tarzan does not have time for fun. Tarzan is worried about
the poachers.” Robin told Jane, already,
that he was not here to hunt, that life is more important.
Later, at
dinner, Roger and Jane wear different clothing. Dan, too. Tarzan tells Roger, “Tarzan does not care who
is best. Tarzan cares about the animals.”
Tarzan seems to be ready to eat dinner with them. Robin shows up with an
idea that may interest Tarzan. He will donate 25 thousand dollars to the game
preserve (or reserve) to stop poaching. With that money, Dan tells Tarzan the
game commission can buy a high powered jeep and catch the poachers. They are
eating fish. Tarzan does not seem happy about competing, nor about Robin
reaching a fork on the fish he was about to eat. Dan calls it the game
commission later on, when he is sure that Tarzan will win. Tarzan comes upon
Dan defending Tarzan’s future win against Roger’s doubts that anything could
happen. Roger tells Dan he was not being disloyal and Tarzan agrees. Dan says
anything is likely like Robin can grow a curly tail but when Cheetah whines,
Dan tells him it is okay, he is just kidding.
Dan scolds
Roger putting pressure on Tarzan the night before a competition. Roger
apologizes but Tarzan tells him not to worry, he will do his best.
Across a
lake is a target that has a swinging fruit (a pear?) that the two have to hit.
Roger tosses a coin and Robin wins to go first. I think he called heads. When
Tarzan is about to take his shot, Robin taps his arrow on his leg. Roger tells
them he read about this: an old archer’s trick to ruin the opponent’s
concentration. Tarzan wins anyway, dead center. Roger tells him he knew all
along Tarzan would win. Robin gets surprised, then mad and yells that he will
not pay the money.
Later, Jane
tells Tarzan she does not blame him for being angry. Tarzan tells her that he
is not angry but she tells him that she is furious. He tells her, “Many men
that come to the jungle do not keep their word.” She says those men were after something that
could make them rich: gold, ore, jewels. Tarzan understands : it is pride and
like a wounded animal, Conway does not act as he should.
Dan and
Roger discuss Conway at dinner, which, judging from the food, looks like
breakfast. Jane tells Robin off after bringing him dinner. He doesn’t get it.
Roger is disappointed in Conway.
Dan tells
Tarzan, Roger and Jane that this morning (a new day?) that two black rhinos
disappeared from the Rift Valley: poachers again.
Before he is
to leave with Dan, Robin apologizes. He gives them a check which, comically,
Roger tries to grab before Robin changes his mind. Robin draws a new challenge:
he will double the money if Tarzan will do another competition. If Tarzan
loses, he must hand over his bow to Robin. Tarzan agrees.
Around a
clearing, Roger and Dan have set up targets that will make themselves known.
What? The first one that misses, loses.
The first is
a drop target (how’d they set that up?) which they both hit at the same time.
It looks like Robin’s is closer to center but I guess that does not count here.
A spotted
leopard appears in a tree and Tarzan tells Robin, “That is Bengala, he is a
friend.”
Another
target flips from a tree and they shoot it at the same time.
A triangle
target pops up from the ground and they shoot it at the same time. The same
happens again.
Is Wolf
having a wardrobe malfunction?
Tarzan wins
on the last target but rather than celebrating, he merely tells Robin, “Tarzan
keeps his bow.”
Robin tells
them that they taught him a lesson in good sportsmanship. He gives them the
checks for the animals.
Later, Dan
in new shirt, comes to the compound. It is just in time for lunch. It is 12:15
on the clock. Dan overheard news: the games commission, with the two jeeps
bought with Conway’s money, overtook a truck on the way to the animal collector.
They freed the two black rhinos.
Cheetah
comes in and fires an arrow from a bow and hits a melon while everyone ducks.
This is supposed to be funny.
Production
319.
I was
dreading watching this episode. Perhaps I’ve done too many of these. To be
honest, this is a lame episode based on a premise that…Tarzan can’t stop
poachers himself, which is the plot of many other movies and probably Ron Ely’s
show at times, too.
So, while
this is a fresh take on that, it’s really not: Tarzan seems incompetent as he
stop ONE set of poachers (all two of them) but needs to rely on the game
commission and money to help the animals. Given that non-action premise, I
guess this makes some sense. What doesn’t make sense is the last completion.
How did Dan and Roger set up those spring “trap targets” in the clearing?
What’s worse
is that, instead of relying on Tarzan’s skills as a protector of animals, Jane,
Roger, Dan, and Tarzan have to put up with the whining, prideful, sneaky,
tricky, cheating and ignoble jerk Robin, who, of course is either going to turn
out to be evil (that would not make sense because he’s already rich) to cover
up his good name as best archer (all he seems to care about) or will learn a
lesson from Tarzan (and this time the others as well). It’s the later, which is
fine but it just feels wrong. Tarzan has to take part in a competition he doesn’t
want to in order to…get money.
I’m almost
over this show, though it still looks good. The plots are just sort of there. I’d
rather watch 23 and change minutes of an episode about Tarzan fighting poachers
than THIS.
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