This is definitely a strange one. And I definitely liked it. Original it certainly is! I think I hired it on video many, many years ago, but the memory is not what it used to be. Firstly, it?s R-rated ? not for the kids, although it sure isn?t as graphic by today?s standards as it may have been considered in the 70?s. The whole idea of an animated feature that even touches upon sex was probably radical at the time. ?Fritz the Cat? comes to mind here, also a 70?s offering. My mum accidentally took me to see ?Fritz? at the cinema when I was no more than 5 years old. I wish I could have remembered more of THAT experience! Why? Because her attitude was that ALL animation is suitable for kids. So I?m sure we left in a hurry during that film! I wonder also if there were any men in raincoats sitting nearby? They must?ve thought mum was a helluva progressive parent! Anyway, I digress.

This 70-minute cult animation film is a send-up of the great ?Tarzan? legacy. The whole literary/cinematic concept of ?deepest, darkest Africa? also cops a hammering. I especially liked this ?angle?. Co-directed and scripted by French-Belgian cartoonist Picha, it?s totally entertaining. Apparently, this is the edited 1975 American version featuring the vocal skills of ?Saturday Night Live? regulars John Belushi (as Craig Baker) and Bill Murray (God only knows who he is ? the credits are frustratingly incomplete). Annie Betts and Michael O?Donoghue are also SNL?ers, in this case responsible for the US screenplay. Made just a tad more ?historic? through the inclusion of Johnny Weissmuller Jr?s voice (again, no specific credit, but presumably as Tarzoon!). Oddly, whenever this character?s name is mentioned, it?s bleeped out. I have no idea why. Knowing the US, it?s probably for some weird legal reason? Having checked out this film on the internet in search of the names of the FEMALE character voices (and coming up with nothing ? this annoys me!) the overall feeling is that this is (at the very least) a sexually ?milder? version of the European original. Furthermore, those who have seen the original think that the editing of this US version has basically ruined it. I can?t comment on this personally except to say that I?d love to compare the two versions. Regardless, for the average viewer, I think this is a great little piece of animation history. There?s more to it than just the odd ?risque? sexual reference. The scripted humour is (believe it or not) often subtle, and it charmed me. The intermittent narration, in that perfectly stuffy highbrow tradition, is wonderful, and clearly contrasted with the ?reality? of this decidedly modern jungle environment. Overall, if you want something different, it?s damn good.

Here?s the plot in a nutshell. Tarzoon?s mate June is kidnapped by the BIZARRE henchmen of the evil (and bald!) Queen Bazunga so she can be scalped and her orange mane transplanted onto the wicked Queen. This Queen reminds me of Jeannie Little, actually. Plus a slight touch of Sinead O?Connor in her ?Nothing Compares to You? period. So - threatened with losing his only mate, Tarzoon embarks on a dangerous journey through the warped African jungle in search of the Queen?s hideout to rescue his woman. Inevitably, he encounters all manner of wacky characters along the way. June?s loyal monkey pal, known (by me, anyway!) as Fuzznuts, is the only witness to the actual kidnapping. He basically alerts Tarzoon to what has happened, and accompanies him in his adventures ? although disappearing from the ?action? for extended periods. Maybe this is the fault of the aforementioned drastic editing? Who knows! Still, the non-verbal Fuzznuts character allows for some amusing scenes, namely the way he visually describes June?s kidnapping to Tarzoon, and a much later scene in which he winds up in a phonebox calling the cops for assistance.

There?s lots to mention to give you an idea of how wonderfully weird this film is. Here goes. Queen Bazunga?s evil sidekick is a two-headed beautician named Charles, and each head has issues with the other. They live in an underground spaceship. One of the leaders of the Queen?s army of penis soldiers is called Colonel Wicklicker. A 19 year old alcoholic student from the US named Craig Baker flies over the African landscape (which resembles various desserts!) in a contraption that harnesses birds to a mattress. June?s ?treetop? home is ultra suburban, complete with doorbell and modern kitchen. Check out the stained glass light fitting over the kitchen table - EVERYONE will recognise this classic piece! Leopard print loincloths are in abundance, and someone?s gotta wash ?em! There are also strange little native men cropping up here and there, some are insatiable cannibals (naturally!). Japanese tourists appear with their super-dooper cameras, we find a traffic jam in the midst of the lush forest, and even the vines Tarzoon uses to get around have specific destinations. The finishing touch is a plane that crashes into the remote jungle, forcing Professor Cedric Addlefate (British adventurer), his trashy aviatrix niece Stephanie Starlet, their foul-mouthed US mercenary/guide Brutish and his negro sidekick Short to find their way out of this hell-hole. If all this isn?t enough to get you interested, then I give up!

THE EXTRAS

None, other than scene selction. No languages offered other than the original US soundtrack.

CONCLUSION

This is 70?s cult animation at it?s best. I really enjoyed this R-rated trip into deepest, darkest Africa. The characters are bizarre, the story is decent, the style of animation is charming and, at 70 minutes, it?s an involving screenplay. With some famous folk providing the voices, this edited US version of the original European classic by Picha may now be seen as tame by comparison with modern standards, but it?s so original, I highly recommend it. Just make sure the kids are in bed when you watch it. Saves them asking potentially embarrassing questions. No extras. Still worth buying.