Tarzan X was released directly to video in most markets, finding a second life on late-night cable channels like Cinemax, where it was rebranded as "Tarzan: The Wild Adventure." It has since gained a cult following among fans of erotic schlock and bad movie enthusiasts. It’s the kind of film you watch with friends, plenty of alcohol, and a remote control ready to skip the boring parts (which, ironically, are the sex scenes).
(1 point for the unintentional comedy, 0.5 for the chimp’s professionalism) tarzan x 1995
Enter the villains: a group of sleazy treasure hunters led by a man named Mr. X (no relation to the title, or maybe all the relation?), who are searching for a legendary golden idol. Their plan involves capturing Tarzan’s female companion, a scantily clad native woman named Sharmaine (Cindy Leadbetter). What follows is a series of captures, escapes, jungle chases, and – most importantly – frequent, extended softcore interludes. Tarzan X was released directly to video in
Directed by the prolific B-movie auteur Joe D’Amato (under the pseudonym "John B. Root"), Tarzan X is a bizarre, often tedious, yet strangely fascinating time capsule. It’s important to set expectations immediately: this is not a film for fans of Burroughs’ novels, Disney animation, or even competent filmmaking. This is a film for connoisseurs of the so-bad-it’s-compelling, the lurid, and the unintentionally hilarious. X (no relation to the title, or maybe all the relation
Let’s address the elephant – or rather, the erect gorilla – in the room. Tarzan X is essentially a 95-minute vehicle for softcore sex scenes padded with jungle footage. The erotic sequences, which are plentiful, are shot with the same flat lighting and static camera work as the dialogue scenes. There is little passion; instead, there is a clinical, almost mechanical quality to them. Siffredi, known for his intense performances in adult cinema, seems oddly subdued here, going through the motions as if waiting for a paycheck. The female leads, while conventionally attractive, are given nothing to work with besides breathy sighs and strategically placed foliage.
The pacing is glacial. Long stretches of the film involve characters walking through the jungle, Tarzan grunting monosyllabically, or the villains arguing in a poorly decorated cave set. The action scenes are laughably staged: a "fierce" fight with a crocodile involves a man in a rubber suit flopping on the ground, and Tarzan’s famous vine-swinging is reduced to a single, unconvincing shot on a soundstage.