We can expect to see just about every film from the Disney Renaissance to be adapted into a live-action version soon enough, with Tarzan having been seen in this form even by studios other than Disney. All things considered, though, the animated film remains the best one out there.
Before any potential announcement for a Disney live-action Tarzan might be made, we’re looking at the quotes that best fit the theme of the animated movie. These highlighted why the film remains one of the best Disney has ever made, and we’re certain you’ll want to watch Tarzan again after checking out these 10 quotes.
"I Asked You To Protect Our Family. And You...Betrayed Us All." - Kerchak
After Tarzan had taken out the leopard who had killed his parents and almost come close to doing the same to his family of apes, Kerchak grew to have some measure of respect for him. Around this time, he asked Tarzan to keep watch over the family but was soon met with disappointment.
Tarzan led Clayton and the others to the apes, and Kerchak was forcibly subdued by Tarzan, making the latter horrified at what he’d done to his adoptive father. It turned out Kerchak’s misgivings about the humans were right after all, and him being let down by Tarzan was a moment that had both truth and genuine sadness in it.
"Why Are You Threatened By Anyone Different Than You!?" - Tarzan
It’s always nice to see Disney heroes step up and hold firm for themselves when it counts, so all the viewers were definitely with Tarzan when he told Kerchak how it was. Having lived feeling like an outsider all his life, Tarzan was brought to his limit when Kerchak wanted to term humans as the enemy.
Having apprehension aside, Kerchak wasn’t right about making an enemy out of anyone who was different compared to him. And Tarzan’s hard-hitting question was very appropriate in that it raised the matter of why it’s a natural inclination to be afraid of what or who we don’t understand.
"Put Me Down! Put Me Down! Pick Me Up! Pick Me Up!" - Jane
The moment we knew Tarzan and Jane would be a couple with no chance of breaking up (unlike some other animated media that let us down) was when we saw them escape the baboons. Here, after Jane had offended an infant baboon, she was chased by the entire pack.
It was then that Tarzan made his arrival and whisked Jane away on a vine to begin their escape. Being a lady, she demanded Tarzan take his hands off her and put her down, only to then jump back into his arms and scream for him to pick her up and begin escaping once more when she saw the army of baboons advancing toward them.
"No. No. No. I'm Jane." - Tarzan
Once they’d completed their escape and it was time to get acquainted, Jane found out bonding with a man who’d lived his life with apes wasn’t all that easy. When she attempted to tell him her name, Tarzan took to mimicking Jame’s mannerisms.
This is why he had no clue what he was saying when Jane tried to correct his mistake, only for Tarzan to copy that as well and call himself Jane. It was a superb meet-cute, one that combined elements of romance with comedy.
"See? They're Exactly The Same... Kerchak Just Can't See That." - Kala
A good mother is always going to be a popular character, and Kala is the benchmark for Disney mothers to follow. Being the only one who loved Tarzan unconditionally, Kala knew how to brighten his spirits up when nobody else did.
In this scene, Kerchak branded Tarzan as a boy who could never be like the apes, making him depressed over his existence. Kala would step in and make Tarzan feel both their heartbeats to remind him that their love made them one and the same. And there’s no doubt Kala was the one who could truly see Tarzan for who he was.
"...People Get Lost In The Jungle Every Day." - Professor Porter
The great thing about Tarzan is that both mothers and fathers were represented, as we had the character of the Professor to play the role of the perfect parent to Jane. He was bumbling, funny, and a warm person, one who even let his only daughter go and live on an island because that’s what she wanted.
What made this scene even better was when the Professor was shown realizing he had no reason to return to civilization himself since his only child wasn’t. To this end, he tossed his bow aside and gave instructions to officially be announced as being lost in the jungle, truly feeling free for the first time.
"Hey, Auntie K. You're Looking Remarkably Groomed Today." - Terk
There are only a few movies that have done a great job in establishing a character by their first appearance alone and this is what makes this quote so great. All you needed to know about Terk became clear once she jumped on the scene.
Here, the adult Terk leaped onto the grown-up Tarzan, but had time to drop in a well-timed compliment toward his mother. It informed the viewer that Terk was a tomboy who was Tarzan’s best friend and had a knack for sweet talk when needed. It also became clear that Terk was a character everybody was going to love.
"I've Had It With You And Your Emotional Constipation! Tarzan Needs Us And We're Going To Help Him!" - Tantor
Tantor spent the whole film being the pushover pal who never had the guts to say anything, but he made up for it in spades by the film’s climax when he finally stood up for what he felt was right. When Terk was prepared to let Tarzan be captured out of her contempt, Tantor unloaded on her.
Calling Terk out to be hiding her true feelings just for the sake of keeping up her nonsensical practice of being emotionally unavailable, Tantor commanded her to accompany him to save Tarzan. As we saw once they’d accomplished their mission, Tantor was right, considering Terk was beside herself with relief when they freed Tarzan.
"You Have Always Been One Of Us..." - Kerchak
It had been Tarzan’s greatest wish as a child to be fully accepted into the tribe, and this could only have happened through Kerchak’s blessing. Unfortunately, it came at a time when Kerchak was on his dying breaths.
Still, it made for a beautiful scene as Kerchak acknowledged that Tarzan had always been part of their family, and more importantly, he had always been Kerchak’s son. All of the ill will that viewers might have had toward Kerchak for being a jerk earlier on was erased as he passed away having let Tarzan hear the very words he’d yearned for in his life.
"No Matter Where I Go, You Will Always Be My Mother." - Tarzan
Tarzan wouldn’t have been half as good a watch if the dynamic between Kala and the titular protagonist hadn’t hit home. Their relationship deserves full marks for making us care so much about them, with the scene where Tarzan was about to leave is one of the saddest scenes in Disney history.
Knowing that her son was going to be leaving, Kala couldn’t contain her sadness, and it was heartwarming to see Tarzan console her at this time. He didn’t end up going, but even if he had, we can be certain Kala would’ve remained the one he loved the most.