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Overrated and overhyped

Highly Overrated But Still Good

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

Tarzan is called in to watch over the heir to a kingdom whose uncle, played by Strode, is determined to make his son ruler instead. The movie is filled with the uncle trying to keep Tarzan from making it to the end of the obstacles or 3 challenges. The fight scenes are good. The story was good, the other actors were OK. Strode was great, in my opinion. I've never seen him play a bad guy before and he did a wonderful job. There was a lot of action and a pretty good plot. It kept my attention. However, as a lover of Tarzan movies since I was a kid in the 60's, I was shocked to see such a frail looking actor play Tarzan. I learned, as an adult, that he had been sick. Then they should have replaced him. Tarzan movies didn't call for great acting skills, but it did require "presence" Sadly, he didn't have it. Poor Mahoney certainly looked different from the funny guy in the 3 Stooges movies who was in love with "Nell, honey!"

Call it "Tarzan Goes to Thailand!" In his second outing as the invincible Lord of the Jungle, sinewy Jock Mahoney ventures off to Asia at the request of a country's critically ill leader, the dying Khan (Woody Strode), strewn on his death bed, to escort his rightful heir, Prince Kashi (Rocky Der), from a religious monastery high up in the hills through miles of jungle to the capital city for his inauguration. Cho San, Prince's Nursemaid (Tsu Kobayashi)is pretty a good shot with a rifle when raiders almost abduct Kashi. Naturally, Woody Strode with a mustache has a son that could sit on the throne so he has plans to eliminate the so-called chosen one. We learn that Khan's son fears him and refuses to assume the throne. Ultimately, Khan challenges Kashi to a test of strength and Kashi asks Tarzan to represent in this trial by combat. There is a huge fire in the jungle that nearly kills the little boy as he prays to his god.Later, Tarzan and his chief nemesis Woody Strode battle it out with sabers while balancing on a rope net above vault of boiling oil. Well, it looked like oil. Guess who dies? Jock Mahoney makes a tanned, taciturn Tarzan who is quite agile whether he be strung up between two water buffalo and stretched in opposite directions or doing a bungee cord jump before most of us knew they existed off a bridge into a narrow river. When he arrives at the monastery, he has to submit to tests at the hands of the monks. They explain that as a test of strength, he must neutralize the tug of two buffalo for five strokes of the gong. Earlier, he had fired several arrows into a bouncing ball. The scenery is exotic. The sight of be-jeweled elephants marching at the head of grand processions, and thousand girls performing a dance of the candles adds to the spectacle of "Tarzan's Three Challenges." Woody Strode sounds dubbed in the style of a treacherous Italian movie villain as he performs in a dual role as the dying Khan and his brother Khan. The Chosen one picks up a cute little elephant along the way that he calls Hungry who steals the show. Guess who replaced Cheetah? This is one darn cute little fellow. They could have launched a series out of this small elephant. Woody Strode makes a worthwhile villain and Tarzan is virtuous as usual with Jock swinging on vines through the jungle. During the fire, a villain who had infiltrated the ranks of Tarzan and his followers dies a flaming death. Nevertheless, an above-average, old-fashioned Tarzan movie lensed in Thailand. Think of it as a glimpse at Asia before Vietnam erupted. Robert Day does a good job of storytelling and juggles suspense and tension rather well in some scenes, particularly the net fight and the burning temple.

It's surprising so few people have commented on this movie since it enjoyed a degree of success upon its original release and still qualifies as one of the better Tarzans. The plot follows the traditional pattern of a guide/protector leading a party through dangerous territory toward a sought-after destination. The guide/protector in this case is Tarzan who's come from Africa to parachute into an Asian kingdom that looks a lot like Thailand. His job is to escort Kashi, a boy who's been chosen as the "Successor" to the kingdom'e dying leader. The leader's evil brother, however, seeks power for himself and is determined to keep Kashi from reaching the city where his ordination will occur. The middle part of the movie is thus filled with dangers and obstacles which Tarzan must face and overcome. Along the way, of course, are snippets of the usual wildlife footage plus an "adorable" baby elephant who here serves the same purpose Cheetah did back in Tarzan's African movies. Even better, though, are the scenes of exotic temples, statues, and ceremonies which have been well photographed in Metrocolor and widescreen. These scenes alone make a look at this movie worthwhile.The title refers to three challenges which Tarzan must pass before he is entrusted with the case of the Successor. The first is a test of skill involving archery and the third is a test of wisdom which requires Tarzan to answer a question. In between comes a test of strength which provided this movie with its most distinctive image. Tarzan stands between two tall posts. Ropes with attached handles have been looped over the tops of these poles. Tarzan takes hold of these handles and then is told: "You will be required to resist the pull of two buffalo for five strokes of the gong." The buffalo, tied to the other ends of the ropes, are then driven in opposite directions, causing Tarzan to be s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d like a wishbone after Thanksgiving dinner. This "stretching," similar to feats of strength in such "Hercules" movies as "Goliath and the Barbarians," gives Jock Mahoney a chance to show off his sweaty, muscular, and carefully-shaved physique in a "bondage" situation that's quite sensual.Alas, Mahoney's physique looks haggard in the movie's final reel in which he faces a fourth challenge -- a test of might which culminates in a sword fight vs. Woody Strode taking place over a netting stretched above cauldrons of bubbling liquid. (Why isn't the title, "Tarzan's Four Challenges?") Much has been made of the illness striking Mahoney during the filming which resulted in this haggard look, but the truth is Mahoney was about ten years too old for his part. Still, his age gives him a certain "gravitas" missing in most of the other Tarzans and he has no need for apologize for his performance which projects an image of quiet strength and mature judgment. Rocky Der is also commendably good as Kashi, managing to be appealing without resorting to "cuteness" and he has a great smile.One question: Tarzan's bids farewell to his new friends in the final scene and then runs off down a country road. Where is he going? Does he plan to run all the way back to Africa?

This is Tarzan at its best. A man of nature dealing with the nature of man. Defending the spiritual from the corporeal. Terrific allegory. Jock Mahoney, although a bit old at the time of this film, is a terrific Tarzan. My favorite.