Jab’s Builds! (Miss Piggy! The Swedish Chef! Sweetums! Gonzo!)

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Jabroniville
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Tarzan (Movie)

Post by Jabroniville »

Image

TARZAN (1999):
Written by:
Edgar Rice Burroughs (novel), Tab Murphy, Bob Tzudiker & Noni White

Tarzan has a fair bit in common with Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame, in that it's one of those stories based off of a world-famous work of fiction in and of itself and not just some fairy tale- the Disney version is therefore NOT the most-famous, most-iconic version of said thing. For this reason, there was a fair bit of pressure on the film to deliver in a manner that's somewhat accurate and honors the original. That Hollywood remakes a Tarzan feature of some sort nearly once a decade doesn't help the pressure.

They did a really solid job with this one- going full-bore with the animation (inventing the "Deep Canvas" technique to make CGI backgrounds look like paintings- something they'd never actually improve upon from this point) and throwing some great scenery into things. With Pocahontas they focused on the same stuff, and they only improved it since, and this time partnered it with a NON-shitty film! Also, animation is oddly a VERY solid way to show Tarzan's movements- most movies & TV shows (I remember some syndicated "adventure of the day" type one) just have to take some ripped dude and have him swing awkwardly about like Spider-Man, and do his "Tarzan Call", but this one could have the hero SURF through the trees at top speeds! There's less to worry about flouncy actors with great physical beauty but no acting ability (see: Derek, Bo- one hot lady, but never possessing of any real talent), since you can hire GOOD actors and just DRAW 'em really pretty!

It's a solid adventure film, has some great-looking animals (another key- Animal Actors as a rule kind of stink, and OH MY GOD do CGI animals usually look horrible- I think it took until 2017 for people to design them in a way that didn't look like total garbage), and it's actually really funny with the leads- there's chemistry there that a lot of Disney romances lack, especially since it's sorta Love-At-First-Sight in a RATIONAL sense (ie. Jane is the first woman Tarzan's ever seen), and they still slowly develop the relationship instead of being madly in love instantly. There's a handful of flaws in that the villains are fairly uninteresting (one's the only mute animal in Africa, and the other's your generic Great White Hunter).

Reception & Cultural Impact:
-Researchign it, I'm always stunned at the box office- this movie did REALLY well, breaking the post-Pocahontas "Slump" and earning over $450 million worldwide. Like, it was a MUCH bigger hit that the prior three movies! Unfortunately, it would be the only movie of its era to do that well. Atlantis & Treasure Planet were much weaker films on artistic & writing-based levels, and they also appealed to far fewer people, resulting in another Disney Slump that nearly killed theatrical traditional animation. Thus, it is generally accepted that Tarzan is the last of the Disney Renaissance.

Phil Collins's soundtrack was actually very good and got a lot of airplay- Stranger Like Me and You'll Be In My Heart were very solid hits for the studio, and are still well-thought-of these days. Matt Stone & Trey Parker, in a great display of hilarious pettiness, took potshots at Collins, owing to this movie beating South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut at the Academy Awards for Best Song- going as low as to bring up his personal failings (*News Reporter Casually Mentioning* "By the way, Phil Collins once divorced his wife by FAX, then married a twenty-seven year old").

The movie was so successful that it, like Hercules, got its own TV show, which was actually pretty solid. Mainly because of QUEEN LA, who looked like Storm from the X-Men, but in a fur bikini. Also she was an evil sorceress who had a bunch of Leopard Men minions. She was rad.

The impact on the Parks hasn't been enormous, but controversially the former Swiss Family Treehouse in Disneyland is now Tarzan-themed instead of based around The Swiss Family Robinson, which most of Disney's fanbase has likely never even heard of, much less seen. Disney Parks fans are NOT generally known for their love of A) Change, or B) New IPs taking over old IPs in the Parks.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Thu Oct 04, 2018 6:14 am, edited 1 time in total.
Jabroniville
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Re: Captain Shang

Post by Jabroniville »

Ares wrote: Wed Oct 03, 2018 11:43 pm
Jabroniville wrote: Wed Oct 03, 2018 3:48 am ImageImage

... I’m not in love with Shang.

As Crow T. Robot from MST3K once put it: "His body makes me feel funny." :mrgreen:

Though one cute bit in Mulan was how Shang is basically in complete control of himself throughout the entire film . . . until he goes to Mulan's place to return her dad's helmet and ask her out on a date. Then suddenly he's the nervous, bumbling one, showing a down to Earth side to him.
“Y-you- you fight good.”
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Arkrite
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Re: Jab's Builds! (Megara! Hades! The Titans! Circe! Mulan! Shang!)

Post by Arkrite »

The thing that always makes me laugh in these Greek Myth stories... Hades is always portrayed as being pure unadulterated evil for the crime of being the guy who looks after the underworld. (Forgetting he also oversees Greek heaven...)

Meanwhile his myths are largely "Lonely guy tries to find companionship". (This usually ends poorly, in one case with a girl turning herself into a plant to escape the guy before he could catch up to her. Talk about a bad rep!)
And my favorite argument about the "Rape of Persephone" myth is simply this: Who's telling the story?
Couldn't have been a mortal, so that leaves Hades (who never gets to leave the underworld), Persephone (she does get out and can tell people if that's the case) and her mother who hates and despises Hades.

I'm not suggesting that Persephone's mother might be misspelling the story out of anger and resentment.... no, wait, sorry, that is exactly what I'm implying.



Zeus on the other hand... oh my goodness, Zeus.
He's got the worst track record in existence. He lies, shape shifts, tricks and just forces himself on women. A lot of women.
He's angry, petty and vengeful. He has enacted horrible punishments for minor crimes, and though he's not the only one, he does seem to do it more than others.
Oh, and did we mention the wrath?
But in pretty much every show we ever get to see he's just the coolest person ever and always ready to help out the heroes.

Funny how one guy gets a smear campaign and the other is held up as a bastion of wholesome goodness, isn't it?

And I kind of love this video by Overly Sarcastic Productions which references Hades and Persephone.
Jabroniville
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Tarzan

Post by Jabroniville »

ImageImageImage

TARZAN
Played by:
Tony Goldwyn
Role: Animal-Raised Guy, Wildman, Mister Fanservice
PL 8 (142)
STRENGTH
4 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 12 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Acrobatics 9 (+15)
Athletics 11 (+15)
Expertise (Survival) 10 (+11)
Expertise (Animal Handling) 8 (+9)
Intimidation 4 (+5)
Perception 8 (+9)
Persuasion 3 (+4, +6 Attractive)
Stealth 3 (+9)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, Attractive, Beginner's Luck, Chokehold, Defensive Attack. Diehard, Evasion, Extraordinary Effort, Fast Grab, Favoured Environment (Jungles), Fearless, Grab Finesse, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Initiative, Improved Hold, Instant Up, Leadership, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Prone Fighting, Ranged Attack 7, Second Chance (Falling in the Jungles), Takedown, Tracking, Ultimate Athletics Skill

Powers:
"Ape Man"
Movement 3 (Swinging, Sure-Footed, Slow Fall) (Flaws: Limited to Jungles) [3]
Speed 2 (8 mph) (Flaws: Limited to Jungles) [1]
Movement 1 (Environmental Adaptation- Jungles) [2]
Comprehend 2 (Animals) [4]

Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +10

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +4, Fortitude +6, Will +7

Complications:
Motivation (One With the Band)- Tarzan has been made to feel like an outsider all his life, being a different species than his Gorilla mother and father.
Relationship (Stranges Like Me)- Jane, Clayton & The Professor all fascinate Tarzan, who has finally met creatures just like himself.
Responsibility (Honour)- Tarzan is one of those heroes who will attempt to save his enemy if possible- he does not believe in murder.
Relationship (Jane Porter)- Tarzan falls head over heels for the first woman in his life.

Total: Abilities: 58 / Skills: 56--28 / Advantages: 33 / Powers: 10 / Defenses: 13 (142)

-Tarzan is one of the most famous characters in all of fiction when you get right down to it- a household name in every sense of the term. So you can imagine the difficulty in creating an iconic representative of the character for a cartoon a hundred years after the guy was created. But Disney did a solid job- turning him into a dreadlocked, calm bad-ass with a sense of wonderment and desperate belonging with these "Strangers Like Me". Like I said, animation is actually the perfect medium to show a guy hauling ass through jungles at top speed, using vines and stuff to swing on. Most live-action versions of this just look goofy. Here, he had an apelike stance, a human's curious gaze, and a LOT of action in his movements.

-Tarzan breaks the PL 7 "Soft Cap" I've used on most Disney characters- the guy can fight a freaking LEOPARD and a SILVERBACK GORILLA and remain not-dead. He's about as elite a jungle fighter as you're ever likely to see- even superior at moving through the jungle compared to Ka-Zar (a Marvel rip-off of Tarzan). In a comic book universe, he'd probably be PL 9 or so, but in his own movie, any animal is a dire threat, as are human Mooks wielding guns, so he's not QUITE at a super-hero's level.

About the Performer: I have no idea who on Earth Tony Goldwyn is. I guess he was the bad guy in Ghost, and an HIV-suffering guy on Designing Women (which was one of the first times a major show tackled that). He was also on a Law & Order for a while, and does a lot of Broadway work, as well as directing (plenty of romantic comedies).
Last edited by Jabroniville on Thu Oct 04, 2018 6:22 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Ares
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Re: Jab's Builds! (Megara! Hades! The Titans! Circe! Mulan! Shang!)

Post by Ares »

Plus everyone forgets that Hades essentially ruled over both Heaven AND Hell, namely the Elysian Fields and Tartarus.

As for Tarzan, it was very much like Robin Hood where it was never going to be the definitive version of any story Disney did, the way most people associate Beauty and the Beast or Sleeping Beauty primarily with the Disney films.

I wish that last live action Tarzan film that had been put out had done better, since it was way more faithful to the source material. Most productions turn Tarzan into an idiot, when in the original stories he's actually VERY intelligent, incredibly powerful, and dangerously skilled. The sort-of-dreadlocks look for the animated Tarzan was kind of weird, but they specifically said they wanted to give Tarzan a kind of "X-Games" approach, hence the tree surfing.

I really need to get around to reading that "Tarzan vs King Kong" novel I got a while back, after I finish my "Doc Savage vs the Shadow" novel.
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Jabroniville
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Terk

Post by Jabroniville »

Image

TERK
Played by:
Rosie O'Donnell
Role: Animal Sidekick, Deadpan Snarker
PL 5 (52)
STRENGTH
4 STAMINA 5 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+7)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 1 (+5)
Expertise (Survival) 3 (+4)
Insight 1 (+2)
Intimidation 3 (+3)
Perception 1 (+2)

Advantages:
Extraordinary Effort, Fast Grab

Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 3 (Acute & Extended Scent, Low-Light Vision) [3]
"Ape Strength & Long Arms" Strength-Damage +1 (Feats: Reach) [2]

Offense:
Unarmed +5 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +4 (DC 14), Parry +5 (DC 15), Toughness +5, Fortitude +6, Will +4

Complications:
Disabled (Animal)- Apes cannot speak to humans (other than those who Comprehend Animals).
Relationship (Tarzan)- Terk's best bud from childhood is Tarzan.
Rivalry (Jane)- The prim and lady-like Jane is a rival with Terk for Tarzan's attention.

Total: Abilities: 32 / Skills: 12--6 / Advantages: 2 / Powers: 6 / Defenses: 6 (52)

-Terk is a rather tolerable Animal Sidekick, played by Rosie O'Donnell, who is a performer of questionable talents. But in this, she was okay. Not SUPER funny or anything, but these characters can often cross the line into "Hunchback's Gargoyles" levels of "get these damn things off the screen", so she was okay. I still can't figure out why an adult gorilla still only looks like a teenager- it's well-established that she's basically Tarzan's age.

-Terk is a weaker version of a Gorilla build, being PL 5. She ain't nothing to sneeze at, but still needs Tarzan for protection. Which is funny because... they're like the same age. She should be WAY stronger than he is.

About the Performer: This was Rosie O'Donnell near the peak of her fame. Now, I have mixed feelings about Rosie- her talk show was pretty funny for its time, and she had kind of a funny deadpan humour about her that I appreciated. But she sorta developed into an extremely weird, obsessive hyper-crank who whined about everything, but was herself a GIANT HYPOCRITE- the worst kind of moral crusader, really. Honestly, she developed into being one of my least-favorite celebrities- a tiresome moralizer who herself was just as guilty of the very shit she'd accuse others of spouting. Basically, a bad parody of the worst excesses of the Social Justice movement.

-Perfect example: when Kelly Ripa had Clay Aiken on her talk show, she cracked wise when he put his hand over her mouth as a joke, all "I don't know where that's been!". Rosie, outraged over this on her run on The View, did this big moralizing preach-fest about how this was because Clay was homosexual, and that "if a handsome man had done it, she'd be enthralled" or something stupid, leading to Kelly actually PHONING THE SHOW to rip on her about how irresponsible and wrong that was. And while she preached about stuff like this, she, on the same show, literally used the phrase "CHING-CHONG, CHING-CHONG" to imitate Chinese people talking ("they're even talking about [something that happened on the show] in China, going--"). Then basically blew off all the criticism like "hey, I'm not PC- get used to it".

-This is INSANELY HYPOCRITICAL, and a steaming load coming from someone who screeches about gay issues at the drop of a hat, then completely disregards a whole ethnicity and culture. Like, if you're not gonna be PC, then fine. Make fun of others for how they talk or whatever. But you can't be BOTH THINGS- making a huge deal about gay stuff just because YOU'RE gay, and then casually insult others with the same attitude you freak on OTHERS for makes you the worst kind of douche.

-Never mind Rosie's whole sudden saber-rattling on behalf of the gay community. Remember when she was on the biggest Daytime Talk Show on TV? Remember the YEARS she was on that? And how the SECOND that show was over and she couldn't lose that job, she suddenly decides to publicly cop to being a lesbian? And NOW she has the nerve to be all "BOO-HOO, WE ARE SO OPPRESSED! I REPRESENT ALL GAYS!!"? It reminded me of Ricky Martin hiding his sexuality for years before suddenly coming out when it was trendy to be gay and going "I can has comeback now, plz?". Stuff like this is why I respect the hell out of people like Ellen DeGeneres, who suffered an ACTUAL RISK TO HER CAREER for coming out of the closet while in the midst of being on an ongoing TV show. She became the central figure of the entire gay community- a gutsy move that very few celebrities had the balls to undertake. Meanwhile, you have people like Rosie who want all the positives from being gay (... I guess being able to moralize on non-gays?), but none of the negatives (ie. she waited until she was done with her show before doing it). Now... I think it's unfair to punish celebrities for wanting to remain closeted, given the risks. BUT... imagine the good Rosie could have done as a vocal gay celebrity back when she was relevant.

-... what? I HAD THIS BUILDING UP FOR A WHILE, OKAY?!?
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Re: Jab's Builds! (Megara! Hades! The Titans! Circe! Mulan! Shang!)

Post by BriarThrone »

Rosie was my very first exposure to the idea that "YOU MUST THINK EXACTLY AS I DO. ANY DEVIATION IS BAD AND WRONG AND WE WILL THROW ROCKS UNTIL YOU LEAVE TOWN." Since then, it has become something of a cultural phenomenon.

Can't say I'm a fan.
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Re: Jab's Builds! (Megara! Hades! The Titans! Circe! Mulan! Shang!)

Post by M4C8 »

Ares wrote: Thu Oct 04, 2018 4:07 am Plus everyone forgets that Hades essentially ruled over both Heaven AND Hell, namely the Elysian Fields and Tartarus.

As for Tarzan, it was very much like Robin Hood where it was never going to be the definitive version of any story Disney did, the way most people associate Beauty and the Beast or Sleeping Beauty primarily with the Disney films.

I wish that last live action Tarzan film that had been put out had done better, since it was way more faithful to the source material. Most productions turn Tarzan into an idiot, when in the original stories he's actually VERY intelligent, incredibly powerful, and dangerously skilled. The sort-of-dreadlocks look for the animated Tarzan was kind of weird, but they specifically said they wanted to give Tarzan a kind of "X-Games" approach, hence the tree surfing.

I really need to get around to reading that "Tarzan vs King Kong" novel I got a while back, after I finish my "Doc Savage vs the Shadow" novel.
The recent Tarzan movie was a weird one, I felt like I was waiting for something to happen throughout the entire movie, then it just ended.
'A shared universe, like any fictional construct, hinges on suspension of disbelief. When continuity is tossed away, it tatters the construct. Undermines it'
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Re: Terk

Post by Ares »

Jabroniville wrote: Thu Oct 04, 2018 6:20 am About the Performer: This was Rosie O'Donnell near the peak of her fame. Now, I have mixed feelings about Rosie- her talk show was pretty funny for its time, and she had kind of a funny deadpan humour about her that I appreciated. But she sorta developed into an extremely weird, obsessive hyper-crank who whined about everything, but was herself a GIANT HYPOCRITE- the worst kind of moral crusader, really. Honestly, she developed into being one of my least-favorite celebrities- a tiresome moralizer who herself was just as guilty of the very shit she'd accuse others of spouting. Basically, a bad parody of the worst excesses of the Social Justice movement.

-Perfect example: when Kelly Ripa had Clay Aiken on her talk show, she cracked wise when he put his hand over her mouth as a joke, all "I don't know where that's been!". Rosie, outraged over this on her run on The View, did this big moralizing preach-fest about how this was because Clay was homosexual, and that "if a handsome man had done it, she'd be enthralled" or something stupid, leading to Kelly actually PHONING THE SHOW to rip on her about how irresponsible and wrong that was. And while she preached about stuff like this, she, on the same show, literally used the phrase "CHING-CHONG, CHING-CHONG" to imitate Chinese people talking ("they're even talking about [something that happened on the show] in China, going--"). Then basically blew off all the criticism like "hey, I'm not PC- get used to it".

-This is INSANELY HYPOCRITICAL, and a steaming load coming from someone who screeches about gay issues at the drop of a hat, then completely disregards a whole ethnicity and culture. Like, if you're not gonna be PC, then fine. Make fun of others for how they talk or whatever. But you can't be BOTH THINGS- making a huge deal about gay stuff just because YOU'RE gay, and then casually insult others with the same attitude you freak on OTHERS for makes you the worst kind of douche.

-Never mind Rosie's whole sudden saber-rattling on behalf of the gay community. Remember when she was on the biggest Daytime Talk Show on TV? Remember the YEARS she was on that? And how the SECOND that show was over and she couldn't lose that job, she suddenly decides to publicly cop to being a lesbian? And NOW she has the nerve to be all "BOO-HOO, WE ARE SO OPPRESSED! I REPRESENT ALL GAYS!!"? It reminded me of Ricky Martin hiding his sexuality for years before suddenly coming out when it was trendy to be gay and going "I can has comeback now, plz?". Stuff like this is why I respect the hell out of people like Ellen DeGeneres, who suffered an ACTUAL RISK TO HER CAREER for coming out of the closet while in the midst of being on an ongoing TV show. She became the central figure of the entire gay community- a gutsy move that very few celebrities had the balls to undertake. Meanwhile, you have people like Rosie who want all the positives from being gay (... I guess being able to moralize on non-gays?), but none of the negatives (ie. she waited until she was done with her show before doing it). Now... I think it's unfair to punish celebrities for wanting to remain closeted, given the risks. BUT... imagine the good Rosie could have done as a vocal gay celebrity back when she was relevant.

-... what? I HAD THIS BUILDING UP FOR A WHILE, OKAY?!?
Heh, no man, I hear you. Hypocrisy is infuriating, especially when someone tries to play the virtue/outrage card in a similar fashion. It's why people on both ends of the extreme political spectrum annoy the heck out of me with their "one rule for me, another for thee" attitudes where it's okay to complain about person X doing X thing, but then basically advocating for the same thing against the person they don't like and acting like they're some kind of righteous warrior for it. The kind of people who will advocate for or commit violence against someone if they don't like their politics, or even just what they're saying.
"My heart is as light as a child's, a feeling I'd nearly forgotten. And by helping those in need, I will be able to keep that feeling alive."
- Captain Marvel SHAZAM! : Power of Hope (2000)

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Jabroniville
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Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Tantor

Post by Jabroniville »

Image

TANTOR
Played by:
Jim Cummings
Role: Animal Sidekick, Butt-Monkey, Cowardly Hero
PL 6 (53)
STRENGTH
8 STAMINA 9 AGILITY -1
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -2 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Expertise (Survival) 3 (+4)
Insight 1 (+2)
Intimidation 5 (+4, +6 Size)
Perception 1 (+2)

Advantages:
None

Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 3 (Acute & Extended Scent, Extended Hearing) [3]
"Tremor-Detecting Feet" Senses 4 (Accurate Ranged x2 Touch) (Flaws: Limited to Half-Accuracy) [2]
"Trunk" Extra Limbs 1 [1]

"Natural Size" Growth 5 (Str & Sta +5, +5 Mass, +2 Intimidation, -2 Dodge/Parry, +1 Speed) -- (15 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [11]
Strength-Damage +0 (Feats: Reach) [2]
"Thick Layer of Skin" Impervious Toughness 5 [5]

Offense:
Unarmed +4 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Initiative -1

Defenses:
Dodge +1 (DC 11), Parry +3 (DC 13), Toughness +9 (+3 Impervious), Fortitude +9, Will +5

Complications:
Disabled (Animal)- Elephants cannot speak to most humans, nor use their feet to easily manipulate objects. Their trunks can, however, but not to the extent of human hands.
Rivalry (Other Males)- Elephant Bulls must duel other males for mating rights.
Weakness (Poor Vision)- Elephants have poor eyesight, and often miss things unless directly in front of them, and close by. This makes them easy to startle or sneak up on, and makes them wary of small creatures that make great deals of noise (no really- the Mythbusters proved they don't like mice).
Relationship (Tarzan & Company)- Tantor is the most cowardly creature in the jungle, but is willing to fight for his friends.
Responsibility (Cowardice)- Tantor fears everything.

Total: Abilities: 16 / Skills: 10--5 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 23 / Defenses: 9 (53)

-Tantor is your classic Cowardly Elephant, being afraid of everybody and everything, which of course serves to make the rare moments where he Elephants up and saves his friends all the more impressive. The cartoon series had a good moment where he whupped on some gigantic elephant who was threatening people (it was established that Tarzan could NEVER hurt such a large animal). This makes his PL difficult to determine, because he sucked at fighting, but was still hellaciously strong and tough, so I'll just give him low abilities and make him a PL 6 compared to my more elite PL 9 Elephant Builds.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Wed Oct 17, 2018 6:30 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Jane Porter

Post by Jabroniville »

ImageImage
Image
Image
Image

JANE PORTER
Played by:
Minnie Driver
Role: Hot Nerd, Nervous Girl, Damsel In Distress
PL 3 (57)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 1 (+4)
Athletics 5 (+6)
Expertise (Science) 1 (+5)
Expertise (Animals) 2 (+6)
Expertise (Art) 4 (+8)
Expertise (Survival) 4 (+6)
Persuasion 2 (+4, +6 Attractive)
Technology 1 (+5)

Advantages:
Attractive

Powers:
"Learned From Tarzan"
Movement 1 (Environmental Adaptation- Jungles) [2]
Comprehend 2 (Animals) [4]

Offense:
Unarmed +4 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +3 (DC 13), Parry +4 (DC 14), Toughness +2, Fortitude +3, Will +5

Complications:
Relationship (Tarzan)- Despite her prime and proper nature, Jane falls for the ape-man before her. She wishes he'd act more civilized at times, but his decency and kindness shine through.

Total: Abilities: 36 / Skills: 20--10 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 6 / Defenses: 4 (57)

-Jane had a really good design in this (somethin' about those brunettes in yellow dresses), and was played PERFECTLY- no modern-day Feminist Grrl who was HER OWN WOMAN, DAMMIT, she was your classic Damsel in Distress, and had this great, funny nervous energy. That scene where Tarzan is taking her shoes off and touching her and she's all giddilly trying to get him off her is totally adorable (mostly because it's innocent and he's not actually being a pervert), and is a really tricky thing to pull off. Overall, she develops some survival skills and Jungle Know-How to go along with some fighting ability (I mean, she's attacked by Leopards CONSTANTLY). As a Non-Jungle Girl, Jane would have much lower stats: ST 0, STA 1, AGI 2, FIGHTING 0, with no Acrobatics or Athletics.

About the Performer: Minnie Driver's one of those weird actresses who has been in tons of stuff, but was never really that famous. I think her actual peak of fame was when she was Matt Damon's first celebrity girlfriend right when he & Ben Affleck hit it big from Good Will Hunting (in which she also starred)- the relationship famously ended when Matt announced that he was single on Oprah... which came as a surprise to Minnie (yikes). So few really care that much about her, and she's not really that famous... but she's still working. A lot, actually. Mostly, she just appears in minor stuff, or as a character actress. She's well-respected, though- often being nominated for awards. A recent thing was the FX show The Riches, though that was a very minor deal. She's apparently playing a wheelchair-bound woman in an ABC sitcom, which was complete news to me. She works in 1-2 things a year, all minor. All in all, not a bad career for someone who isn't what Mainstream Hollywood declares desirable (she was and is cute, but lacks the trademark Rail-Thin Body & Giant Eyes so desired at various points in time, nor the huge breasts desired at others... plus is 48 years old).
Last edited by Jabroniville on Wed Oct 17, 2018 6:28 am, edited 1 time in total.
Jabroniville
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Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Kerchak

Post by Jabroniville »

Image

KERCHAK
Played by:
Lance Henriksen
Role: Bad-Ass Strong Guy, Stern Father Figure
PL 8 (82)
STRENGTH
6 STAMINA 6 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -1 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Athletics 1 (+7)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 5 (+9)
Expertise (Survival) 6 (+8)
Insight 2 (+4)
Intimidation 10 (+10)
Perception 4 (+6)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Diehard, Extraordinary Effort, Fast Grab, Fearless, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Hold, Power Attack, Startle, Ultimate Strength Check

Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 3 (Acute & Extended Scent, Low-Light Vision) [3]
"Ape Strength & Long Arms" Strength-Damage +1 (Feats: Reach) [2]
Protection 1 [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +5 (DC 15), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +7, Fortitude +8, Will +6

Complications:
Disabled (Animal)- Apes cannot speak to most humans.
Responsibility (The Band)- Kerchak is the leader of the band, and so must protect the others, and make the hard decisions.
Relationship (Tarzan)- Kerchak dislikes and distrusts the outsider baby his mate Kala chose to raise, and makes this known to the rest of the band.

Total: Abilities: 38 / Skills: 28--14 / Advantages: 10 / Powers: 7 / Defenses: 13 (82)

-Kerchak is the distrusting father-figure of Tarzan, and generally is pretty hard on the poor hero of the story, refusing to believe that he's worth anything. He even rejects Tarzan for saving his life from Sabor- embarrassed by his failure! This puts him in stark contrast, to even-tempered, wise Mufasa, but still makes him an interesting character. In this case, it's the flaws that make him- he's not a BAD GUY, and he believes what he's doing is the right path (Tarzan DOES screw up a fair bit at first), but his ignorance of Tarzan's strengths cost him a good relationship, which he comes to regret in his final moments, when he takes a bullet meant for the man who truly IS Kerchak's son. So basically, he's like King Triton, but learns his lesson too late.

-Kerchak is an elite version of the gorilla build I've done, and is able to taken on either Tarzan or Sabor quite well, though he loses both fights. Both are actually a bit unlikely in real life- a male Silverback is INSANELY strong, and I can't imagine any leopard would be stupid enough to attack one solo- its raw power could dismember a cat, and cats aren't idiots- they'll jump the babies and theMAYBE mothers. And yeah, I don't care WHAT martial arts a human being knows- a grown man could no more drop a Silverback in unarmed combat than he could lift a fire truck with one arm. These animals are literally strong enough to rip a human being IN HALF. Even a chimpanzee could almost effortlessly dominate in the UFC, much less a six-hundred pound giant. Of course, this is a movie where a man literally SURFS through trees, in an inherently unrealistic medium no less; AND I'm a guy who reads comic books known for having regular humans beat guys who can lift DOZENS of tons, so I'll just stop harping on it :).

About the Performer: Lance Henriksen hasn't been in much stuff that I've seen, but I vaguely recognize the name. haha- he was apparently James Cameron's first choice to play The Terminator! Imagine a world where THAT had happened. Oh, he's Bishop from Aliens- I know that one!
Last edited by Jabroniville on Fri Oct 05, 2018 3:52 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Davies
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Location: Edmonton, AB

Re: Jab's Builds! (Hades! Circe! Mulan! Shang! Shan Yu! Tarzan! Jane!)

Post by Davies »

Ironically, Disney's Tarzan softens one character, Kerchak, who's an unrepentant monster in Burroughs, and dramatically hardens another in his place.
"I'm sorry. I love you. I'm not sorry I love you."
Jabroniville
Posts: 24690
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Re: Jab's Builds! (Hades! Circe! Mulan! Shang! Shan Yu! Tarzan! Jane!)

Post by Jabroniville »

Davies wrote: Fri Oct 05, 2018 3:03 am Ironically, Disney's Tarzan softens one character, Kerchak, who's an unrepentant monster in Burroughs, and dramatically hardens another in his place.
I didn’t realize Kerchak wasn’t a Disney original. Actually, I’ve never read a real version of Tarzan before, so I do t know anything about him, really :).
Jabroniville
Posts: 24690
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Sabor

Post by Jabroniville »

Image

SABOR
Played by:
Frank Welker
Role: Omnipresent Predator
PL 8 (92)
STRENGTH
4 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -4 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE -2

Skills:
Acrobatics 3 (+8)
Athletics 6 (+10)
Close Combat (Claws) 2 (+12)
Expertise (Survival) 7 (+8)
Intimidation 6 (+4)
Perception 7 (+8)
Stealth 3 (+8)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Chokehold, Fast Grab, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Natural Weapons), Improved Hold, Improved Initiative, Prone Fighting, Seize Initiative, Uncanny Dodge (Hearing)

Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 5 (Low-Light Vision, Acute & Extended Scent, Extended & Ultra-Hearing) [5]
Speed 3 (16 mph) [3]
"Natural Weapons- Claws & Teeth" Strength-Damage +2 [2]

"Cat Agility"
"Climbing Skills" Enhanced Skills 8: Athletics 8 (+14) (Flaws: Limited to Climbing) [2]
Leaping 2 [2]

"Spotted Coat" Enhanced Skills 4: Stealth 4 (+12) (Flaws: Limited to Dense plants or undergrowth) [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Claws & Teeth +12 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +9

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +4, Fortitude +6, Will +5

Complications:
Disabled (Animal)- Cats cannot speak to humans, nor use their paws to easily manipulate objects.

Total: Abilities: 36 / Skills: 34--17 / Advantages: 11 / Powers: 15 / Defenses: 13 (92)

-Sabor the leopard was a well-designed freaky predator in Tarzan, showing up to kill Tarzan's parents, Kala's infant AND attack the band when Tarzan was into adulthood, making her (yes, it's a lady leopard) one SUPER long-lived leopard. The design was impressive considering the film came only a few years after The Lion King, meaning they had to do something different with this jungle cat- making it even MORE inhuman than a regular cat, including turning it into a non-speaking (why ARE leopards mute in a land where gorillas & elephants can talk?) psychotically-aggressive creature with an alien head-shape! It's quite odd to see her in a movie full of natural-ish animal designs, since she has very little spots, sabre-teeth and a cougar's yowl.

-Sabor's even better than a regular Leopard, upgrading from PL 7 to PL 9- Tarzan has to fight like HELL to stay alive (some humans have been known to fight off fully-grown Leopards in real life, though generally the Leopards basically just decide their prey is fighting too hard- humans can go for the eyes- and run away so they don't injure themselves and prove unable to hunt further), and only barely wins. Cripes, this freaking cat brings down KERCHAK, a MALE SILVERBACK, in all of ten seconds.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Fri Oct 05, 2018 3:51 am, edited 1 time in total.
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