In 1999, a British family with their baby son faces a tragic fate when their shipwreck leaves them stranded in Equatorial Africa. As they construct a treehouse using timber from their wrecked vessel, they appear to lead a blissful life. However, their happiness is torn apart when Sabor, a brutal leopard that escaped from a circus, attacks and kills the parents. Fortunately, the infant's cries are heard by Kala, a compassionate gorilla voiced by Glenn Close, who comes across the baby while traversing the jungle. Kala, who has suffered a similar loss at the hands of Sabor, courageously rescues the child and manages to escape with him, leaving Sabor entangled in the ropes around the treehouse.
Kala adopts the human child, naming him Tarzan. Despite opposition from her mate Kerchak (voiced by Lance Henriksen), she lovingly raises Tarzan as her own. As he grows up, the young Tarzan, played by Tony Goldwyn, forms friendships with various animals, including Terk, Kala's feisty niece, and Tantor, a somewhat neurotic elephant. Despite his upbringing among gorillas, Tarzan's unique appearance sets him apart, and he is determined to prove his worth to the tribe.
Facing challenges to gain acceptance, Tarzan undertakes dangerous tasks that often backfire, such as attempting to pull a hair from an elephant's tail, which leads to a stampede that threatens the tribe, inciting the ire of Kerchak. Kerchak harshly informs Tarzan that he can never truly belong to their family. However, with the support of Kala, who believes in his potential, Tarzan continues to strive for self-improvement, even fashioning stone tools to emulate the claws and horns of jungle creatures.
In a fateful encounter, the tribe is attacked by Sabor, resulting in Kerchak being injured while defending his family. Tarzan steps in heroically, and after a fierce battle, he kills Sabor with a spear, earning Kerchak's reluctant respect.
Meanwhile, a group of human explorers from England arrives to study gorillas, led by the eccentric Professor Archimedes Q Porter and his daughter, Jane (voiced by Minnie Driver). When Jane accidentally strays from the group and finds herself in peril from a troop of baboons, Tarzan saves her, unveiling a deep connection between them that neither anticipated.
Despite Jane's concern about Clayton's gunshots disrupting the gorillas, Clayton, the group's hunter escort, remains focused on security. As Jane and Tarzan spend time together, they discover their striking similarities, and Jane introduces him to human civilization. Terk and Tantor, the loyal friends, mischievously explore the explorers' camp, leading to humorous misadventures.
Conflict arises when Kerchak arrives and furiously forbids Tarzan from associating with the humans. Tarzan, fiercely defending his newfound friends, argues with Kerchak about the fear of those who are different. Despite Kerchak's warnings, Tarzan's fascination with Jane pulls him back to the camp, where he learns to speak English and is introduced to the human way of life.
As Tarzan and Jane forge a romantic connection, Jane expresses her desire to return to England, but Tarzan pleads for her to stay. Manipulated by Clayton's persuasion that Jane will remain only if Tarzan leads them to the gorillas, he reluctantly agrees and guides them to the nesting grounds. However, a tense confrontation ensues when Kerchak mistakenly perceives the humans as a threat, leading to a fierce conflict where Tarzan must defend his relationships and his identity.
After Kerchak's attack on the humans results in chaos, Tarzan has to confront his own actions that led to the rift with his gorilla family. In a heart-wrenching moment, Kala helps Tarzan come to terms with his past, revealing the truth about his origins, which ultimately drives him to make a significant choice to leave with Jane.
Tragedy strikes when Clayton’s treachery is unveiled, as he captures the group to exploit the gorillas. Tarzan, aided by Terk and Tantor, springs into action to save his friends and the gorilla family from impending doom. In an ultimate confrontation, Tarzan and Clayton engage in a dramatic battle, ultimately leading to Clayton's demise in a twist of fate.
As the dust settles, Kerchak, on his deathbed, acknowledges Tarzan as his son and embraces him as the leader of the gorilla troop. In a poignant farewell, Jane faces a choice between her former life and the jungle, and inspired by her father, she dives into the unknown, joining Tarzan for a new beginning amid the wild. Together, they cultivate a life intertwined with the heart of the jungle.
