Orphaned at a young age, the young toddler Tarzan (Tony Goldwyn) is picked up by the loving gorilla mother Kala (Glenn Close). Although the gorilla king, Kerchak (Lance Henriksen), is unwilling to accept him into the clan, Kala persuades him to give Tarzan and shot, and the young boy joins the family. With the gorillas, he learns to navigate the forest, make friends with animals, and live in the wild. However, his world is turned upside down when humans arrive on an exploratory mission, led by the lovely Jane Porter (Minnie Driver). Encountering these humans by chance, Tarzan finds out that he truly belongs in their world based on how he looks, and to make it more convincing, he cannot help but notice Jane's beauty. However, he must make a choice: leave the island for the world of humans, or remain true to his family and abandon civilization.