a construction designer work in the amazon be visit a logging site with his family when his seven year old son tommy be kidnap by native tribesman and vanishes into the rainforest . ten year later and after an expedition in which he be capture by cannibal and the father be finally reunite with the son and who have be raise by the savage and know no other way of life . this be a pretty unique picture and even if the root of the story obviously come from tarzan and because it manage to be three thing at once while an exciting jungle action flick and an intimate family drama and a sobering environmental message movie . it manage to achieve this i think partly because of the excellent script by rospo pallenberg and and partly because there be no big shot movie star in the cast look ridiculous in the jungle . boothe and foster be both terrific and virtually everyone else be an authentic look non actor ( polonah in particular and a wanadi and the chief of the invisible people and tommy surrogate father and be superb ) . the casting of the director son in the pivotal role be a bit ethically shaky and but the young boorman be not only ideal for the role ( his almost too good look feature and brilliant blonde lock contrast perfectly with the tribespeople ) but he deliver a carefully measure performance of confident innocence . the heartachingly beautiful location and the rich detail of the invisible people custom and a terrific electro ethnic score by junior homrich all add tremendous atmosphere to an extremely original and captivating film . a jungle adventure not to be miss .