Mighty Joe Young

  • Adventure
  • Family
  • Action
  • Fantasy
12/25/1998
114
PG

Survival is an instinct.

As a child living in Africa, Jill Young saw her mother killed while protecting wild gorillas from poachers led by Andrei Strasser. Now an adult, Jill cares for an orphaned gorilla named Joe -- who, due to a genetic anomaly, is 15 feet tall. When Gregg O'Hara arrives from California and sees the animal, he convinces Jill that Joe would be safest at his wildlife refuge. But Strasser follows them to the U.S., intent on capturing Joe for himself.

Director:
Budget:
$90,000,000

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  • Wuchak

    Disney flick about Kong Jr. with Charlize Theron and Bill Paxton

    A young woman (Charlize Theron) who has raised a giant gorilla named Joe from infancy brings him to an animal sanctuary in Southern California with the aid of a zoologist (Bill Paxton). Meanwhile, a poacher from the past seeks vengeance on the creature (Rade Serbedzija), which breaks free to cause havoc.

    Mighty Joe Young (1998) was loosely based on the 1949 movie of the same name. I can watch it and enjoy it for what it is, a more kid-friendly version of King Kong with essentially Kong Jr. But, despite a good cast, great F/X and lots of action & adventure, the movie's somehow shallow with cardboard thin characters. When little Johnny gets stuck on the Ferris wheel,...

    October 24, 2018
  • r96sk

    It's basically 'King Kong', let's be honest.

    In fairness, though, 'Mighty Joe Young' does do its own thing and it's a film I did feel entertained by. Bill Paxton (Gregg) and Charlize Theron (Jill) are two of the big reasons, they are both enjoyable in this. The effects/animatronics for the gorilla are also impressive, even when Joe is shown via people in costume (incl. Verne Troyer!) he looks decent. They did a fine job in that regard.

    The premise isn't anything revolutionary, but there is certainly a fair amount of heart in there. I would've liked it more without the typical happy ending, admittedly. The music and cinematography is solid. The villains, meanwhile, are probably this production's weakest area, I never really became inte...

    October 9, 2020

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