Mighty Joe Young (1998)

User Rating:

5.4/10   

Director:

Ron Underwood

Writers (WGA):

Merian C. Cooper (story)
Ruth Rose (earlier screenplay)

Release Date:

25 December 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Family | Fantasy | Thriller

Tagline:

Survival is an instinct.

Plot:

After Mighty Joe Young is brought to America for safety reasons, he escapes and rampages through Hollywood, spurred by tormentors out for revenge.

Plot Keywords:

Gorilla | Poacher | California | Hunter | Rampage

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Bill Paxton	...	Professor Gregory "Gregg" O'Hara
Charlize Theron	...	Jill Young
Rade Serbedzija	...	Andrei Strasser
Regina King	...	Cecily Banks
Peter Firth	...	Garth
Naveen Andrews	...	Pindi
David Paymer	...	Harry Ruben
Robert Wisdom	...	Kweli
Christian Clemenson	...	Jack
Geoffrey Blake	...	Vern
Lawrence Pressman	...	Dr. Elliot Baker
Linda Purl	...	Dr. Ruth Young
Mika Boorem	...	Young Jill Young
Cory Buck	...	Jason
Liz Georges	...	Jason's Mother

Also Known As:

Mighty Joe (UK)

MPAA:

Rated PG for some menacing action violence and mild language.

Runtime:

114 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Swahili

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:L | South Korea:All | Peru:PT | Finland:K-10 | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Chile:TE | France:U | Germany:12 (w) | Portugal:M/6 | Spain:T | Sweden:11 | UK:PG | USA:PG | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Hawaii, USA

Company:

RKO Pictures

Trivia:

Cameo: [Ray Harryhausen]he did most of the stop-motion animated effects in the original movie in 1947.

Quotes:

Andrei Strasser: Monsterle! Monsterle!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Recreating the Eighth Wonder: The Making of 'King Kong' (2006) (V)

Soundtrack:

Windsong

Grouse Gorilla

Mighty Joe Young is a big, big gorilla who gets time in L.A. escaping poachers who are after him in his home hill in Africa. This is a remake of a remake of King Kong (1933), which was made in 1949 as the original Mighty Joe Young.

This latest version is a remarkable computer and animatronic invention, justly nominated for this year's Academy Awards. He really is whiz bang and totally believable as a creature on the screen.

His best friends are Jill played by the very attractive Charlize Theron and Gregg played by Bill Paxton in a pretty light weight film for him considering some of his previous films (One False Move, A Simple Plan).

But take note too of Naveen Andrews who plays the screwball jungle tour guide. He was remarkable in The English Patient and Kama Sutra. Oh well. The bills have to be paid.

Mighty Joe Young is a Disney film aimed squarely at the fairly young, complete with the fairly gruesome bits that today's TV bred ankle biters demand. So what's in it for the oldies.

Well there's Charlize Theron who's pretty gorgeous. And then there's a truly spectacular scene when big Joe climbs up a burning (yes burning!) Ferris Wheel at a L.A. amusement park at night and rescues a little boy.

But my favourite bit was Joe violently wrecking a car bit by bit because the car alarm is sounding. His self satisfied grin as he sat on the quietened nuisance was one that made me wish that I could also rock Ms Theron to sleep.