Mighty Joe Young
Survival is an instinct.
1998 | 114m | English
Popularity: 4 (history)
| Director: | Ron Underwood |
|---|---|
| Writer: | Mark Rosenthal, Lawrence Konner, Merian C. Cooper |
| Staring: |
| 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. | |
| Release Date: | Dec 25, 1998 |
|---|---|
| Director: | Ron Underwood |
| Writer: | Mark Rosenthal, Lawrence Konner, Merian C. Cooper |
| Genres: | Family, Fantasy, Adventure, Action |
| Keywords | gorilla, dying and death, uganda, poacher, remake, primatologist, giant ape, king kong |
| Production Companies | Walt Disney Pictures, RKO Pictures |
| Box Office |
Revenue: $0
Budget: $90,000,000 |
| Updates |
Updated: Feb 01, 2025 Entered: Apr 13, 2024 |
| Name | Character |
|---|---|
| Charlize Theron | Jill Young |
| Bill Paxton | Gregg O'Hara |
| Rade Šerbedžija | Strasser |
| Peter Firth | Garth |
| David Paymer | Harry Ruben |
| Regina King | Cecily Banks |
| Robert Wisdom | Kweli |
| Naveen Andrews | Pindi |
| Lawrence Pressman | Dr. Baker |
| Linda Purl | Dr. Ruth Young |
| Mika Boorem | Young Jill Young |
| Geoffrey Blake | Vern |
| Christian Clemenson | Jack |
| Cory Buck | Jason |
| Liz Georges | Jason's Mother |
| Richard Riehle | Commander Gorman |
| Cynthia Allison | News Reporter |
| Ken Taylor | News Reporter |
| Ray Harryhausen | Gentleman at Party |
| Terry Moore | Elegant Woman at Party |
| Judson Mills | Impatient Driver |
| Tony Genaro | Boxer Shorts Man |
| Flo Di Re | Bambi's Owner |
| Kaylan Romero | Street Kid |
| Hernan Ruiz | Street Kid |
| Jenilee Deal | Street Kid |
| Matt Deal | Street Kid |
| Bethany Bassler | Cabriolet Girl |
| Vicki Davis | Cabriolet Girl |
| Deborah Kellner | Cabriolet Girl |
| Marguerite Moreau | Cabriolet Girl |
| Tracey Walter | Conservacy Guard |
| Larry Brandenburg | Animal Control Duty Officer |
| Damien Leake | Cop |
| Neil Kopit | Cop |
| Janet Eilber | Concerned Mother |
| Wiley M. Pickett | Police Sharpshooter |
| John Bower | Carjack Man |
| Hannah Swanson | Toddler |
| Laurie Kilpatrick | Toddler's Mom |
| Richard McGonagle | Panda Owner |
| Reno Wilson | Poacher |
| Ted Hartley | Society Man |
| Dina Merrill | Society Woman |
| Lily Mariye | Ticket Clerk |
| John Alexander | Mighty Joe Young |
| Verne Troyer | Baby Joe |
| John Munro Cameron | Joe's Mother Gorilla |
| David St. Pierre | Joe's Father Gorilla |
| Debbie Lee Carrington | Other Gorilla |
| Denise Cheshire | Other Gorilla |
| Darren T. Knaus | Baby Joe (voice) |
| Name | Job |
|---|---|
| Ron Underwood | Director |
| Mark Rosenthal | Screenplay |
| Tom Southwell | Art Direction |
| Julie D'Antoni | Production Office Assistant |
| Molly Maginnis | Costume Design |
| Pam Dixon | Casting |
| Greg Wolfson | Set Decoration |
| Merideth Boswell | Set Decoration |
| Charlie Daboub | Art Direction |
| Donald Peterman | Director of Photography |
| Dan Webster | Supervising Art Director |
| Ruth Rose | Original Film Writer |
| Doc Antle | Animal Wrangler |
| Paul Hirsch | Editor |
| Rick Baker | Special Effects, Makeup Artist |
| James Horner | Original Music Composer |
| Oliver Wood | Director of Photography |
| Michael Corenblith | Production Design |
| Paul A. Edwards | Camera Operator |
| Lawrence Konner | Screenplay |
| Merian C. Cooper | Story |
| Troy Gilbert | Stunts |
| Leigh Hennessy | Stunts |
| Troy Robinson | Stunts |
| Troy Brown | Stunts |
| Walter Scott | Stunts |
| Terry Leonard | Second Unit Director |
| Keith Woulard | Stunts |
| Jimmy N. Roberts | Stunt Double |
| Matt Leonard | Stunts |
| Joe Bucaro III | Stunts |
| Eugene Collier | Stunts |
| Tim Trella | Stunts |
| Doc Duhame | Stunts |
| Pat Romano | Stunts |
| Joey Box | Utility Stunts |
| Janek Sirrs | Visual Effects |
| Name | Title |
|---|---|
| Tom Jacobson | Producer |
| Michael Fottrell | Co-Producer |
| Jacqueline Levine | Associate Producer |
| Gary Stutman | Co-Executive Producer |
| Jim Chory | Associate Producer |
| Gail Katz | Executive Producer |
| Mark Lisson | Co-Executive Producer |
| Ralph Winter | Supervising Producer |
| Ted Hartley | Producer |
| Organization | Category | Person |
|---|
Popularity History
| Year | Month | Avg | Max | Min |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 4 | 20 | 27 | 13 |
| 2024 | 5 | 24 | 37 | 17 |
| 2024 | 6 | 21 | 36 | 12 |
| 2024 | 7 | 24 | 49 | 13 |
| 2024 | 8 | 19 | 36 | 10 |
| 2024 | 9 | 13 | 22 | 8 |
| 2024 | 10 | 15 | 26 | 10 |
| 2024 | 11 | 14 | 30 | 9 |
| 2024 | 12 | 15 | 21 | 10 |
| 2025 | 1 | 17 | 28 | 13 |
| 2025 | 2 | 11 | 19 | 3 |
| 2025 | 3 | 5 | 14 | 1 |
| 2025 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 1 |
| 2025 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 1 |
| 2025 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
| 2025 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 | 10 | 2 | 5 | 1 |
Trending Position
| Year | Month | High | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 5 | 709 | 805 |
| Year | Month | High | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1 | 972 | 972 |
***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 see ... ks 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, compelling Joe to rescue him, I just rolled my eyes. Yet the movie's still well done for what it is: a movie for kids (and the kid IN adults) about a lovable but menacing-when-necessary giant gorilla. The movie runs 1 hour, 54 minutes and was shot in Kaua'i, Hawaii (the Africa scenes) and Los Angeles, Hollywood & Long Beach, California. GRADE: C+/B-
It's basically <em>'King Kong'</em>, let's be honest. In fairness, though, <em>'Mighty Joe Young'</em> 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/animatron ... ics 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 interested in them or their story. Good film, all in all.