X
  • 1998
  • PG
  • Buena Vista Pictures Distribution
  • 1 h 54 m
  • 1998
  • PG
  • Buena Vista Pictures Distribution
  • 1 h 54 m

Summary The legendary Joe, a playful, smart fifteen-foot-tall gorilla, and his lifelong best friend Jill Young have grown up together in the remote mountains of Central Africa. When Joe's peaceful existence is shattered by poachers, Jill and zoologist Gregg O'Hara rescue their innocent friend and move him to the safety of an animal conservancy i...

Directed By: Ron Underwood

Written By: Merian C. Cooper, Ruth Rose, Mark Rosenthal, Lawrence Konner

  • 1998
  • PG
  • Buena Vista Pictures Distribution
  • 1 h 54 m
  • 1998
  • PG
  • Buena Vista Pictures Distribution
  • 1 h 54 m

Mighty Joe Young

Metascore Mixed or Average Based on 20 Critic Reviews
51
User Score Generally Favorable Based on 19 User Ratings
6.3
My Score
Hover and click to give a rating Saved

Where to Watch

Summary The legendary Joe, a playful, smart fifteen-foot-tall gorilla, and his lifelong best friend Jill Young have grown up together in the remote mountains of Central Africa. When Joe's peaceful existence is shattered by poachers, Jill and zoologist Gregg O'Hara rescue their innocent friend and move him to the safety of an animal conservancy i...

Directed By: Ron Underwood

Written By: Merian C. Cooper, Ruth Rose, Mark Rosenthal, Lawrence Konner

Where to Watch

Top Cast

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View All Cast & Crew

Critic Reviews

 View All
Metascore
Mixed or Average Based on 20 Critic Reviews
51
40% Positive
8 Reviews
50% Mixed
10 Reviews
10% Negative
2 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews

Critic Reviews

 View All
Metascore
Mixed or Average Based on 20 Critic Reviews
51
40% Positive
8 Reviews
50% Mixed
10 Reviews
10% Negative
2 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews
75
Karmic influences or not, the new "Mighty Joe Young" works. This is one remake that isn't trying to make us forget the original, but seems rather to embrace it and bring it into the present in solidly crafted, family-friendly fashion. [25 Dec 1998, p.C9]
By Jay Carr FULL REVIEW
75
Joe is a masterpiece of special effects wizardry, looking more real than any giant primate ever to walk across the silver screen. By combining animatronics, computer-generated images, and a man in a costume, Mighty Joe Young creates a compelling illusion.
By James Berardinelli FULL REVIEW
70
Mighty Joe Young is wholesome, well-crafted family fare like Hollywood used to make.
FULL REVIEW
50
Mighty Joe Young is a mighty big movie about a mighty big gorilla. And a lot of it is mighty bad -- unless you're a devotee of high tech and low camp, elephantine effects and mouse-sized stories, politically correct nostalgia and/or Charlize Theron and Bill Paxton in jungle outfits.
By Michael Wilmington FULL REVIEW
42
Mighty Joe Young is based on the 1949 film of the same name, and it's nominally more aware of '90s concerns: destruction of the gorillas' habitats, illegal hunting, trade in animal body parts. On the other hand, it's no more enlightened about the intrinsic value of these clever, emotionally complex creatures. [25 Dec 1998, p.13E]
By Lawrence Toppman FULL REVIEW
40
This rather basic story is really just a place to hang the action scenes, which should have been the movie's glory. But those scenes turn out to be the worst things about Mighty Joe Young, in which the action is edited, MTV-style, for maximum incoherence.
By Jay Boyar FULL REVIEW
25
Mighty Joe Young is a movie only an 8-year-old could love. How cheesy is it? Well, it leaves the ooze of Velveeta in its wake. [25 Dec 1998, p.4]
By Carrie Rickey FULL REVIEW

User Reviews

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User Score
Generally Favorable Based on 19 User Ratings
6.3
53% Positive
10 Ratings
16% Mixed
3 Ratings
32% Negative
6 Ratings

User Reviews

 View All
User Score
Generally Favorable Based on 19 User Ratings
6.3
53% Positive
10 Ratings
16% Mixed
3 Ratings
32% Negative
6 Ratings

There are no user reviews yet. Be the first to add a review.

Details

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Production Company Walt Disney Pictures, RKO Radio Pictures, The Jacobson Company, RKO Pictures
Release Date Dec 25, 1998
Duration 1 h 54 m
Rating PG
Genres
Tagline Survival is an instinct.
Website http://movies.disney.com/mighty-joe-young
View All Details

Awards

Academy Awards, USA
• 1 Nomination
Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA
• 2 Nominations
Genesis Awards
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination

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