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Mighty Joe Young

  • 1998
  • PG
  • 1h 54m
IMDb RATING
5.7/10
30K
YOUR RATING
Mighty Joe Young (1998)
Official Trailer
Play trailer0:41
1 Video
99+ Photos
ActionAdventureFamily

A legendary fifteen-foot tall mountain gorilla named Joe is taken to an animal sanctuary in California by zoologist Gregg O'Hara (Bill Paxton) and Jill Young (Charlize Theron), with whom he ... Read allA legendary fifteen-foot tall mountain gorilla named Joe is taken to an animal sanctuary in California by zoologist Gregg O'Hara (Bill Paxton) and Jill Young (Charlize Theron), with whom he grew up. Poacher Strasser (Rade Serbedzija) returns from the past to seek vengeance on Joe... Read allA legendary fifteen-foot tall mountain gorilla named Joe is taken to an animal sanctuary in California by zoologist Gregg O'Hara (Bill Paxton) and Jill Young (Charlize Theron), with whom he grew up. Poacher Strasser (Rade Serbedzija) returns from the past to seek vengeance on Joe.

  • Director
    • Ron Underwood
  • Writers
    • Merian C. Cooper
    • Ruth Rose
    • Mark Rosenthal
  • Stars
    • Bill Paxton
    • Charlize Theron
    • Rade Serbedzija
  • See production, box office & company info
    • IMDb RATING
    5.7/10
    30K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Ron Underwood
    • Writers
      • Merian C. Cooper
      • Ruth Rose
      • Mark Rosenthal
    • Stars
      • Bill Paxton
      • Charlize Theron
      • Rade Serbedzija
    • 108User reviews
    • 43Critic reviews
    • 51Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 1 Oscar
      • 1 win & 4 nominations total

    Videos1

    Mighty Joe Young: 20th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray
    Trailer 0:41
    Watch Mighty Joe Young: 20th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray

    Photos211

    Bill Paxton, Charlize Theron, David Paymer, and Regina King in Mighty Joe Young (1998)
    Bill Paxton, Charlize Theron, and John Alexander in Mighty Joe Young (1998)
    John Alexander in Mighty Joe Young (1998)
    Bill Paxton, Charlize Theron, Liz Georges, and Richard Riehle in Mighty Joe Young (1998)
    Charlize Theron, Peter Firth, and Rade Serbedzija in Mighty Joe Young (1998)
    Bill Paxton, Charlize Theron, and John Alexander in Mighty Joe Young (1998)
    Ron Underwood in Mighty Joe Young (1998)
    John Alexander in Mighty Joe Young (1998)
    Bill Paxton, Charlize Theron, and John Alexander in Mighty Joe Young (1998)
    Bill Paxton, Charlize Theron, and Ron Underwood in Mighty Joe Young (1998)
    John Alexander in Mighty Joe Young (1998)
    Bill Paxton and Naveen Andrews in Mighty Joe Young (1998)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Bill Paxton
    Bill Paxton
    • Gregg O'Hara
    Charlize Theron
    Charlize Theron
    • Jill Young
    Rade Serbedzija
    Rade Serbedzija
    • Strasser
    Peter Firth
    Peter Firth
    • Garth
    David Paymer
    David Paymer
    • Harry Ruben
    Regina King
    Regina King
    • Cecily Banks
    Robert Wisdom
    Robert Wisdom
    • Kweli
    Naveen Andrews
    Naveen Andrews
    • Pindi
    Lawrence Pressman
    Lawrence Pressman
    • Dr. Baker
    Linda Purl
    Linda Purl
    • Dr. Ruth Young
    Mika Boorem
    Mika Boorem
    • Young Jill Young
    Geoffrey Blake
    Geoffrey Blake
    • Vern
    Christian Clemenson
    Christian Clemenson
    • Jack
    Cory Buck
    • Jason
    Liz Georges
    • Jason's Mother
    Richard Riehle
    Richard Riehle
    • Commander Gorman
    Cynthia Allison
    • News Reporter
    Ken Taylor
    • News Reporter
    • Director
      • Ron Underwood
    • Writers
      • Merian C. Cooper
      • Ruth Rose
      • Mark Rosenthal
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Since Gorillas in the Mist (1988), Rick Baker stated that he wouldn't do any more projects that involved creating animatronic apes. Baker had to break that statement when he did Baby's Day Out (1994), which featured a gorilla scene. After that, Baker restated he would not do any more ape projects, but when he got called to work on this movie, Baker's love for the original film changed his mind. He also saw it as a chance for redemption for King Kong (1976) since he designed the King Kong suit and portrayed Kong himself. This movie was the last for which Baker created an animatronic gorilla suit. He later added Planet of the Apes (2001), starring Mark Wahlberg, to his ape-centric résumé.
    • Goofs
      Part of the film is set in California. In Los Angeles and at the carnival near the beach, there are police cars with their colored lights on. All the police cars are missing a steady red light in the front. By the California vehicle code, all emergency and law enforcement vehicles are required to have a steady red light facing forward.
    • Quotes

      Jill Young: So, this is L.A., huh? Everything looks the same. How do you know where you are?

      Greg O'Hara: It's easy. The ocean's that way, the mountains are that way, Mexico's that way, and Canada's thataway. You don't have to worry about the rest; you'll never see it through the smog.

    • Alternate versions
      German video and DVD versions are edited for violence (capturing of the gorilla, transport of the gorilla in the city, escape of the gorilla, explosion of the ferris wheel) to get a more family friendly "Not under 6" rating. The uncut version (rated "Not under 12") was shown several times on pay-TV channel Premiere World (now Sky Germany).
    • Connections
      Edited into Attack of the 50 Foot Monster Mania (1999)
    • Soundtracks
      Windsong
      Written by James Horner and Will Jennings
      Choir Direction/Arrangement by Lebo M.

    User reviews108

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    7/10
    fascinated
    I remember watching this film when I was a kid not just once but multiple times and being enthused and affected every time, I was so hooked by Joe and his dreamy eyes and Charlize made me love the jungle but what still fascinates me is how I still remember every detail and how I felt while watching it, and when someone asks me about Charlize this is the first film that jumps to my mind, I guess this is the kind of movie that sticks in your head with its simplicity and purity, such a joyful movie. I guarantee it'll make you laugh, cry, be angry and be very excited when the villain gets what he deserves. the most important message i got from it was to love nature and protect it with my own life because nature reserves our humanity
    helpful•6
    1
    • najwa-sky-limit
    • May 27, 2012

    Top picks

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • December 25, 1998 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Official site
    • Languages
      • English
      • Swahili
    • Also known as
      • Могутній Джо Янґ
    • Filming locations
      • Kaua'i, Hawaii, USA
    • Production companies
      • Walt Disney Pictures
      • RKO Radio Pictures
      • The Jacobson Company
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $90,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $50,632,037
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $10,602,042
      • Dec 27, 1998
    • Gross worldwide
      • $50,632,037
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 54 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • DTS
      • Dolby Digital
      • SDDS
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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