Mighty Joe Young

UPC: 717951001641

Studio: Walt Disney Video

MPAA Rating: PG   Contains:[Violence, Suitable for Children, Adult Language]

Summary: This 1998 version of Mighty Joe Young begins with a Gorillas in the Mist-type prologue and then jumps forward twelve years to find Bill Paxton leading a safari expedition to capture the legendary giant (two-ton) gorilla, the subject of the film's title. Paxton's intentions are admirable; he wants to remove the majestic beast from the imminent danger of poachers and set him up on a posh nature reserve in California. The x-factor comes in the form of Charlize Theron's beautiful jungle girl, Jill Young. Jill has been Joe's soul mate from birth and is the only human who can communicate with him. She is also the reason Paxton's maverick-on-the-run lingers at the reserve after his task is completed. From there, the plot is spurred on by the nefarious actions of a poacher with an Ahab complex and a battery of money hungry scientists who want to exploit Joe. Naturally, all of this puts a burr under the towering simian's skin, causing him to break free and go ape in L.A.'s concrete jungle. ~ Tom Meek, Rovi

Category: Adventure

Awards: Best Visual Effects – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Visual Effects – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Visual Effects – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Visual Effects – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

Features: Dolby Digital 5.1 audio
Production featurette
Theatrical trailer
Chapter search

Mighty Joe Young

Format: Digital Video Disc (DVD)

Release Date: 03/23/1999

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Theatre Wide-Screen

Audio: 5.1 Dolby Digital 5.1, 2 PCM stereo

Runtime: 114 Minutes

Sides: 1

Number of Discs: 1

Language(s) English

Subtitles: English

Region: USA & territories, Canada

Chapters: Side #1 --
0. Chapter Selection
1. Program Start [:33]
2. The Goodnight Song [:07]
3. Looking For A Legend [:14]
4. N'Gai Zamu [:06]
5. Lucky To Be Alive [:00]
6. Hide And Seek [6:29]
7. Not What He Seems [3:25]
8. Time To Trust [:06]
9. A New Home [4:25]
10. Strasser's Justice [1:46]
11. Provoked [6:31]
12. Escape [:06]
13. Jill Remembers [2:36]
14. Towards The Light [4:01]
15. Rush Into Danger [2:11]
16. End Credits [3:53]

Michael Costello

Ron Underwood's remake of the 1949 fantasy is a fine film for children without necessarily being too dull for their parents. As in the original, Joe is a sweet-natured gorilla, which shouldn't be too surprising since he's been reared in the jungle by Charlize Theron, who plays the daughter of a scientist murdered by poachers. Again, Joe travels to America, becoming the poster gorilla for a charitable organization, though much of the story focuses on Theron's efforts to keep poacher Rade Serbedzija and some greedy scientists from exploiting her surrogate son. Theron and her love interest, played by Bill Paxton, are adequate to the task, but in a film of this kind, the humans are not really the point. Most notable are the superb special effects, with Joe's animatronics a vast improvement over the simian animation of King Kong (1976). While there are one or two moments in the film that might be too intense for small children, it's basically a benign adventure story. ~ Michael Costello, Rovi

Cast and Crew: Ted Hartley  Producer 
James Horner  Composer (Music Score) 
Tom Jacobson  Producer 
Gail Katz  Executive Producer 
Lawrence Konner  Screenwriter 
Mark Lisson  Executive Producer 
Mark Rosenthal  Screenwriter 
Ron Underwood  Director 
Holly Goldberg Sloan  Screenwriter 
Gary Stutman  Executive Producer 
Charlize Theron  Actor 
Bill Paxton  Actor 
Rade Serbedzija  Actor 
Peter Firth  Actor 
David Paymer  Actor 
Regina King  Actor 
Robert Wisdom  Actor 
Naveen Andrews  Actor 
Lawrence Pressman  Actor 
Linda Purl  Actor 
Mika Boorem  Actor 
John Alexander  Actor 

Country: USA