Rating: Summary: Great family flick Review: Charlize Theron plays Jill Young, the daughter of a zoologist who grows up with a baby gorilla named Joe after their respective mothers are murdered by poachers. Joe is a big, lovable, gargantuan ape who is just an overgrown little puppy. This remake stays true to the original in key elements of the story, but the filmmakers have taken crative freedom to modernize the storyline. This is overall a great family movie. It's something that parents and kids can enjoy together. Great special effects and a heart-warming storyline make this one a keeper for the home video library.
Rating: Summary: NEARLY A CLASSIC Review: For a movie that, to me, sounded so wrong it somehow managed to get it so right. I was expecting a King Kong "rip off" which had been given a Free Willy style plot, that would be purely for kids. The main problem I usually have with movies about Gorillas, and associated this with Mighty Joe young, is that they seem to be the one animal that effects people still haven't quite been able to perfect yet and always feel fake. In fact the only reason I watched this movie in the first place was because I was bored and my friend had left a copy at my house...oh the joys of fate! This is an enchanting tale that will capture kids and adults alike, with its story of a giant gorilla that is taken to America to keep it "safe" away from poachers. But of course, things don't go as planned and a heart warming struggle to help Joe find safety and happiness ensues. It basically is an alternative telling of the King Kong story, but it does with grace and a charm that only Disney can provide. The beautiful Charlize Theron is perfect in her jungle woman role and works superbly alongside Bill Paxton. Although the effects still aren't perfect, they are the best gorilla effects I have seen in a movie; at least they don't make you cringe. The sound and picture quality on the dvd are very good, but the extra features (or lack of them) lets down the film. An insight into the effects would have been good, but no, you have to make do with a poxy trailer and featurette. But don't let this put you off. And if you are the same as I was and are doubting whether you will like it, I urge you to give in. You too might be surprised.
Rating: Summary: MIGHTY Family fun Review: A feel good story for the whole family, don't expect "Mighty Joe Young" to knock you off your feet. Instead, watch it for the good "Beauty and the Beast" storyline that is well outlined for any age group to watch. There is some violence in this movie, and smaller children may be frightened by "Joe" at first, but if they can control themselves through the first few minutes, they'll fall in love with him. There is very little, if any, foul language. The story is simple: Girl and giant ape are moved to the city, girl and giant ape want out, man in love with girl helps, everyone ends up happy. If you're interested, "Joe" looks fairly realistic, especially for the time this flick was made. Overall, a good family show that all can watch. I highly recommend it for its entertainment value.
Rating: Summary: Not a bad remake Review: This update of the 1949 movie Mighty Joe Young is nowhere near as good as it could have been, but it is good enough for a family evening of DVD viewing. I don't think kids under ten years old will notice it's deficiencies, most of which are caused by a far-fetched, predictable plot. In a situation obviously taken from Gorillas in the Mist, a woman scientist studying mountain gorillas in Africa is killed by poachers. This being a Disney production, she has her young daughter with her. The mother is gunned down while fleeing with a baby gorilla they have named Joe. Her dying request is that the child forever protect Joe. [Remember, I said kids would really like this movie. In fact, my brother and sister-in-law loved it. Of course, they also raved about George of the Jungle.] The daughter, Jill Young, grows up to be a strikingly beautiful young woman. She should be, since she is played by Charlize Theron, who is reminiscent of a young Rita Hayworth. Joe, a genetic anomaly, also grows up. He winds up being a 2,000 pound gorilla. Jill apparently never left the African village, and her education must have come from the scriptwriters. Jill and Joe are still best friends and run around playing hide and seek. Enter Greg [Bill Paxton], a doctor of something or other, who has come looking for a rumored giant gorilla. He finds Joe, who would have stomped on him, if Jill hadn't come along. Greg convinces Jill that Joe would be safer in a wildlife refuge outside of Los Angeles. She finally agrees, and somehow they transport the huge animal without anyone finding out. The writers certainly had no idea how this was done. In one scene, Joe is in Africa. In the next, he is in a big rig on an LA freeway. The refuge is full of stock characters. There is the kindly but incompetent Director. We have the Chairman of the Board, who is interested in Joe only as a way of getting donations. The villains, of course, are the very same poachers who devastated Jill and Joe's lives. Joe recognizes them before Jill does. This is one smart gorilla, and he soon escapes, reeking some wonderful havoc on, appropriately enough, Hollywood Both Paxton and Theron are excellent actors, and they do their very best with the material they were given. Their careers remain in great shape. Both the regular and the computer special effects are excellent in Mighty Joe Young. While I was watching it, I didn't think the African scenes looked very authentic. As it turns out, the movie was filmed in Hawaii. Again, kids will thoroughly enjoy this adventure. Parents should find it tolerable, except for those who are like my brother. He thought it should have been nominated for Best Picture. His thirteen year old just rolled her eyes.
Rating: Summary: NEARLY A CLASSIC Review: For a movie that, to me, sounded so wrong it somehow managed to get it so right. I was expecting a King Kong "rip off" which had been given a Free Willy style plot, that would be purely for kids. The main problem I usually have with movies about Gorillas, and associated this with Mighty Joe young, is that they seem to be the one animal that effects people still haven't quite been able to perfect yet and always feel fake. In fact the only reason I watched this movie in the first place was because I was bored and my friend had left a copy at my house...oh the joys of fate! This is an enchanting tale that will capture kids and adults alike, with its story of a giant gorilla that is taken to America to keep it "safe" away from poachers. But of course, things don't go as planned and a heart warming struggle to help Joe find safety and happiness ensues. It basically is an alternative telling of the King Kong story, but it does with grace and a charm that only Disney can provide. The beautiful Charlize Theron is perfect in her jungle woman role and works superbly alongside Bill Paxton. Although the effects still aren't perfect, they are the best gorilla effects I have seen in a movie; at least they don't make you cringe. The sound and picture quality on the dvd are very good, but the extra features (or lack of them) lets down the film. An insight into the effects would have been good, but no, you have to make do with a poxy trailer and featurette. But don't let this put you off. And if you are the same as I was and are doubting whether you will like it, I urge you to give in. You too might be surprised.
Rating: Summary: MIGHTY Family fun Review: A feel good story for the whole family, don't expect "Mighty Joe Young" to knock you off your feet. Instead, watch it for the good "Beauty and the Beast" storyline that is well outlined for any age group to watch. There is some violence in this movie, and smaller children may be frightened by "Joe" at first, but if they can control themselves through the first few minutes, they'll fall in love with him. There is very little, if any, foul language. The story is simple: Girl and giant ape are moved to the city, girl and giant ape want out, man in love with girl helps, everyone ends up happy. If you're interested, "Joe" looks fairly realistic, especially for the time this flick was made. Overall, a good family show that all can watch. I highly recommend it for its entertainment value.
Rating: Summary: awwwww :) Review: Ok, this movie makes me cry every time i see it. stupid i know, but what the hey. I love both Bill Paxton and Charlieze Theron, so that was why I saw it initially, but I just love it. Joe looks realistic with the exception of his tongue, which looks goofy, but it still works for me. great kids movie i think too.
Rating: Summary: Disney does a good job with this excellent modernized remake Review: As a fan of the original Mighty Joe Young which I've watched many times as a kid, I was pretty impressed with the way Disney took the story and brought it back to life with a bit of modernization to the plot. If you are a fan of Disney movies in general, or you like their Animal Kingdom theme park, you will probably really enjoy this movie. My kids loved it too. There are a few emotionally tough spots, so be sure to watch it with them. But like most Disney movies, just about everything works out to a happy conclusion. This is still one of my favorite stories of all time. I'm glad to see it rejuvenated.
Rating: Summary: great movie Review: That movie really was good. At the end, I had a few tears coming out, because I really thought Joe died. Charlize is a true African and played the roll of Jill Young, who took care of Joe.
Rating: Summary: Watch Max Keeble's Big Move isntead of this garbage Review: Here is a live action movie that Disney shouldn't have made. And the Walt Disney company doesn't come out with a lot of live action movies. Or just to the animated movies, but they made this, along with Heavyweights, The Santa Clause, The Jungle Book, 101 Dalmatians. Max Keeble's Big Movie is a lot better than this mess.
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