Strong Cup of 'Mighty Joe' / Buena Vista's ape call scores with solid story, sympathtic characters and that great gorilla
By Duane Byrge
This monkey shines. Buena Vista's "Mighty Joe Young", an amusing and good-hearted family film that follows the trials and tribulations of a massive gorilla amid the incursions of poachers and "imprisonment" in an American theme park, will win young hearts as well as the admiration of parents who appreciate a solidly told tale with sympathetic characters.
Joe here is truly a monkey man: He's got anthropomorphic qualities and feels things and perceives them very much like human beings. Only, he's more generous and trusting than your typical Homo sapien. In fact, he's the protector of a small African village. He's also the faithful servant and champion of a concerned and comely young woman, Jill (Charlize Theron), who shares a particular bond with Joe -- both their mothers were killed by poachers 20 years ago. It's this legacy that propels "Mighty Joe"'s plot line -- the same evil poacher (Rade Sherbedgia) has returned, and he realizes the commercial potential of Joe as an exhibit in today's theme-park world.
Basically, "Mighty Joe" is a person-in-distress story, the saga of a natural innocent whose resistance to the real world precludes him from being an effective protector of his natural habitat. It's a winning tale, and screenwriters Mark Rosenthal and Lawrence Konner have kindly distilled it for family-fun dimension. The respect and friendship between Joe and Jill is particularly heartwarming.
Admittedly, "Mighty Joe" does get clogged somewhat in explication of the gorilla's heredity, and the plotting of the climax may seem derivative for even the youngest viewers. Still, director Ron Underwood has shaped the film to a towering dimension and propelled the schematic narrative to its fastest capacity.
Special praise to Theron for her sympathetic protector portrayal; unfortunately, Bill Paxton's performance as a explorational zoologist is decidedly flaccid, wavering in determination and motivation. Sherbedgia is aptly cunning as the arch villain.
The technical contributions are strong, particularly Rick Baker's creation of this extraordinary ape. It's both towering and appealing. Other tech contributions serve the story line well, especially directors of photography Don Peterman and Oliver Wood's expansive lensing.
MIGHTY JOE YOUNG
Buena Vista
Credits: Producers: Ted Hartley, Tom Jacobson; Director: Ron Underwood; Screenwriters: Mark Rosenthal, Lawrence Konner; Executive producer: Gail Katz; Co-executive producers: Mark Lisson, Gary Stutman; Supervising producer: Ralph Winter; Directors of photography: Don Peterman, Oliver Wood; Production designer: Michael Corenblith; Editor: Paul Hirsch; Creature designed and produced by Rick Baker; Visual effects supervisor: Hotyt Yeatman; Music: James Horner; Costume designer: Molly Maginnis; Casting: Pam Dixon Mickelson; Sound mixer: Richard Bryce Goodman; Based on a screenplay by Ruth Rose and a story by Merian C. Cooper from RKO Pictures' "Mighty Joe Young". Cast: Jill Young: Charlize Theron; Gregg O'Hara: Bill Paxton; Strasser: Rade Sherbedgia; Garth: Peter Firth; Harry Ruben: David Paymer; Cecily Banks: Regina King; Kweli: Robert Wisdom. MPAA rating: PG. Running time -- 115 minutes. Color/stereo.
By Duane Byrge
This monkey shines. Buena Vista's "Mighty Joe Young", an amusing and good-hearted family film that follows the trials and tribulations of a massive gorilla amid the incursions of poachers and "imprisonment" in an American theme park, will win young hearts as well as the admiration of parents who appreciate a solidly told tale with sympathetic characters.
Joe here is truly a monkey man: He's got anthropomorphic qualities and feels things and perceives them very much like human beings. Only, he's more generous and trusting than your typical Homo sapien. In fact, he's the protector of a small African village. He's also the faithful servant and champion of a concerned and comely young woman, Jill (Charlize Theron), who shares a particular bond with Joe -- both their mothers were killed by poachers 20 years ago. It's this legacy that propels "Mighty Joe"'s plot line -- the same evil poacher (Rade Sherbedgia) has returned, and he realizes the commercial potential of Joe as an exhibit in today's theme-park world.
Basically, "Mighty Joe" is a person-in-distress story, the saga of a natural innocent whose resistance to the real world precludes him from being an effective protector of his natural habitat. It's a winning tale, and screenwriters Mark Rosenthal and Lawrence Konner have kindly distilled it for family-fun dimension. The respect and friendship between Joe and Jill is particularly heartwarming.
Admittedly, "Mighty Joe" does get clogged somewhat in explication of the gorilla's heredity, and the plotting of the climax may seem derivative for even the youngest viewers. Still, director Ron Underwood has shaped the film to a towering dimension and propelled the schematic narrative to its fastest capacity.
Special praise to Theron for her sympathetic protector portrayal; unfortunately, Bill Paxton's performance as a explorational zoologist is decidedly flaccid, wavering in determination and motivation. Sherbedgia is aptly cunning as the arch villain.
The technical contributions are strong, particularly Rick Baker's creation of this extraordinary ape. It's both towering and appealing. Other tech contributions serve the story line well, especially directors of photography Don Peterman and Oliver Wood's expansive lensing.
MIGHTY JOE YOUNG
Buena Vista
Credits: Producers: Ted Hartley, Tom Jacobson; Director: Ron Underwood; Screenwriters: Mark Rosenthal, Lawrence Konner; Executive producer: Gail Katz; Co-executive producers: Mark Lisson, Gary Stutman; Supervising producer: Ralph Winter; Directors of photography: Don Peterman, Oliver Wood; Production designer: Michael Corenblith; Editor: Paul Hirsch; Creature designed and produced by Rick Baker; Visual effects supervisor: Hotyt Yeatman; Music: James Horner; Costume designer: Molly Maginnis; Casting: Pam Dixon Mickelson; Sound mixer: Richard Bryce Goodman; Based on a screenplay by Ruth Rose and a story by Merian C. Cooper from RKO Pictures' "Mighty Joe Young". Cast: Jill Young: Charlize Theron; Gregg O'Hara: Bill Paxton; Strasser: Rade Sherbedgia; Garth: Peter Firth; Harry Ruben: David Paymer; Cecily Banks: Regina King; Kweli: Robert Wisdom. MPAA rating: PG. Running time -- 115 minutes. Color/stereo.
- 12/15/1998
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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