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Poster for Mighty Joe Young

Mighty Joe Young

Seen it?

1998 | 114 min | Adventure, Family, Action, Fantasy

Weeknight Watch

Why it’s a Weeknight Watch

With middling reviews (55% on Rotten Tomatoes), it's a mixed bag. Fine if it's on; don't plan your night around it.

Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.

Is it for you?

Who'll love it
Made for fantasy fans, action fans and families. If you loved The Jungle Book or Tarzan, start here.
The mood
Feel-good.
The pace
Fast-moving, at 1 hr 54 min.
What might put you off
Rated PG. Worth a look first if you have very young kids.

As a child living in Africa, Jill Young saw her mother killed while protecting wild gorillas from poachers led by Andrei Strasser. Now an adult, Jill cares for an orphaned gorilla named Joe -- who, due to a genetic anomaly, is 15 feet tall. When Gregg O'Hara arrives from California and sees the animal, he convinces Jill that Joe would be safest at his wildlife refuge. But Strasser follows them to the U.S., intent on capturing Joe for himself.

How it earned its rating

  • CriticsBelow par

    55% on Rotten Tomatoes, 51 on Metacritic

  • AudiencesSolid

    6.3 out of 10

  • AwardsBelow par

    Nominated for 1 Oscar.

  • Box office & staying powerSolid

    $90 million worldwide on a $90 million budget; still draws a steady audience long after release

  • Buzz & cultural impactSolid

    About 141K people sought it out in the past year

Trailer

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Cast & crew

Directed by Ron Underwood

  • Charlize TheronJill Young
  • Bill PaxtonGregg O'Hara
  • Rade ŠerbedžijaStrasser
  • Peter FirthGarth
  • David PaymerHarry Ruben
  • Regina KingCecily Banks
  • Robert WisdomKweli
  • Naveen AndrewsPindi
  • Lawrence PressmanDr. Baker
  • Linda PurlDr. Ruth Young