Mighty Joe Young

Survival is an instinct.

1998 • 114 min • Adventure · Family · Action · Fantasy

Join the Angel Guild Write your review Sign in to rate and review

Synopsis

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.

Our family guide

Best from age 8

Movie Knight Score

896 reviews

100 Reviewers · 2 · 51%
63 Audience · 894 · 49%

A young woman, Jill, protects her giant gorilla friend, Joe, from poachers who killed his mother years ago. When an American primatologist convinces her to bring Joe to a wildlife refuge, the dangerous poacher follows them, intent on capturing Joe for his own gain.

Violence & peril: 5/10
Language: 1/10
Drinking, drugs & smoking: 0/10
Romance & sensuality: 1/10
Scary moments: 4/10

Heads up

A parent
s death is shown early on
Some intense chase and fight scenes
Joe faces threats from humans

What it models well

Protecting endangered animals
Loyalty and friendship
Standing up for what
s right

Talk about it after

The importance of conservation
Dealing with loss and grief
Judging others by their actions, not appearance

Written by the Movie Knight editorial team for Mighty Joe Young. Our own words, our own scoring — always double-check against your family's standards.

Where to watch

Country

Stream

Disney Plus
Wonder Project Amazon Channel

Rent

Buy

Links go straight to each service. Some are affiliate links that support Movie Knight at no cost to you. Availability data by JustWatch via TMDB.

Top billed cast

Director: Ron Underwood • Crew: Mark Rosenthal, Lawrence Konner

Trailers & clips

Reviewer notes

RecommendedTrusted family reviewers
It's basically <em>'King Kong'</em>, let's be honest. In fairness, though, <em>'Mighty Joe Young'</em> does do its own thing and it's a film I did feel entertained by. Bill Paxton (Gregg) and Charlize Theron (Jill) are two of the big reasons, they are both enjoyable in this. The effects/animatronics for the gorilla are also impressive, even when Joe is shown via people in costume (incl. Verne Troyer!…
r96sk, TMDB Community

RecommendedTrusted family reviewers
***Disney flick about “Kong Jr.” with Charlize Theron and Bill Paxton*** A young woman (Charlize Theron) who has raised a giant gorilla named Joe from infancy brings him to an animal sanctuary in Southern California with the aid of a zoologist (Bill Paxton). Meanwhile, a poacher from the past seeks vengeance on the creature (Rade Serbedzija), which breaks free to cause havoc.…
Wuchak, TMDB Community