Plot: What’s it about?
Jill Young (Charlize Theron) and her gorilla Joe share a unique bond. They both became orphans on the same night, when poachers killed their mothers. As such, they’ve been friends ever since, as Jill tries to keep Joe, now fifteen feet tall, a secret. Jill knows if Joe is discovered, his natural habitat as well as his life, will be in great danger. Sooner or later though, someone was bound to bump into Joe, and that someone was Gregg O’Hara (Bill Paxton). Luckily Gregg is a zoologist, who means no harm to Joe or any animal, but his guides aren’t as caring toward the animals. Soon, poachers arrive, looking to profit by hunting down Joe. Gregg has a plan to thwart the poachers, and Jill, desperate to protect Joe, agrees. So Joe is transported to a preserve where he can run free in a decent size area, and everything seems to be all right. Word travels fast of Joe’s existence, even reaching the poachers who killed Jill and Joe’s mothers. That poacher, who lost his thumb to Joe, sees his chance at revenge, and hops a plan to attend a fundraiser at the preserve. Once there, they use poacher’s tools to anger Joe, who recognizes them, into charging them, in the process, endangering all the guests. He then uses a false business card to persuade Jill to take Joe to his “preserve,” where Joe will have more room and freedom. Will Jill be able to realize the mistake she’s made, or will Joe end up being sold off, piece by piece?
This is a remake of the 1949 classic, so many of you already know the story and it’s twists, but it’s still a fun and entertaining watch. I am a sucker for monkey movies, so I guess this one was a natural fit for me. Speaking of monkey movies, when will the Tony Danza classic “Going Ape!” be released?? Anyway, the main draw of this movie is Joe himself, and the movie comes through, delivering a truly remarkable visual impact. Joe is made up of three different Joe’s, a man in a monkey suit, an animatronic gorilla, and a CGI primate, all of which look great, with seamless transitions. The facial detail is excellent, as is the movement of the limbs. I am impressed, I admit it. The movie has some great camerawork, with some outstanding shots of the jungle landscape and some equally impressive city skyscapes as well. I recommend this movie highly, I enjoyed it immensely.
As impressive as Joe is, he needed a supporting cast of humans to interact with, and thankfully, this movie has a good one. Charlize Theron (The Astronaut’s Wife, Trial and Error) plays her usual sensitive, caring role, and has some great chemistry with Joe. Without the bond between them, the movie would come to a standstill, so it’s a good thing she turned in a sparkling performance. Bill Paxton (Twister, Apollo 13) has some substantial screen time, and he gives a decent turn as well. While not outstanding, his solid performance helps ground the film. The rest of the cast includes Naveen Andrews (The English Patient, Wild Wild West), Rade Serbedzija (Lies & Whispers, The Saint), Regina King (Enemy of the State, Jerry Maguire), and David Paymer (Carpool, Payback). Ron Underwood is the director of Mighty Joe Young, and he also helmed Tremors, City Slickers, and Heart and Souls.
Video: How does it look?
Now, I am happy to say that unlike other Disney live action movies (George of the Jungle, Air Bud), Mighty Joe Young is widescreen! Woohoo! Anyway, the 1.85:1 transfer looks very good, even though it is not enhanced for 16X9 televisions. The colors are excellent, with vibrance and richness in all hues. The jungle’s greens look especially lush with this visual transfer. Black levels are good, but a little on the light side at times. This gives the movie a little softer image, but it is very slight, no sense panicking over it. I noted no compression errors either, a very solid transfer.
Audio: How does it sound?
You’ll be happy with the disc’s audio as well, with a nice 5.1 track included. Your living will sound like a jungle during the outdoor scenes, with some great subtle surround use in the scenes. The rest of the movie sounds excellent as well, with a steady stream of surround use, coupled with the score, which sounds outstanding in it’s own right. Dialogue is crisp and clear, never overpowered by the surround effects.
Supplements: What are the extras?
Disney has included the theatrical trailer as well as a brief production featurette. It may not be much, but it’s more than usual.
