Mighty Joe Young (1998 film)

Mighty Joe Young
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Ron Underwood
Produced by	Ted Hartley Tom Jacobson
Screenplay by	Mark Rosenthal Lawrence Konner
Based on	Mighty Joe Young by Merian C. Cooper Ruth Rose
Starring	Bill Paxton Charlize Theron Rade Šerbedžija Naveen Andrews Regina King David Paymer
Music by	James Horner
Cinematography	Donald Peterman Oliver Wood
Edited by	Paul Hirsch
Production company	Walt Disney Pictures RKO Pictures
Distributed by	Buena Vista Pictures
Release date	December 25, 1998 (1998-12-25)
Running time	114 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English Swahili
Budget	$90 million
Box office	$50.6 million (US)

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Mighty Joe Young is a 1998 American adventure film based on the 1949 film of the same name and directed by Ron Underwood. It stars Bill Paxton and Charlize Theron, and in the film's version, the ape is much larger than in the original. The movie grossed $50,632,037 in the United States with a production budget of $90 million.

As a child, Jill Young witnesses the death of her mother, Ruth Young and the mother of Joe, an infant mountain gorilla, at the hands of poachers led by Andrei Strasser, who loses his right thumb and trigger finger to Joe, swearing revenge.

Twelve years later, Jill has raised Joe, now grown to a height of 15 feet (4.6 m) and weighing 2,000 pounds (910 kg). As a result, other gorillas will not accept him and they are both now living in relative peace until a wildlife refuge director, Gregg O'Hara, convinces Jill they would be safer from poachers if they relocated to the United States.

The trio goes to Los Angeles, and win the hearts of the refuge staff at the conservancy, who put Jill in charge of Joe. Jill is approached by Strasser, who is now running a fraudulent Animal Preserve in Botswana, while actually selling animal organs on the black market. After seeing a news report about Joe, he is eager for revenge. At first Jill does not recognize Strasser, since Strasser's right hand is concealed in his coat pocket. He attempts to convince Jill that Joe would be better off in his wildlife refuge back in Africa. During a gala, Strasser's henchman, Garth, uses a poacher's noisemaker to scare Joe into a frenzy. Joe trashes the gala, with the intention of attacking Strasser, but is captured, and imprisoned in a concrete bunker. Before their departure, Gregg has fallen in love with Jill and kisses her goodbye.

When Jill discovers that Joe may be euthanized, she accepts Strasser's offer. She and the refuge staff smuggle Joe out in a truck. On the way to the airport, Jill notices the half-glove covering Strasser's missing fingers and recognizes him. She fights Strasser and Garth, then jumps from the truck onto Hollywood Boulevard, leading to several automobile accidents. Joe sees her and tilts the truck over onto its side and flees.