REVIEWS

"MIGHTY JOE YOUNG"

A few months ago, I went to Disney World's Animal Kingdom. When I saw the gorilla that was hanging out there, I just stood there staring at it. Gorillas look really cool to me, as is their behavior. The people I was with eventually dragged me away, but it was all very interesting. I was a witness to a gorilla picking his nose and then eating his boogers, and I also couldn't help but notice how bad it smelled. Though I didn't expect to see "Joe" (the gorilla in "Mighty Joe Young") eat his boogers, I think that someone shoulda said that he smelled bad. I mean, it's nature, ya know? Charlize Theron (the main character in the movie) would hug him and cuddle with him... but realistically, he musta smelled like a "Port-O-Potty." I dunno, I was just thinking about that stuff.

"Mighty Joe Young" has probably the best use of animatronics I've ever seen in a movie. From what I hear, animatronics was used in combination with CG and a guy in a suit. Totally seamless. As far as I was concerned, I was looking at a huge freakin' gorilla. And a lot was set in bright, sunny days, not in dark, rainy nights where the flaws can be harder to see. Joe is simply a mastery of combined technical achievements, and his face is so amazingly expressive. The guys who did that need to be given awards.

The main character here is definitely the gorilla, but the main human character is played by Charlize Theron (the blonde in "2 Days in the Valley," and Keanu Reaves' wife in "Devil's Advocate"), and she looks sexy as ever. Her performance here is very good, which I've come to expect outta her. She's really made a name for herself in Hollywood. You go, girl! Bill Paxton plays the kinda guy Bill Paxton usually plays, and there are good performances by David Paymer and Regina King in supporting roles. Still, the star is that huge gorilla.

"Mighty Joe Young" used the old story (by Merian C. Cooper) and screenplay (by Ruth Rose), and then had it updated by the team of Mark Rosenthal and Lawrence Konner (a VERY odd mix of films they wrote together... "Mercury Rising," "The Beverly Hillbillies," and "The Legend of Billie Jean," and they wrote the story for "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country," as well as the horrid "Superman IV: The Quest for Peace"). They did a really good job on the update, I think. As for the directing, Ron Underwood did a great job here. Known mostly for bittersweet comedies ("City Slickers" and "Heart and Souls"), some may have forgotten that he's worked on a "large creature" film before... namely "Tremors." Anyway, Ron Underwood proved to be a damn good director here.

I liked "Mighty Joe Young." A lot. Having never seen the original version, I rented it immediately after watching the modern one. They're both very good, but quite different. I'd recommend seeing both versions because it's interesting to see how times have changed. By the way, Terry Moore, who played the role that Charlize Theron plays in the modern version, has a cameo in this version.

The thing to remember is that "Mighty Joe Young" IS a Disney movie targeted to "family" audiences. Still, I think audiences of all ages will love it. And the third act leaves you at the edge of your seat, though it IS totally predictable... and I'm saying this even if you've never seen the original. But give it a chance. Okay? Okay!

Scale of 1-10: 9