MIGHTY JOE YOUNG rumbles through Southern California!

Well fellow Geeks, this is one old Father Geek here has been waiting for for months, ever sinse I saw a Work print back in late June. That print realy got the old juices flowing. You see MIGHTY JOE YOUNG is one of my favorite fanasy films of the late 1940's. It had the great Harryhausen's First Feature work as well as some of Willis Obrien's best stuff sinse KING KONG, buuuuut I was worried. Why remake a classic story that worked so well the 1st time around? Well when I saw the Work Print with much of Joe's scenes still in wireframe and unfurred mode I got my answer. This is a fun film guys & gals! Go with an open mind, forget the 1st one temporarily, and prepare yourself for an adventureous funfilled evening. Here's our reporter's review...

Just got back from a screening of Mighty Joe Young, y'know that movie by Ron Underwood that's been in the can for awhile, yeah that one that doesn't open til x-mas? Anyways, it played at the AMC 14 in Burbank and Cinovention's own Rick Baker was there. It was a private screening, not a usual test as the theater was about 3/4 full.

Well, what can I say? Baker is awesome. His work in Mighty Joe Young is just awesome, from the full size Joe units to the scaled down ones, they just looked incredible. The CG Joe is damn good, too. The hair shaders are dead on but there was just a bit of motion track for his shots running in the open field with a moving camera that could have been given a tad bit more motion blur to make it blend really well. Also, there were a lot of CG animals when you really didn't need, and they stood out as CG. There were shots of giraffes and rhinos, etc. that would have worked with live animals, instead of their CG counterparts. Ok, enough on the vfx, on to the story.

SPOILERS AHEAD!

It starts off with a Jill Young (Charlize Theron) at age 12, out with her mother studying the gorillas. (By the way - great casting with Linda Purl, she and Charlize look like the really COULD be related). To continue, Jill points out that Joe is growing up a lot faster than the other 'rillas (it's later briefly explained that a recessive gene causes gigantism at times). Poachers descend upon them later that night and try to capture a gorilla to sell. In the melee, Jill and Joe's moms are both killed by the poachers, Jill and Joe form a special bond thru that.

12 (or was it 14?) years later, Bill Paxton arives on the scene. He collecting samples for a California Animals Conservatory. He meets Joe and Jill after a run in. He convinces them that to be safe, they should move into the conservatory. Ok no problemo, however the poacher that tried to get Joe the first time learns about him and tries to exact revenge for escaping the first time and biting off his thumb and index finger. The poacher comes in disguised as a fellow conservationalist (he runs a park that operates as a slice and dice of exotic animals) his plan is to stir up Joe causing Jill to rethink her position and take Joe to the poacher's place. After getting Joe to cause a ruckus at the conservatory reception to get funding, the poachers succeed in trying to steal Joe. Plans go wrong as Jill and Paxton get hold of the coux and Joe escapes the clutches, turns Hollywood Blvd upside down and runs from the cops. In the process, he kills the poachers, rides a ferris wheel, and saves a boy's life while risking his own and showing everyone that he's not just another wild animal.

All in all, a cute story with dialog problems. Charlize did a decent job of acting, then again, I wasn't paying atention to her 'acting'. Paxton seemed like he was still acting in 'Twister', but doing a horrid job. Joe stole the show, his facial expressions, gestures, etc. were righ on.. er.. for a gorilla. Rick Baker just did an awesome job. It paced itself about the same as 'The Phantom', y'know.. like the way both of those movies were meant to play. Not fast, not slow, just about what it needed to tell the story and be action packed without any lull.

Oh well, I thought it was ok. Would do the same amount of business if it were released now instead of at Christmas. 9 - 11 million opening. Much better than Congo and had a very nice cameo by the master, Ray Harryhausen himself. (I think the girl that was in the original MJY was his date). That's it...

-Gold-en Eye-