Mighty Joe Young poster & wallpaper

Ben Johnson, Denis Green, Douglas Fowley

He may only come up to King Kong's shin, but Joe makes up in heart what he lacks in size. This sweet tale of a girl and her pet/best friend, an African gorilla with the soul of a kitten, pulls on a di...( read more  read more... )fferent set of heartstrings than the giant ape classic. Robert Armstrong practically repeats his role from King Kong as a Broadway producer who lures Jill Young (Terry Moore) and Joe, an ape she raised from baby (a splendidly realized stop-motion character created by Willis O'Brien, the creator behind Kong), to New York as the star attraction at his new nightclub. Caged in a cramped basement holding cell, the unhappy Joe finally goes berserk after a trio of drunks ply him with alcohol, and the city rules him a menace. In a desperate attempt to save Joe from execution, Jill rounds up her friends and confidants (including beefy love interest Ben Johnson) for a jailbreak. This human-scale drama is more subdued than its inspiration, but the nightclub rampage remains a terrifying scene in its mad destruction; and the climax, involving a raging fire at an orphanage (have these filmmakers no shame?!), still impresses. --Sean Axmaker

Flixster Users

52% liked it

6,849 ratings

Critics

94% liked it

17 critics

PG, 1 hr. 34 min.

Directed by: Ernest B. Schoedsack

Release Date: January 1, 1949

Invite friends to see

DVD Release Date: November 22, 2005

Stats: 125 reviews

Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites
report incorrect info

Photos

Mighty Joe Young The Face of Mighty Joe Young Frank McHugh, Terry Moore, Robert Armstrong and Ben Johnson
Upload a Photo |

View All Mighty Joe Young Photos (3)

Your Rating


clear rating

Flixster Reviews (125)

  • psyclock7
    July 10, 2009
    psyclock7
    Never seen this version...but the remake with Charlize Theron is actually very good..."
  • FlyingSolo2009
    July 10, 2009
    FlyingSolo2009
    I don't have any desire to watch this movie when I have seen the more modern version.
  • mikezillatron
    March 8, 2009
    mikezillatron
    you don't have a soul if you don't like this movie.
  • SaintFrancisofAssisi
    February 16, 2009
    SaintFrancisofAssisi
    A beautiful family film.
  • NIGHTRIDER111
    September 8, 2008
    NIGHTRIDER111
    GOOD MOVIE WORTH WATCHING
  • caprijf
    July 24, 2008
    caprijf
    Leave the monkey alone
  • filmfanatic1982
    July 19, 2008
    filmfanatic1982
    Fantastic effects, great story and a terrific performance from Robert Armstrong. A vast improvement over Son Of Kong, it's easy to see why this won an Oscar for special effects.
  • 01MovieMan
    May 11, 2008
    01MovieMan
    I thought this was a good movie

View All Mighty Joe Young Reviews

Critic Reviews

No recent reviews.

View more Mighty Joe Young reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

Comments

This board looks lonely. Be the first to talk about "Mighty Joe Young" !

Post A Comment | View All Comments

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

All Rotten Tomatoes content is used under license from Rotten Tomatoes. Rotten Tomatoes, Certified Fresh, and the Tomatometer are the trademarks of Incfusion Corporation, d/b/a Rotten Tomatoes, a subsidiary of IGN Entertainment, Inc.

Cast

More Like This

Click a thumb to vote on that suggestion, or add your own suggestions.

  • King Kong
    King Kong (62%)
  • Mighty Joe Young
    Mighty Joe Young (67%)
  • King Kong
    King Kong (73%)
  • Terror Train
    Terror Train (50%)

More Movies like Mighty Joe Young

Facts

No facts approved yet. Be the first

Mighty Joe Young : Watch Free on TV

Mighty Joe Young Trivia

  • In which movie did Bill Paxton Team up with Charlize Theron to save a giant gorilla?  Answer »
  • Other then King Kong, there is another large gorilla, also featuring a blonde actress...what is this movie?  Answer »
  • name the actor~ Vertical Limit (PG-13, 2000) U-571 (PG-13, 2000) Mighty Joe Young (PG, 1998) A Simple Plan (R, 1998)  Answer »
  • Name the actress that has appeared in the following films -Mighty Joe Young- -Waking Up In Reno- -North Country- -Monster-  Answer »
More Mighty Joe Young Trivia

Movie Quizzes

No quizzes for Mighty Joe Young. Want to create one?

Video Clips

No video clips yet. Want to upload one?

Meet Other Fans

Add Mighty Joe Young to favorites

Recent News

No recent headlines. Got one?

Recent Lists

Make a List |

View All Lists

Most Popular Skin

No skins yet. Interested in creating one?