Mighty Joe Young

Mighty Joe Young is a 1998 American epic adventure film based on the 1949 film of the same name about a giant mountain gorilla brought to a wildlife preserve in Los Angeles by a young woman who raised him, and a zoologist, to protect him from the threat of poachers until one seeks Joe out in order to take his revenge. It was directed by Ron Underwood and stars Bill Paxton, Charlize Theron, and creature suit actor John Alexander as the title character. In this version, the ape is much larger than in the original. The film received mixed reviews and grossed $50.6 million in the United States against a production budget of $90 million. Plot As a child, Jill Young and her mother, Ruth Young, a primatologist, observe and study mountain gorillas in the Pangani Mountains in Central Africa, including an infant gorilla whom Jill names Joe and his mother. One evening, a group of poachers led by Andrei Strasser storm the mountains and Kweli, Ruth's friend, alerts her to the men as she is putting Jill to bed. Ruth heads into the mountains, and Jill follows shortly afterward. Strasser shoots and kills both Joe and Jill's mothers and when he tries to capture Joe, he bites off his trigger finger and thumb, causing him to swear revenge on the little gorilla. Before Ruth dies, she has Jill promise to protect Joe. Twelve years later, Joe has now grown to a height of tall and weighing . As a result, other gorillas will not accept him and he is still vulnerable to poachers. Gregg O'Hara, a wildlife refuge director working at an animal conservatory in Los Angeles convinces Jill that they would be safer if they relocated there.