Mighty Joe Young

"Mighty Joe Young" is a 1998 American adventure film directed by Ron Underwood. Inspired by the 1949 film of the same name, it tells the story of an enormous mountain gorilla named Joe who, due to poaching, is brought to a wildlife refuge in California by Jill Young, the woman who raised him. Jill and Joe's bond is tested when the animal becomes a liability and starts to pose a threat to the public.

The film was produced by Walt Disney Pictures under their Touchstone Pictures banner. The film was certainly a feat of special effects; employing both animatronics and computer graphics to convincingly create the massive creature.

• Charlize Theron: As Jill Young. Theron's empathetic portrayal of a woman determined to save the animal she regards as family was praised by critics.
• Bill Paxton: As zoologist Gregg O'Hara. Paxton plays his character with a unique balance of professional curiosity and genuine concern.
• Rade Šerbedžija: As Andrei Strasser, the poacher antagonist. With his cunning villainy, Šerbedžija gives depth to the film's conflicts.

• The film was largely shot in and around Los Angeles, despite being set primarily in Central Africa and Southern California.
• In the film, ‘Mighty' Joe is described as an exceptionally large but otherwise normal gorilla. He was depicted as 15 feet tall, whereas actual gorillas rarely exceed 6 feet in height.

"Mighty Joe Young" was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects at the 71st Academy Awards in 1999.

• "He feels things, he understands. He's aware of change, of danger." - Jill Young.
• "You know they're just animals, don't you? They don't feel anything." - Andrei.

• The film's music and original score was composed by James Horner. With tracks like "Dedication and Windsong", and "Beautiful Joe", Horner's compositions were able to capture both the adventurous spirit as well as the emotional depth of the film.
• The title song, "Windsong", was performed by the legendary singer Mariah Carey.