History Film / MightyJoeYoung

* LighterAndSofter: Compared to ''Film/KingKong1933''.

* FollowTheLeader: Averted by Creator/PeterJackson, who was about to start raising funds for the remake of ''Film/KingKong2005'' but held off for several years thanks to this film's release.

'''''Mighty Joe Young''''' is the name shared by a 1949 film and its 1998 remake. The original film combined live action and StopMotion animation. The designs for the animation and effects are credited to Willis O'Brien, better known for ''Film/KingKong'' (1933). In practice, much of the actual animation was completed by his protege Creator/RayHarryhausen. This was the first major film work of the younger animator. The remake used CGI animation.

* FollowTheLeader: Averted by Creator/PeterJackson, who was about to start raising funds for the remake of ''Film/KingKong'' but held off for several years thanks to this film's release.
* LighterAndSofter: Compared to Film/KingKong.

* KarmaHoudini: The men who got Joe drunk, thereby causing his rampage, escape the angered gorilla unharmed and are never shown answering for their actions.

The film was produced by RKO Radio Pictures and directed by Ernest B. Schoedsack, who is best known for co-directing ''King Kong''. The film starts somewhere in Africa. A little girl, Jill Young (Lora Lee Michel), asks her father to buy her a baby gorilla. He does so, against his better judgment. Jill names her new pet "Joe" and treats him like any other baby, feeding him milk from a bottle and singing him to sleep.

In the present day, Joe has grown into an enormous gorilla and Jill is worried about his status as a target for more poachers. She is contacted by Gregory "Gregg" O'Hara (Bill Paxton), a wildlife refuge director, who convinces her to move to the United States with Joe. Joe is a great favorite with the staff of the reserve and even attracts the attention of the press. This alerts Strasser to the current whereabouts of the gorilla. He has spent all these years blaming the creature for crippling him. He now wants revenge.

* {{Deconstruction}}: The 1998 version is arguably a deconstruction of ''King Kong''. The ape isn't an island-dwelling monster, but an otherwise normal African gorilla with extreme giantism. The female lead has more in common with Jane Goodall then the screaming damsel in distress of Kong. And when Joe finally does go on his "rampage" it's because he's confronted with the poacher that killed his mother.

* EgomaniacHunter: Strasser combined with an EvilPoacher.
* EvenEvilHasStandards: Strasser's henchman, Garth, looks genuine horrified when Strasser is about to shoot Jill in cold - blood.

* FerrisWheelOfDoom: The burning orphanage is replaced by a burning carnival in the 1998 remake. A boy, Jason, is trapped aboard the Ferris Wheel and Joe has to save him. The Wheel is on fire and about to collapse. The rescue is considered one of the most memorable scenes of the film.

* KarmaHoudini: The drunk men who got Joe drunk and caused his rampage escape the angered gorilla and are never shown answering for their actions.
* NiceHat: Strasser's hunting hat whom he wears near the climax.

* UngratefulBastard: In the original film, Joe saves one of the men how harassed him from a lion. When he runs into Gregg, Jill, and Max later on he claims that Joe tired to kill him.

!!! "Mighty Trope Young":

* RedRightHand: Andrei Strasser and his missing fingers.

The film was co-produced by RKO Pictures (a corporate successor which mostly handles old properties) and Walt Disney Pictures. The director was RonUnderwood, better known for ''Film/{{Tremors}}'' (1990) and ''Film/CitySlickers'' (1991). The film established a new back story for Joe and Jill. As a little girl, Jill Young (CharlizeTheron) witnessed the death of her mother (a zoologist) and a female gorilla at the hands of {{Evil Poacher}}s. Their leader Andrei Strasser (Rade Serbedzija) loses two fingers in the process and has to retreat to get medical help. An orphaned baby gorilla is left in the care of Jill. She names him "Joe" and raises him.

* FakeNationality: In both versions, Jill Young was born and raised in Africa. Terry Moore was born in Glendale, California. At least Charlize Theron is South African. Creator/NaveenAndrews plays Pindi, an African, in the 1998 remake. Andrews is a British Indian from London.

The scene shifts to twelve years later. Max O'Hara (Robert Armstrong), a theatrical impresario, is preparing to have a safari in Africa. He plans to collect animals to use for his next project, an exotic Hollywood nightclub. He is need of a decent animal handler. He hires Gregg Johnson (Ben Johnson), a rodeo roper. He is the first of several [[{{Cowboy}} cowboys]] hired by Max, who figures he could give a western theme to his nightclub. Weeks later, their expedition unknowingly enters the lands owned by the Young family. An enraged Joe is there to meet them and defend his territory. The baby has grown into an enormous ape. He is followed by a furious Jill (TerryMoore), now [[SheIsAllGrownUp All Grown Up]]. Max manages to calm her down and later convinces her to join him in Hollywood. She and Joe are to become the headliners at his Golden Safari nightclub.

The film was co-produced by RKO Pictures (a corporate successor which mostly handles old properties) and Walt Disney Pictures. The director was RonUnderwood, better known for ''{{Tremors}}'' (1990) and ''CitySlickers'' (1991). The film established a new back story for Joe and Jill. As a little girl, Jill Young (CharlizeTheron) witnessed the death of her mother (a zoologist) and a female gorilla at the hands of [[EvilPoacher Evil Poachers]]. Their leader Andrei Strasser (Rade Serbedzija) loses two fingers in the process and has to retreat to get medical help. An orphaned baby gorilla is left in the care of Jill. She names him "Joe" and raises him.

* BullyingADragon: The original film has a trio of drunkards give the titular giant gorilla alcohol -- enough to inebriate him. This clears them out of booze and in retaliation, one of them [[TooDumbToLive burns his hand]] [[[=Jerkass=] as Joe begs for more]]. Joe then bursts out of his cage for a drunken RoaringRampageOfRevenge through a nightclub.

!!The two versions of the story provide examples of the following tropes:

* BullyingADragon: The original film has a trio of drunkards give the titular giant gorilla alcohol -- enough to inebriate him. This clears them out of booze and in retaliation, one of them [[TooDumbToLive burns his hand]] [[JerkAss as Joe begs for more]]. Joe then bursts out of his cage for a drunken RoaringRampageOfRevenge through a nightclub.

* FakeNationality: In both versions, Jill Young was born and raised in Africa. Terry Moore was born in Glendale, California. At least Charlize Theron is South African. NaveenAndrews plays Pindi, an African, in the 1998 remake. Andrews is a British Indian from London.

The film was co-produced by RKO Pictures (a corporate successor which mostly handles old properties) and Walt Disney Pictures. The director was RonUnderwood, better known for ''{{Tremors}}'' (1990) and ''CitySlickers'' (1991). The film established a new back story for Joe and Jill. As a little girl, Jill Young (CharlizeTheron) witnessed the death of her mother (a zoologist) and a female gorilla at the hands of [[EvilPoacher Evil Poachers]]. Their leader Andrei Strasser (Rade Serbedzija) looses two fingers in the process and has to retreat to get medical help. An orphaned baby gorilla is left in the care of Jill. She names him "Joe" and raises him.

* RemakeCameo: The 1998 remake featured an elderly couple played by Terry Moore (Jill Young in the 1949 original) and RayHarryhausen (who did the original's special effects).

'''''Mighty Joe Young''''' is the name shared by a 1949 film and its 1998 remake. The original film combined live action and StopMotion animation. The designs for the animation and effects are credited to Willis O'Brien, better known for ''Film/KingKong'' (1933). In practice, much of the actual animation was completed by his protege [[HarryhausenMovie Ray Harryhausen]]. This was the first major film work of the younger animator. The remake used CGI animation.

* HarryhausenMovie: The original film was the first one of them.

This film was a box office bomb. It earned an estimated an 50,632,037 dollars in the United States market and underperformed elsewhere, failing to even cover its budget. It settled at only the 44th most successful film of its year. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Special effects, but lost to ''WhatDreamsMayCome''. While some critics praised the added depth to the characters and the special effects, most complained about the rather melodramatic poacher storyline.

In the present day, Joe has grown into an enormous gorilla and Jill is worried about his status as a target for more poachers. She is contacted by Gregory "Gregg" O'Hara (Bill Paxton), a wildlife refuge director, who convinces her to move to the United States with Joe. Joe is a great favorite with the staff of the reserve and even attracts the attention of the press. This alerts Strasser to the current whereabouts of the gorilla. He has spent all these years blaming creature for crippling him. He now wants revenge.

* FollowTheLeader: Averted by PeterJackson, who was about to start raising funds for the remake of ''Film/KingKong'' but held off for several years thanks to this film's release.

While the duo debuts to great success, Jill is disturbed that her "friend" has to be caged every night. She wants to resign, but Max convinces her to wait until a replacement act could be found. Weeks later, the duo are still waiting. Jill has a new reason to be reluctant to leave -s he and Gregg have fallen for each other. At this point, a trio of drunken customers find amusement in performing animal abuse. An intoxicated Joe is sufficiently enraged to go on a rampage. While it doesn't last long, the authorities mark Joe as dangerous and sentence him to death. Jill, Gregg and Max have to co-operate to rescue him.

'''''Mighty Joe Young''''' is the name shared by a 1949 film and its 1998 remake. The original film combined live action and StopMotion animation. The designs for the animation and effects are credited to Willis O'Brien, better known for ''KingKong'' (1933). In practice, much of the actual animation was completed by his protege [[HarryhausenMovie Ray Harryhausen]]. This was the first major film work of the younger animator. The remake used CGI animation.

The film was produced by RKO Radio Pictures and directed by Ernest B. Schoedsack, who is best known for co-directing ''King Kong''. The film starts somewhere in Africa. A little girl, Jill Young (Lora Lee Michel), asks her father to buy her a baby gorilla. He does so, against his better judgment. Jill names her new pet "Joe" and treats him like any other baby, feeding him milk from a bottle and singing him to sleep.

The scene shifts to twelve years later. Max O'Hara (Robert Armstrong), a theatrical impresario, is preparing to have a safari in Africa. He plans to collect animals to use for his next project, an exotic Hollywood nightclub. He is need of a decent animal handler. He hires Gregg Johnson (Ben Johnson), a rodeo roper. He is the first of several [[{{Cowboy}} cowboys]] hired by Max, who figures he could give a western theme to his nightclub. Weeks later, their expedition unknowingly enters the lands owned by the Young family. An enraged Joe is there to meet them and defend his territory. The baby has grown into an enormous ape. He is followed by a furious Jill (TerryMoore), now [[SheIsAllGrownUp All Grown Up]]. Max manages to calm her down and later convinces her to join him in Hollywood. She and Joe are to become the headliners at his Golden Safari nightclub.

While the duo debuts to great success, Jill is disturbed that her "friend" has to be caged every night. She wants to resign, but Max convinces her to wait until a replacement act could be found. Weeks later, the duo are still waiting. Jill has a new reason to be reluctant to leave -s he and Gregg have fallen for each other. At this point, a trio of drunken customers find amusement in performing animal abuse. An intoxicated Joe is sufficiently enraged to go on a rampage. While it doesn't last long, the authorities mark Joe as dangerous and sentence him to death. Jill, Gregg and Max have to co-operate to rescue him.

The film was a commercial flop, one of several that plagued RKO under the administration of Howard Hughes (term 1948-1955). There were plans for a sequel, but these were terminated early. However, the effects were impressive for the time and the film gained an Academy Award for Special Effects. While essentially a tamer and more humorous take on ''King Kong'', the film would later find its audience on television. For decades, it was broadcast alone or with other "giant ape" films, gaining a reputation as a classic.

The film was co-produced by RKO Pictures (a corporate successor which mostly handles old properties) and Walt Disney Pictures. The director was RonUnderwood, better known for ''{{Tremors}}'' (1990) and ''CitySlickers'' (1991). The film established a new back story for Joe and Jill. As a little girl, Jill Young (CharlizeTheron) witnessed the death of her mother (a zoologist) and a female gorilla at the hands of [[EvilPoacher Evil Poachers]]. Their leader Andrei Strasser (Rade Serbedzija) looses two fingers in the process and has to retreat to get medical help. An orphaned baby gorilla is left in the care of Jill. She names him "Joe" and raises him.

In the present day, Joe has grown into an enormous gorilla and Jill is worried about his status as a target for more poachers. She is contacted by Gregory "Gregg" O'Hara (Bill Paxton), a wildlife refuge director, who convinces her to move to the United States with Joe. Joe is a great favorite with the staff of the reserve and even attracts the attention of the press. This alerts Strasser to the current whereabouts of the gorilla. He has spent all these years blaming creature for crippling him. He now wants revenge.

* {{Bullying a Dragon}}: The original film has a trio of drunkards give the titular giant gorilla alcohol -- enough to inebriate him. This clears them out of booze and in retaliation, one of them [[TooDumbToLive burns his hand]] [[JerkAss as Joe begs for more]]. Joe then bursts out of his cage for a drunken RoaringRampageOfRevenge through a nightclub.

* CruellaToAnimals: Strasser is a male version.

* EvenEvilHasStandards: Strasser's henchman, Garth, looks genuine horrified when Strasser is about to shoot Jill in cold - blood.

* FakeNationality: In both versions, Jill Young was born and raised in Africa. Terry Moore was born in Glendale, California. At least Charlize Theron is South African. NaveenAndrews plays Pindi, an African, in the 1998 remake. Andrews is a British Indian from London.

* FollowTheLeader: Averted by PeterJackson, who was about to start raising funds for the remake of ''KingKong'' but held off for several years thanks to this film's release.

* LighterAndSofter: Compared to KingKong.