|
Review by Susan Granger
1½ stars out of 4
Director Ron Underwood's remake of RKO's adventure about an
awesome ape is the least-likely-to-succeed of the Christmas
movies. The story begins as evil poachers kill a mountain gorilla
mother and the scientist (Linda Purl) who's been photographing
her. Watching the brutal carnage of their respective mothers, a baby
gorilla and little girl cling to one another. Skip ahead 12 years and
the gorilla's grown to 15 feet in height, due to a rare, recessive
giantism gene, and the girl's become Charlize Theron. They're
playmates, living idyllic splendor until they're discovered by a
zoologist, Bill Paxton, whose greedy cohorts realize there's profit in
capturing the beast. Paxton convinces Theron that the only safe place
for "Joe" is a wildlife refuge in Los Angeles, where he's taunted into
a frenzy by the same poachers who killed his mother. Everyone is out
to kill poor, gentle Joe except the few people who care about
him. Tracing the reasoning behind this remake leads to producer Ted
Hartley, who bought RKO's film library with his wife, actress and
Post-cereal heiress Dina Merrill, who can be glimpsed briefly in a red
gown at a fund-raising gala, screaming, "Oh, my God!" Ray Harryhausen
and Terry Moore (from the '49 film) do a cameo too. The best part of
"Mighty Joe" is Rick Baker's stunning gorilla, a big, hydraulic
creation that's even better than his "Gorillas in the Mist" work. The
worst part is the dumb, cliche-driven script. Bill Paxton looks as if
he's still watching over-his-shoulder for a "Twister," while Charlize
Theron is terminally perky, even when she's tunelessly crooning a
lullaby. On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, "Mighty Joe Young" is
a family-oriented 4. Another "Godzilla."
Copyright © 2000 Susan Granger
|
