It's basically 'King Kong', let's be honest.

In fairness, though, 'Mighty Joe Young' does do its own thing and it's a film I did feel entertained by. Bill Paxton (Gregg) and Charlize Theron (Jill) are two of the big reasons, they are both enjoyable in this. The effects/animatronics for the gorilla are also impressive, even when Joe is shown via people in costume (incl. Verne Troyer!) he looks decent. They did a fine job in that regard.

The premise isn't anything revolutionary, but there is certainly a fair amount of heart in there. I would've liked it more without the typical happy ending, admittedly. The music and cinematography is solid. The villains, meanwhile, are probably this production's weakest area, I never really became interested in them or their story.

Good film, all in all.