Mighty Joe Young (1998)

A young woman (Charlize Theron) has raised a young gorilla since he was orphaned. Both the girl's mother (Linda Purl) and the ape's mother killed by the same poacher (Rade Serbedzija). But the gorilla has grown abnormally large and his natural habitat becomes less safe for him. To protect him, the girl accepts an offer from a wildlife refuge director (Bill Paxton) to house the ape in Southern California. Based on the 1949 film of the same name and directed by Ron Underwood. This remake is a mixed bag. On the positive side, this Joe Young is an expressive marvel. He may lack the wonder of the 1949 Joe (Ray Harryhausen was among his co-creators) but he's immensely likable. Charlize Theron does a wonderful job, you can really believe that her love and concern for Joe is genuine. On the downside, there's the unappealing Bill Paxton, two cardboard villains (in addition to Serbedzija, there's Peter Firth) and an excess of dumb humor. The film tries too hard to be "now". When Joe goes on a rampage and everyone else is fleeing in terror, we get teens watching on the sidelines and saying, "How cool!" and "Go, Joe!". As if ..... With Terry Moore (the star of the original 1949 film), Dina Merrill (the producer's wife), David Paymer, Regina King, Lawrence Pressman and Naveen Andrews.