Mighty Joe Young: A big-screen ape to put Kong to shame

You can reach out and touch him.

The first factor that makes Joe so incredible is his tangibility. Whether he’s a guy in a suit or a giant, exquisitely detailed animatronic, he’s actually in front of the camera. There’s really something there. You don’t have to worry about rendering the textures or animating the little things, such as his hair or the moisture in his eyes and mouth. Moreover, when the actors touch it, there’s not that disconnect where you have to design and animate what they’re touching.

Joe is built with enough care that you don’t need any of that. The hair, skin, muscles, and other aspects don’t have to be individually created and animated in a computer because they’re already on film.

The attention to even the most miniscule feature makes him look like an immaculate model, and his movements don’t compromise that detail. Rather, they add a fluidity that hammers him home as a living being. It sounds so simple on paper. But you’d be surprised how many CG creatures drop the ball in this area.

Because Joe is so well-constructed and executed through practical effects, he’s not going to look outdated with time. Even the best CG characters tend to get less spectacular in hindsight due to textures/movements not measuring up to modern standards. It doesn’t help that the filmmakers are often proud enough to show these creatures in broad daylight, thereby making the flaws more noticeable.

Joe, on the other hand, still appears pristine. He’s only a digital gorilla in some of the wide shots where he’s climbing or running. Even they still hold up because most of them are in the dark. For the majority of the time, however, he’s a physical presence in the scene. CGI has never quite been able to replicate that, and the illusion only fades with time. Unlike Kong or Caesar, Joe will still look as good in another 22 years as he does now.