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

He’s not a human in an ape’s body.

The second major element where Joe excels is in his expressions. You might think films like Peter Jackson’s King Kong or the new Planet of the Apes films have the edge here with their performance capture work. That’s indeed a pretty big advantage, and I’ve always been a proponent of such technology.

With performance capture, however, their facial movements and body language tend to look too human. It’s easy to forget that you’re supposed to be watching animals when you can see the human intelligence behind the expressions. Granted, this works for Planet of the Apes since the simians in that story are essentially becoming more human as their mental abilities increase.

The same cannot be said for Kong. Although he is meant to be a character, he’s not supposed to be a hyperintelligent ape. As such, he’s not meant to have the same emotional displays on his face as a human being.

Now, I’m not saying he has to be a blank slate like in the lackluster Lion King remake. Apes are our closest evolutionary relatives, after all. That being said, they are animals, and animals have their own means of expression.

For instance, an orangutan may contort his/her mouth to exhibit anger or joy in a far more exaggerated manner than a human. Alternatively, a chimp may bob or shake his/her head to achieve the same result. Either way, their body language is undeniably distinct from ours in several key areas.

Joe achieves this in ways Kong never could. You can see the character without going into the uncanny valley. Thanks to the brilliant animatronic, his expressions are beautifully nuanced, utilizing the eyes, mouth, and other parts of his mug to completely sell him as an organic being.

Even the smallest ticks convey a fountain of emotion and pathos. You can tell when he’s happy, sad, excited, worried, pensive, or angry. Even with all of that, though, these displays still look like animal expressions.

In the end, Joe should be more recognized than he is. You could see it as life imitating art, as he often gets the short end of the stick in his own movie. I just see it as an underrated film and an underrated character, one who deserves to be held in the same regard King Kong, Caesar, and other acclaimed apes.

Have you seen this movie? How do you think it compares to King Kong and other ape movies? Who is your favorite onscreen ape?

1998’s Mighty Joe Young is available to stream on Disney Plus. You can also buy it (and the original film) from most retail stores and platforms.