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Clearly inspired by King Kong -- and in fact featuring not only a leading player (Robert Armstrong) but the same producer, director, writer and special effects director -- Mighty Joe Young does not live up to its predecessor, but it has a certain charm of its own. And while Young is clearly indebted to Kong in a big way, it at least has the sense to approach similar material with a different angle. Whereas Kong was a highly affecting and effective monster flick that also managed to engage viewers on a deep emotional level, Young is really more of a comedy, and one that, despite some violence, is aimed more at a younger audience than at adults. There are some pluses and minuses to this approach. On the plus side, Much of Young is a lot of fun, and there's a lightness to a good portion of it that is appealing. On the minus side, without a tragic sense, it comes across as rather unimportant and inconsequential. And while we do get to know our title character and develop a fondness for him, we don't have the depth of feeling for him that we do for Kong. Still, there's a lot to like, including a campy stage show sequence that provides both intentional and unintentional amusement. Terry Moore is perfectly adequate as the young girl, Robert Armstrong (repeating from Kong is fine, and Ben Johnson is a bit of a bore. But the title character himself has both charm and menace, and he's extremely well animated by reigning effects giant Willis O'Brien and future effects star Ray Harryhausen. Young is the perfect film for a rainy Saturday afternoon when one feels like watching a non-challenging, slightly giddy little monster show.