Joe is a smart and friendly fifteen foot gorilla who has grown up with his best friend Jill Young (Charlize Theron) in the remote mountains of Central Africa. But Joe's peaceful life is disturbed by the arrival of poachers and it is up to Jill and zoologist Gregg O'Hara (Bill Paxton) to rescue their ape friend. Joe is moved to California where he is safely placed within an animal conservatory. But his reputation has spread across the globe and now that his anonymity has disappeared, how long can he stay safe from bloodthirsty hunters?