Joe Versus The Volcano
"A funny, endearing fable. Witty and beautiful." -Sheila Benson, Los Angeles Times
Laughs erupt when Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan fall in love and fall in lava - in Joe Versus the Volcano, a stylish laughquake written and directed by Moonstruck Academy Award® winner John Patrick Shanley.
This first teaming of the peerless stars of Sleepless in Seattle and You've Got Mail follows the follies of a stressed-out guy (Hanks) in a dead-end job who is told he has a terminal "brain cloud." A zany jillionaire (Lloyd Bridges) then makes him an offer that gives him a fleeting taste of the good life. In exchange, he must journey to a Pacific island and leap into a volcano. Is Joe doomed to be the last of the red hot lovers? Not if the forces of imagination, romantic comedy and the charm of Ryan in three roles as the women in Joe's life have their way.
Member Reviews
Intelligent and inventively funny film, but also just plain weird - napierslogs
For lack of better words, "Joe Versus the Volcano" is a romantic comedy. But then again, it's not even close to a romantic comedy. It has none of the formulaic standard elements that all romantic comedies seem to have. It has none of the formulaic standard elements of fantasy films. It also doesn't seem to have much of the slow, dry aspects of character dramas. And yet, "Joe Versus the Volcano" is a comedic film about Joe who finds romance, mostly set in a fantasy world.
The highlight of the film is the comedy. It is laugh-out-loud funny in a very intelligent and inventive way. Tom Hanks as Joe is great at subtle comedy and Meg Ryan is great at over-the-top comedy. I enjoyed Hanks' character, an average Joe suffering from hypochondria, and I enjoyed Ryan's characters, weird at times, but ultimately cute and sweet.
Written and directed by the genius playwright John Patrick Shanley, this is his first feature film. It has his trademark dialogue with quick wit, but it's also just plain weird. It's a very simple story which he tells too slowly at times, and the ending gets way too cheesy. But then again, that's probably on purpose, which makes it funny.
If you're looking for a Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan romantic comedy which is not a romantic comedy, then "Joe Versus the Volcano" is your choice.Bizarre - rnhaas
This is a strange one, especially given the cast and producers. It's pretty endearing though. The problem is that some of the scenes really don't work very well (especially the montages). The opening (I don't agree that it's good) implies this is some kind of science fiction movie, and that's not very accurate. A better actress than Ryan would have been able to handle multiple roles a lot better; however she is totally gorgeous so you forget about that. The ending is preposterous but then so is the movie, so I don't see how we can hold that against it.Romantic comedy with depth - bandolin
A very charming romantic comedy with Meg Ryan playing 3 very different rolls. Tom Hanks plays Joe Banks, a depressed and dying hyperchondriac in a dead-end job in search of the heroic fire he once possessed as a fireman. Hanks does a wonderful job playing the sympathetic character Joe and Ryan is charming and distinctive in all 3 roles. Writer/Director John Patrick Shanley does a wonderful job blending comedy and soul searching philosophy as we see Joe evolve from victim to hero by resurrecting his own life.
Member Reviews
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Intelligent and inventively funny film, but also just plain weird - napierslogs
For lack of better words, "Joe Versus the Volcano" is a romantic comedy. But then again, it's not even close to a romantic comedy. It has none of the formulaic standard elements that all romantic comedies seem to have. It has none of the formulaic standard ...Bizarre - rnhaas
This is a strange one, especially given the cast and producers. It's pretty endearing though. The problem is that some of the scenes really don't work very well (especially the montages). The opening (I don't agree that it's good) implies this is some kind ...Romantic comedy with depth - bandolin
A very charming romantic comedy with Meg Ryan playing 3 very different rolls. Tom Hanks plays Joe Banks, a depressed and dying hyperchondriac in a dead-end job in search of the heroic fire he once possessed as a fireman. Hanks does a wonderful job playing ...