Rating: 
Summary: WHY ISN'T THIS ON DVD?
Review: This is one of my all-time favorite movies. It is the perfect thing to watch after a heavy day. This is the original Tom and Meg movie and ten times better than their later shmultzy romances. It is more of a silly romantic comedy. This movie just makes you feel good. Everyone will love it and if they don't then I feel sorry for them.
Rating:
Summary: A Brilliant Movie
Review: Well, it sounds like this movie has quite a following. This truly is an incredible movie. It's a crime it hasn't been released on DVD yet. I would love to see deleted scenes and the directors commentary, etc. It's funny that most people who have seen this movie hated it but those who liked it, really loved it. Is it the music? is it the symbolism? Or maybe it's the scene with the moon rise. I don't know, but I hope in years to come this movie gets the recognition it deserves.
Rating:
Summary: Surreal romantic comedy
Review: I remember seeing this film as a young college student on the silver screen...my friends and I loved it! I guess we didn't realize (at least I never did) that it was not a box-office success nor particularly loved by "professional" film critics...now that I do know that, I don't care. It was a great film that I really enjoyed.Very quirky, but very endearing also. This movie is the kind of movie that the people who made the film BRAZIL would make if they were all sitting around on the set and one of them stood up and said "I know, let's do a romantic comedy next!" As far as I know the people behind the Movie BRAZIL had nothing to do with _Joe vs. the Volcano_ of course, but for seem reason, there seems like there exists a spiritual connection between these two movies...does anyone else out there feel this way or know what I'm talking about? Anyway, it was good on the silver screen as I recall, and if I could get a decent VHS copy of it (or better yet, DVD) it might still make a good date-movie for a quiet, rainy, evening at home with someone special and lots of microwave popcorn in a big bowl...
Rating:
Summary: I didn't know other people liked this film as much as I did
Review: I recently purchased a DVD player and am starting to build a library of my favorite movies for the first time. Unfortunately, this movie isn't available as a dvd yet. In my search, I came across these user reviews. I always wondered why this film got such poor reviews, when I thought it was so great. It's nice to know that it has a following of people that "get" it. I hope that everyone involved with the film knows how much it is appreciated. It's Tom Hanks at his best, like the way that Hanks looks at the buzzing fluorescent lights in his office. It is so sad and funny at the same time.
Rating:
Summary: They don't get much better than this.
Review: Anyone who dismisses this film as one of Tom Hanks' flops has failed to comprehend its subtle elegance. The picture alternates between laugh-out-loud funny and quietly amusing with cameos that are better than almost any movie I've ever seen. Lloyd Bridges is hysterical as are Robert Stack and Abe Vigoda. All this while we are told a tale of human awakening and fulfillment that would make Ayn Rand proud. Add a killer soundtrack and a great job by John Patrick Shanely and you'll wonder how this movie could be so under-rated.
Rating:
Summary: The Ultimate Sleeper
Review: What a great movie! While a lot of critics panned it, Roger Ebert wrote a (mostly) glowing review of the movie in 1990, calling it highly original and funny. He's correct. I've owned this movie for years and have watched it countless times. Vastly underrated performances from Ryan, Hanks, Bridges & especially Ossie Davis. It's a fairy tale that adults can appreciate, full of wonderful imagery and smart dialogue. Rent it, buy it, but most importantly just see it!
Rating:
Summary: One of the most underrated movies ever
Review: "Joe Versus the Volcano" is a strange movie, but it is great. Joe Banks (Tom Hanks) isn't satisfied with his job or his life and on top of that his doctor tells him that he has a rare disease called a brain cloud and only has about 6 months left to live. A man pays him to sacrifice himself for an island. There's a tale about a small island in the Pacific Ocean that will sink if someone doesn't jump into the island's volcano after so long. The inhabitants on the island enjoy drinking tons of orange soda, and none of them are willing to jump into the volcano. Joe agrees to do it because he hasn't been satisfied with his life thus far and he wants to go out of this world like a man. The person who will sail him to the island is Meg Ryan. "Joe Versus the Volcano" was one of the first great Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks movies. I think this movie has a deeper meaning to it than most people might notice after they watch it. It has elements of many different kinds of movies such as a romantic comedy, drama, and adventure. In a way I thought the movie had a message about if you're tired of waiting for something good to turn up in your life, don't give up altogether, you'll find it one day. I recommend "Joe Versus the Volcano" to anybody who likes great movies. It's hard to see why this movie hasn't ever got the credit it deserves because it's a great movie.
Rating:
Summary: A true gem: a funny, barbed, and profound allegory
Review: Critics didn't "get" this movie, and neither do some viewers, but if you give it a try, you will be more than rewarded. You see, it's a subtle movie; a fairy-tale, not the typical hamfisted one-liner "comedy" people expect from Hollywood. This reflects a personal vision and craftsmanship rare in mainstream cinema, that of "Moonstruck" creator J. P. Shanley (writer/director) and uncompromised by the committee process of typical filmmaking. Ryan shines in a triple role (itself an allegory) and Hanks was never more personable as the Everyman Joe Banks, trapped in the deadest of deadend jobs (anyone ever stuck in a truly miserable job, with surreal surroundings and pyschopathic bosses, will relate to the opening scenes) and then told he has a "brain cloud", a terminal illness. "I'm losing my sole/soul" Joe says sadly, looking at his worn out shoes but actually reflecting on a life going down the tubes. This film is loaded with joyous ephipanies ("Most people you meet are asleep, and the ones that are awake live in a state of constant, total amazement") and significant surprise revelations, as should be the way with fairy tales. Standout performances from Lloyd Bridges, Dan Heydaya, Abe Vigoda, Ossie Davis push the story along and provide Joe with a surrounding cast of characters to help or confound him (Bridges' Trickster figure, Mr. Graynamore, is particularly delightful). As Joe makes his literal odyssey (the Quest imagery is very strong permeates this film) to the island of Waponi Woo, there to confront his destiny, we are treated to a series of funny vignettes and comedy interludes that together bring Joe to a new awareness. This dense, layered, carefully constructed and deeply spiritual movie (which is not to say it isn't funny as hell in places) has a dedicated cult following, and deservedly so. You'll find more to see and think about with each viewing.
Rating: 
Summary: Misunderstood, Poetic Fantasy
Review: Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan will be best know for "Sleepless in Seattle" and "You've Got Mail" but this is really their best work. Tom Hanks has seemingly gone through three stages as an actor. Inane, teen-oriented buffoon ("Bachelor Party", "Volunteers") to quirky, but lovable ("Big", "Joe Versus the Volcano") to serious ("Philadelphia", "Saving Private Ryan"). "Joe Versus the Volcano" represents the best of his middle career and in my opinion, his best period. In playing Joe Banks, he captures the best of silliness and seriousness in one role. He shows a much greater range of acting ability than he has in any other film. Meg Ryan is equally amazing, playing three very different roles convincingly. This is a movie I have to view over and over because each time I do, I pick something up I hadn't previously. There is a hidden story underneath the surface and its up to the viewer to discover it. This movie is a veritable tapestry of symbolism and hidden messages. Listen carefully to the dialogue, especially the speech Joe gives to his boss after he leaves his job. And try to spot how many times you see the zig-zag symbol throughout the film.
Rating:
Summary: Sad songs, moonlight and the meaning of life
Review: I try to watch this film at least once a year, because it reminds me of what is truly important in life and what are only passing sensations. I first watched it as a teenager after having been mesmerised by Tom Hanks in "Big", and at that point in time I appreciated all the quirky jokes and scenes, but was not mature enough to see deeper. On repeated viewings as an adult I kept seeing more and more meanings in the film, and its central message - don't let the economic pressures of life destroy your capacity for wonder and hope - became more and more resonant. This film together with "Big" is for me Tom Hanks's greatest and most inspiring performances. It is a hallmark of his style that he is able to move and entertain you at the same time, almost effortlessly. Although he subsequently became a very famous "serious" actor, in my opinion he was never more serious than when he played these quirky roles. Meg Ryan is equally inspired to give a great performance, though I never realised she played 3 parts until my sister told me ! The film, like all great films, has an extremely simple, you could say silly plot. But it is filled with superb, subtle comic scenes with a dazzling array of cameo appearances by the support cast. There are then a series of reflections on what life is and what it could be, with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan giving different points of view. There are some lyrical, dreamy songs in the film which fit perfectly with the introspective nature of the dialogue. The film is full of moving moments, my favourite is when Joe marooned sees the moon rising in the South Pacific for the first time, and though he faces almost certain death, all he can think of at that moment is how beautiful it is, and despite the rotten life he has been handed, thanks God for this moment. One senses all his sadness and disappointment with life being washed away by this simple vision. If perhaps you are not too happy with your job or life, and have become depressed about it, watch this film. I cannot promise it will make your troubles go away, but I think it may help you to see life differently, It certainly did for me ! In my opinion, this film ranks with the Capra classic "Its A Wonderful Life" in its resonant message of hope and courage in facing the unknown. One laughs, is moved and finally inspired - and this is what great art is about isn't it. The film also teaches you to never judge a video by its cover !
|
