Rating: 
Summary: A beautiful film - one of my favorites
Review: Joe hates his life (for good reason) and its only until a life threatening illness happens that he confronts and faces his fears and is willing to live the life he only dreams of. Meg Ryan is great in all her roles and Tom Hanks is flawless. This movie has many different levels to it - light comedy, fantasy, fairly tale but ultimately its a story of a man who needs to look inside to find the answers to his questions and affect others.Scene of Joe in the hotel with "blue moon" playing in the background as well as the scene in the restaurant when Joe dates the "first" Meg are my favorite. Would love a soundtrack but could never find one.
Rating:
Summary: Watch this movie with an open heart and a sense of gratitude
Review: For those who watch movies on the surface to be merely entertained, and not with their hearts and souls to be nourished...they will miss the spiritual richness and brilliant symbolisms in this fable. It is a story of how one who has become "soul sick" can let go of their fears and jump into life. At the start of the movie, holding his shoe, Joe (Tom Hanks) dully explains he is "losing his sole". After being released from his nagging fear of life when he receives word that he has a terminal "brain cloud", he begins to regain his life, his soul, and his awe. When Joe stands on his "raft" and raises his arms to the full moon and says "dear God, whose name i do not know, thank you for my life, I forgot how big!", i dare you not to get goosebumps. Meg Ryan brilliantly plays three increasingly alive characters, the last of which is a soul mate for Joe, and is also poised to let go of fear and take a leap into life. The island of Waponi Woo is a bit silly but it can be forgiven. Some of the lines in this movie are priceless gems. Tom & Meg have not matched this magic in their subsequent pairings. This is the best fable since "The Point". My only regret is there is no soundtrack CD...i love the song made for this movie, while the credits roll at the end.
Rating:
Summary: My favorite movie of all time.
Review: I hope this movie goes down in history as one of the modern fairytales of our time. It even starts "Once upon a time..." I think the hidden imagery in this movie, (the company symbol is also the shape of the lightning bolt that destroys the ship, and the trail of death to the volcano) and the word play (Tom Hanks, looking at his broken shoe, declares, "I think I'm losing my soul") is what keeps me coming back. It all ties together so nicely. One of my favorite parts is where Joe learns he's dying, and standing outside trying to fathom this, he hugs a passing woman and the giant dog she's walking. The music makes this scene. I'd love to find the soundtrack. There are some great movies in my top ten list, but "Joe" will always be number one.
Rating: 
Summary: This was awful Cinema
Review: I never thought I'd say this but Tom Hanks really blew this one! This has to be the most stupid movie I've ever seen. I mean, what's the point of this? It isn't good comedy, it isn't good fantasy, in a nutshell this movie is trash! I'm sure this is the only negative review of this movie but a guy has to speak out if only to save somebody 2 hours of complete boredom. If you only have 2 hours left to live, watch this movie; it will seem like 2 lifetimes! I gave it one star only because I couldn't give it zero!
Rating:
Summary: Loser and hypochondriac finds redemption
Review: Wonderful, sweet fairy tale about a hypochondriac who believes he is dying. Sure it's pretty silly at times (not slapstick) and you MUST be able to suspend your disbelief. Nevertheless, this is a story filled with unforgetable images and a sense of infinite possibilities. One of my favorite movies of all time! It is wonderful that other people find it such a terrific flic also (I had never met another person who liked this movie as much as I do)!
Rating:
Summary: A classic comedy, with a twist of romance and drama.
Review: Joe was a must-see, the beginning shows a young man unhappy with life, work, love, everything. When his life is changed by 'brain-cloud' he begins to see life differently, and this roller coaster ride with unexpected twists and turns is a don't miss!
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful movie for anyone who needs a closer look inside.
Review: I first saw this movie almost ten years ago and I tell ya, I've probably seen it once every month or so since then! This is just one of those movies you can't and shouldn't watch just once. It's very sweet outside is just the begining of a lifelong treat inside. Whenever I'm feeling down and I just need a pick-me-up, this movie works! It starts off with Joe and his very lousy job... (man can we all relate to that) and then somewhere mixed in all the magic chemistry of Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan... Joe and one of Meg's many characters turns the whole experience bright! Trust me, this movie makes you feel good! What more could you ask for in a film? An absolute treasure.
Rating:
Summary: The universal appeal of "you jump, I jump" romanticism
Review: As far as I know, the "you jump, I jump" sequence was first introduced in Jin Yong's kungfu classic The Condor Knight in the 1960s. This novel, popular in the Far East but almost unknown in the West, was brought to the screen at least twice. As I watched The Condor Knight, then Joe vs The Volcano, then Titanic, the effect of this romanticism remained the same. The sight of two star-crossed lovers (Gu Tian-lac and Li Rouh-dong, Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, Leonardo Di Caprio and Kate Winslet) did bring tears to my eyes, even though I am a man and well aware that this is too romantic to be true. Sometimes I wondered, am I a hopeless romantic in this businesslike world? I bought Joe vs The Volcano simply because I am a Meg Ryan fan. To my delight, this film turned out better than I had anticipated. The acting is good, the story and the dialogue are meaningful and thought-provoking. Meg Ryan was as naturally charming as ever; she and Tom Hanks looked so right for each other on the screen, just like Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman. No wonder they kept anchanting the world with their subsequent movies, Sleepless and Seattle and You've Got Mail.
Rating:
Summary: This is a GREAT movie!
Review: Classic Ryan/Hanks chemistry. Dead-end job depicted with only too much reality and lost souls portrayed only too well. Perhaps the best scene in the movie, and perhaps of many movies, is Ryan's soliloquy on the yacht where she apologizes for her earlier mean behavior toward Hanks and describes herself and her sister as "soul sick". How can that not resonate in today's world? I loved it. Now, if I can only find out if the sound track exists and where it could be obtained, I'd be satisfied. If anyone knows, send me a note! Discount the gratuitous silliness in some parts of this film and let the really good parts help alleviate some of your own soul sickness. It's almost as good as chicken soup.
Rating:
Summary: For those who feel they are losing their souls.
Review: This is a surprisingly well done film of self discovery. It is charming and funny as it follows the average Joe through the doldrums of everyday life toward a romantic adventure on the Pacific. Watch for repeated symbols as Joe identifies his fears and over comes them. This movie is flawless and never loses it's wonder. Joe Vs. the Volcano is the world's most underated movie. It is a true work of art.
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