Rating: 
Summary: Another good movie ryanized
Review: Joe V. Volcano begins as a compellingly dark movie: depressing, irreverant and hilarious all rolled into one. Then, just as the movie begins to take off, it makes the most successfull suicide ever seen in a hollywood movie. Meg Ryan shows up time and time again as DIFFERENT CHARACTERS. Yes, I know Meg Ryan can't act. Of course you know Ryan can't act, but for some reason, the director is so unaware of the fact that he asks her to expose her worst traits: mugging, pretending to be sad by holding a frown for a solid 8 minutes straight and diving into every happy moment with her patented syrupy googly eyed grin. You can almost hear the thoughts in her head "I am supposed to be happy in this scene." "Don't forget to laugh here because this part is supposed to be funny." If you think Meg Ryan is so cute you can forgive her and you want to see the magna cum laude of the Joey Tribbiani school of acting, this film is for you. Otherwise stay far, far away.
Rating: 
Summary: A feast for the romantic!
Review: Joe versus the Volcano is a wonderful, "fairy tale" style bit of mind candy. Tom Hanks is wonderful as the downtrodden, workaday "Joe" who finally takes control of his life. Meg Ryan is her usual sparkling self in not one, but THREE roles in the film. Her amazing personality filters through each of the three characters in different amounts, making us believe that she is all three of the characters. The film has wonderful visual treats, my favorite being the the "dancing on the trunks" scene. The soundtrack is fabulous (I've been looking for it for ages!), and the cameos by Carol Kane and Ossie Davis add a marvelous dimension to the film. If you haven't seen the film and want to be surprised, don't read further- just buy it!!! Joe is an everyday guy with a healthy dose of hypochondria. His doctor convinces him that he has a "brain cloud" that will prove fatal in the near future. As a result, he is convinced to jump into the volcano of a south seas island - he gets a little adventure (first class) and the requisite evil guy gets the mineral rights to the island. From the first moment Joe is told he has a "brain cloud", several things happen. The audience keeps thinking "BRAIN CLOUD - GET A SECOND OPINION!", and faced with his imminent demise, Joe finally finds his backbone during the ensuing adventures. Meg Ryan's characters include a shrinking violet in his office, and twin daughters of the "evil guy" who assist him in his journey. The ending is all that you would expect from a fairy tale, but to tell more would ruin your fun! It's a wonderfully fun adventure, replete with visual treats including a sea voyage, a tropical island (Tom Hanks in a tux on the island is NO slouch!!!), and Orange Soda! Great fun - they waited too long to release this film!!! (VIDEO VERSION - Can't WAIT to get my hands on the DVD!!!)
Rating:
Summary: One of the Best
Review: Joe vs the Volcano is deceptive - on the surface an off-beat romantic comedy with the ever winning Hanks/Ryan combo. From another perspective it runs very deep. It is about life, dreams, and living life to the fullest without concern for the fears that bind most people. Still, for its deep message, it is wonderfully intertaining. Meg Ryan is great - three distinctively different characters. This is a movie well worth the buy. You'll watch it 100 times and get something new from it each time you see it. Buy it, you'll love it.
Rating:
Summary: An Underrated Comedy That Is Actually Interesting and Smart!
Review: I had heard that Joe Versus the Volcano was a flop, so I was hesitant to watch it. But I figured what they hey, sat down, and pleasantly surprised myself. This was a very smart and intelligent film. It wasn't that funny, but it was definitely cute. One of the best scenes was when Patricia and Joe are out in the middle of nowhere after the storm ruins their ship, and Patricia is just lying there unconcious while Joe plays golf and sings and does all sorts of stuff. Of the three characters Meg Ryan plays, Patricia is by far the best. Not because she has it all together, she doesn't. Her character isn't physically drawbacking like the other two, but emotionally she hurts. This fits into the story in a very interesting way, and at the end it all comes together perfectly.The acting is excellent and belivable and almost everyone could identify with Joe at at least one point in their lives. It's a very cute film, and next time I won't judge a movie by its cover. 5 stars.
Rating:
Summary: A leap of faith.
Review: Most people will recognize their work place and co-workers here. The single flower trying to survive at the beginning is impressive. There is appropriate music and three Megs. The cast lineup was perfect for the part. There is not a dull moment and everything is relative to the message. My favorite Scene is where Joe purchases luggage. I would like to find that store. Luggage Salesman: This is our premier steamer trunk, it's all-handmade, only the finest materials. It's even watertight, tight as a drum. If I had the need, and the wherewithal, Mr. Banks, this would be my trunk of choice. Joe Banks: I'll take four of them. Luggage Salesman: May you live to be a thousand years old, sir. Right after that I would pick the moon on the ocean scene. Get out your orange soda sit on your trunks and watch.
Rating:
Summary: Did Leonard Maltin watch this movie?
Review: I would have to say that he didn't show up for the screening. Had he indeed done the job instead of just getting the job, we would be reading a sterling and exciting review of one of the best modern message movies of our time. It is really true, many are satisfied with "getting the job" and the paycheck resulting. It seems that all to few actually "do the job" and earn that paycheck. How could he have missed the first spoken line of the movie? How could he have missed the importance of it based on it's repetition? The only way is to have not watched the movie. But then, "it is always going to be something with you, isn't it," Leanoard?
Rating:
Summary: An underrated classic
Review: One of my all-time favorite movies, well-written, well-cast, and wonderfully acted. Meg Ryan plays at least 3 roles, Dan Hedaya is brilliant, Lloyd Bridges' cameo is nice, and Tom Hanks is as good as he's ever been. A magical, moving story, with a message we should all take to heart. Joe Banks' workplace at the beginning of the movie is a lot closer to reality for most people than we would like to acknowledge. The scene with the full moon rising over the Pacific makes me cry no matter how many times I see it. At once serious and silly, it's a shame that this movie has been overlooked and underappreciated - I want it on DVD!!!
Rating:
Summary: Pure Metaphor for Life at it's worst and it's best
Review: Joe Versus the Volcano is the quintessential metaphor of life and internal growth. It's also a visual path to living life to it's fullest, and is especially poignant for anyone whose faced fear and depression head-on. From the opening song, "I sold my soul to the company store", your a passenger on Joe's journey out of dispair and into a life fully lived. His life, as he says, has been a "jagged path" and the imagery of that hard path appears time and again thoughout the film. Meg Ryan plays three differant characters in the film, and as Tom Hanks' Joe develops through the film, He meets versions of Meg Ryan, each more developed than the last. Each time they meet, he tells her, "The first time I saw you, I felt like I'd met you before."
The film touches on being "soul-sick", finding your soul-mate, opening your heart (the imagery of unclenching a fist is also repeated throughout the film, and loving life.
The most memorable line in the film to me: Meg Ryan-"Most people sleep walk through life,but a few are truly aware, and live in a constant state of Awe"
It's one of the few movies I've ever seen where the character really develop. At the end of the movie, they're not the same people they were at the beginning. It's a great movie, no matter what Leonard Maltin says.
Rating:
Summary: I thought I was alone in my love for this wonderful movie!
Review: It's been so gratifying to see how many others really do get Joe vs. the Volcano--I thought I was the only one. Two nights ago my husband and I watched a Tom Hanks Biography on A&E, and they cited this as one of his worst movies. It just made me so sad, and I told my husbannd I must be the only person on the planet who truly appreciated this movie and understood what it was all about. Then today, looking for it on DVD (where is it??) I found all these great reviews, and my hope for humankind is restored! Maybe you just have to be intellectual to love this movie. So if you are, check it out and enjoy!
Rating: 
Summary: Fun but not great
Review: An offbeat comedy that is entertaining even if it is a little silly and sometimes hard to follow. I did enjoy it the second time I watched it, so I wouldn't say it's boring, but it is certainly far from being a great film. The action and plot are a little jumpy and it doesn't flow that well. The talent is good and being that is is fun to watch I give it a mild recommendation.
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