Amazon.com
Joe Versus the Volcano is a true early-1990s cult film. This fantasy-comedy was the first pairing of Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks, yet it polarizes viewers like a Blue Velvet or Happiness. As the only directorial effort from John Patrick Shanley (the Oscar-winning writer of Moonstruck), it is something special, and it’s hard to resist the film’s feather-light heart tugging. Joe Banks is having the life sucked out of him at a dead-end job. Miserable in his gray surroundings with st… More >>
#1 by Matteo on March 18, 2010 - 5:45 pm
WOW! Another movie with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan in which they have the exact same conflict as they did in “Sleeples in Seattle”. There was no point in making another “Sleepless” with a different location. I hated this movie. Don’t see it if you have already seen “Sleepless in Seattle”, it’s a waste.
Rating: 1 / 5
#2 by Jamie C. Cinotto on March 18, 2010 - 8:08 pm
This is absolutely the worst movie I have ever seen. It deserves no stars, but this rating system won’t allow me to give it less than one star.
Rating: 1 / 5
#3 by Anonymous on March 18, 2010 - 11:02 pm
In school my english teacher forced my class to watch this movie. No one liked the movie, even after we analyzed it. If you sit back and take in everything in the movie you will find the movie has many symbolic features in it. Pay attention to the crooked road in the beginning. That figure, the crooked road, pops up in many places like: when the lightening strikes the sailboat, on the wall of Joe’s home, and the path on the island.
But like in my title, Joe Versus the Volcano would mainly go over all of our youths’ heads. But it would also seem unusual or even like a low-budget film to those who are passive viewers.
Rating: 2 / 5
#4 by Dan Nelson on March 19, 2010 - 12:00 am
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: 1 / 5
#5 by Anonymous on March 19, 2010 - 1:07 am
This is the lamest and silliest of the Hanks/Ryan vehicles, not worthy of either of their talents.
Contrary to what one viewer said, Meg Ryan CAN act when she has decent material to work with, (I can remember when she played Betsy Stewart Andropoulos on “As the World Turns”), but this movie is NOT it. I’ve seen TV sitcoms that are better than this movie.
I think of movies with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan to be akin to old movies with Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy. Not QUITE that good, but almost. I consider these two to be this generation’s Hepburn and Tracy.
If you’re looking for a GOOD Hanks/Ryan movie, go with SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE or YOU’VE GOT MAIL instead.
If I could give JOE… 2-1/2 stars instead of three I would. Three is too generous.
Rating: 3 / 5