Joe Versus the Volcano

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Joe Versus the Volcano

PG

1990

1h 42m

Romance

Comedy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

65%

Tomatometer

37 Reviews

54%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

Joe Banks (Tom Hanks) is dying, apparently. This is good news, since his life was not much worth living anyway. On the upside, a strange millionaire (Lloyd Bridges) offers Joe a way to die with meaning and dignity: by hurling himself into a volcano. With plenty of spending cash and an ensemble of new luggage, Joe embarks on an absurdist journey to his demise, guided by two very disparate sisters, and trying to puzzle out the meaning of existence.

Critics Consensus

Joe Versus the Volcano erupts with plenty of screwball energy and thoughtful observations about living to the fullest, but its existential ambition may prove too goofy for some audiences.

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Jason Bailey

Flavorwire

06/23/2017

It speaks to the commercial and critical success of Shanley's 1987 hit 'Moonstruck' that he was handed, by a major studio, the resources to make a movie as unapologetically weird as this one.

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Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

01/01/2000

3.5/4

Joe Versus the Volcano achieves a kind of magnificent goofiness. Hanks and Ryan are the right actors to inhabit it, because you can never catch them going for a gag that isn't there: They inhabit the logic of this bizarre world and play by its rules.

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David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

10/16/2023

3/4

...fares best in its oddball yet engrossing first half...

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Tina Kakadelis

Beyond the Cinerama Dome

07/25/2023

Joe Versus the Volcano stands on its own, fantastical oddities are kept grounded by the inimitable duo of Hanks & Ryan. The film proudly wears its heart on its sleeve, proclaiming that this world is beautiful. It’s a terrible shame when that is forgotten

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Rene Jordan

El Nuevo Herald (Miami)

10/27/2022

A script of bad sentimental lunacy. [Full review in Spanish]

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Cory Woodroof

615 Film

06/15/2022

I now get why Roger Ebert was so obsessed with this film.

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David R

@Zenforcer Feb 2

I saw this movie when I was about 18 years old and I did not appreciate it.; I would not have given it a five star review. I'm much older now and I've lived a lot of life. This movie truly hits different. Whenever I need an emotional release, JVtV is my goto. The dog scene is everything (nothing bad happens to the dog).

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Irene M.

@igawel Nov 28

Knowing it's intended to be a satire and a fable helps. There are some laugh out loud bits but the entire thing doesn't completely hold together

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Farah R.

@Farah Nov 24

As a fan of Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan’s other two collaborations, I decided to give this one a shot. Sadly, it was nothing like Sleepless in Seattle and You’ve Got Mail. The story was nonsensical and the acting was mediocre. At least it was well shot.

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Erik B

@Atma-X Nov 17

A super stylized movie that clearly has a message to tell. Colorful and vibrant, this movie has some fever-dream moments, but overall is a heartwarming romance between two likeable characters.

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thiago s

@Thiagostone Aug 23

Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom

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Bobbie L

@RT02354575 Jul 30

This is my first ever review because I need to defend this precious gem of a film. It's one of my all time, secret, favorites. I understand the issues with it, but what it's trying to do is something you either get or don't get. For me, it's existential and spiritual, and trust me, I'm a total movie snob, so to overlook issues and give it an A tells you you gotta look deeper with this one and keep an open mind.

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John Patrick Shanley

Director

Tom Hanks

Joe

Meg Ryan

DeDe

Lloyd Bridges

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Synopsis

Joe Banks (Tom Hanks) is dying, apparently. This is good news, since his life was not much worth living anyway. On the upside, a strange millionaire (Lloyd Bridges) offers Joe a way to die with meaning and dignity: by hurling himself into a volcano. With plenty of spending cash and an ensemble of new luggage, Joe embarks on an absurdist journey to his demise, guided by two very disparate sisters, and trying to puzzle out the meaning of existence.

Director: John Patrick Shanley
Producer: Teri Schwartz
Screenwriter: John Patrick Shanley
Production Co: Warner Bros., Polyphony Digital, Amblin Entertainment
Rating: PG
Genre: Romance, Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 1, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $39.1M
Runtime: 1h 42m
Sound Mix: Surround