Customer Reviews

Joe Vs Volcano [VHS]

5 star:		(145)
4 star:		(31)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

The first time I watched this movie, shortly after its release, when I was a small lad, something struck me as "different" about this movie. The direction was good, the plot was VERY simple, and the acting was wonderful, with plenty of comedic and ironic elements.

However after watching it again during my high school years, I remember picking out dozens of metaphorical and symbolic items from the plot. Every evil or destructive force in Joe's life is symbolized by the company logo that the film features at the beginning, right down to the lightning bolt featured prominently later in the film. The fact that every woman important to Joe is the same girl, the lovely Meg Ryan, carries the theme of recurrence quite well.

To sum it up, Joe is an individual who has died, if not in reality, in spirit, stuck in a dead-end job after personal crises drove him to hypochondria. He discovers he is terminally ill, then is confronted by an eccentric millionare who wants Joe to sacrifice himself to a volcano on a small polynesian island to secure mining rights for his superconductor company. Joe proceeds to go on an endless stream of discovery, realizing that while he may be dying, he was never more alive. The recurring themes in this movie, such as the jagged line logo, Meg Ryan's appearance, his luggage, and the bizarre but likeable characters he's confronted with throughout make this movie seem more like a vision quest for Joe than the last few weeks of his life.

The plot is simple, but hides deeper meanings and morals, like any great fairy tale. This is possibly the best movie I have ever seen, and very worthy of purchase.

Now if they'd just put it on DVD.

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.

Tom Hanks gives one of his best comedic performances here as Joe, a hypochondriac who's led to believe he's dying from a "Brain Cloud." So he strikes a bargain in which he gives up his humdrum existence working for an artificial prosthesis factory with loud, buzzing flourescent lighting, to live a life of luxury for several weeks until he is forced to become a human sacrifice by hurling himself into a volcano to appease the gods of an island populated by orange soda drinking natives of a bizarrely comical multi-ethnicity. Somehow it all pulls together.

Meg Ryan - whom I normally cannot tolerate - here is charming in three different roles.

The great Ossie Davis has a small role as a chauffeur, and, charmer that he is, nearly walks off with the entire movie.

A delightful sleeper that passed under most people's raider. Worth a second look.

JOE VERSUS THE VOLCANO is one of my all-time favorite movies. But if you've never seen JOE, I need to warn you that most people (and I mean *most*) don't like it. In fact, most of them hate it. Indeed, many of them will tell you it's the worst movie ever made. And that's even after I've given them my big pitch about how to watch JOE to catch its brilliance. I can't even tell you that the people who hate JOE are somehow lesser human beings - many people I really admire hate this movie.

Still, I think you should see it. Think of it this way - it's like an easy personality test. Instead of answering twenty questions to find out whether you're a Type A personality or a Type B personality, you can just watch JOE VERSUS THE VOLCANO. Right away, you'll know if you are a pro-Joe or an anti-Joe. I figure you can't lose either way.

If you're an anti-Joe, you'll be in the clear majority. You and all the other anti-Joes can get together and roll your eyes about this ridiculous movie with its lame orange-soda jokes and stupid plastic sharks. At the worst, you'll be able to say you saw Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks in the movie before they got the chemistry "right" in SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE.

On the other hand, the gods might smile upon you and you might find yourself among the small but happy band of pro-Joes. It's like being in a secret society! When you find one of those precious few pro-Joes, you can mutually bask in the glow of having enjoyed this amazing fable of spiritual awakening. You can argue with one another about whether the best part of the movie is the opening sequence of Joe's really lousy job; or his diagnosis with a brain cloud; or Lloyd Bridges' over-the-top performance as Mr. Graynamore (Gray No More, get it?) the man who hires Joe to jump into the volcano; or Ozzie Davis' memorable chauffeur; or the LUGGAGE SCENE; or (my personal vote) the scene where Joe falls to his knees before the giant rising moon and says "Dear God, whose name I do not know. Thank you for my life. I forgot how BIG!" You'll marvel at the richness of the screenplay in which it seems every line is laden with meaning. You'll find yourself watching the film over and over and over again, finding new details hidden within each scene. Just read the many five-star reviews below to get a feel for the richness that awaits you if you turn out to be a pro-Joe.

If you are already a pro-Joe and you are wandering through this review wondering whether or not you should get the DVD, the answer is obvious. Since you're a pro-Joe, your videotape is going to wear out pretty soon anyway, right? Plus, you'll want to have the widescreen version. There are a few minor extras (a brief interview piece; a music video; a preview) - but those are just bonuses. The main thing is that you'll have a copy of JOE that will last you a lifetime!

The problem, if you can call it a problem, with Joe Versus the Volcano, is that that it is not your typical movie. This movie is more akin to Shakespeare than it is to movies like Mission Impossible or You've Got Mail. The main Character, Joe, is your common Everyman character and he goes on a quest to find the meaning to life (in many respects). He travels a long time along a crooked road to come to the realization that life is huge and more incredible than we are aware of in our everyday lives. This simple movie contains all the knowledge that is important. "There are some doors you just have to go through alone", "the whole world is asleep, exept for a very few, and they spend there life being constantly amazed." There is so much wisdom and humanity in this movie that everyone should watch it. It is a fable for modern man. Some people claim that this is Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan's biggest failuer as a movie, but I have faith that time and history will regard this movie as one of the greatest and most enduring tales of all times. If you want to come to a better understanding of what it is to be alive and human, then WATCH THIS MOVIE. You won't be disappoited.

Critics didn't "get" this movie, and neither do some viewers, but if you give it a try, you may 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.

Joe v the Volcano is, in my opinion, the best movie ever made. The storyline is simple yet deeply symbolic. The film doubles as wonderful comedy and excellent drama. It is a warning to us all to live the lives given to us.

Many people miss the depth of Joe Versus the Volcano for its silly exterior, but those who look below the surface can find an amazing well of social commentary, contemplative introspection, and personal encouragement. How many of us truly live until faced with our own mortality? Joe Banks has a lesson for us all: don't let your circumstances rise above you; you rise above your circumstances.

It is not until Joe finds a cause larger than himself that he is able to brave the risk of emotional involvement, the waves of the sea, and the certain death of the volcano. The oppression that follows him from his job to his home to the sea to the island of Waponi Woo cannot keep him from fulfilling the duty he has taken on to serve others in spite of his own well being. We can all follow in his footsteps as he acts on his doctor's advice: "You have six months of perfect health left. My advice to you is 'live it well.'"

In all, Joe Versus the Volcano is a piece of art crafted with the best of materials. Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, Lloyd Bridges, Robert Stack, Abe Vigoda, and others give this exquisite story a cast worth watching. It truly is the best movie ever made.

Being anything but a big budget movie "Joe vs the volcano" with its' theatrical effects (it's like watching a stageplay at times, for example the "lost at sea"-scenario, and some of the shots of the town) -in fact it's a bit tricky to explain the movie, difficult to categorize it being some kind of a peculiar witty fablish drama. I find the soundtrack of the movie beautiful and haunting with its' fabolous main theme, but in fact I have no idea if it was intended to have that effect, giving a melancolich-feel (half sad, half dreamy). This story being as unrealistic and (as mentioned) "fablish" as it may be, well, I still can't help taking it serious based on the fact that the story is containing the deepest emotions around the tragedy of loneliness in the characters we get introduced here to. The movie is full of personality and charm. But this including also the despair (this is about a man who is lost in life) -and the lead character (Joe) first learns to appreciate his life when he is told he has only six months left to live. he becomes the young man he used to be "full of piss and vinegar" as he himself says it. He somehow wakes from a nightmarish state of mind, and to be frankly of the US. Some traumatic events working as a fireman in his past made him become a worried and hypocondriac (correct spelled?) man until this.

The movie and the story being so different, gripping in its' "surrealness" -and so well acted by the entire cast is what makes it so great!

As you might have realized I find it far more than being just a peculiar comedy, it takes you out of the dark and tells us there is far more to this life, this world, than the machineries of mankind, the buildings and the work. There is more to life than all this, and it's out there, and it shouldn't go to waste. The beauty of this movie lies in the dialogue between the people that meet for real, and also in the nature around them (the ocean and the stars), characteristic and amazing filming to capture all this, it's like watching a dream at times.

A fantastic, and different movie-experience; One of my absolute favorites! Not like anything else I've ever seen!

I would just like to say, that after forty something years of watching movies, this one has touched me more than just about any other. To those who don't like it, I say, get a heart. This movie is a lot deeper than it appears. If you just are looking for a straight comedy, then shop elsewhere. If you truly want to see one of the greatest movies ever made, check it out. The characters are great (all of them), the screenplay is fantastic, the visuals are stunning, and the acting is suberb. It is a movie that needs to be watched at least five times to really get it. I have watched it at least 20 times, and get more each time.

This is either a movie that you love and laugh your a** off during, or you think it is one of the worse films ever made--not worth seeing once, let alone repeated viewings. Well, I've seen it many times and just love it, as it never fails to make me laugh. I also see all kinds of rather profound and deep stuff hidden in this quirky story. There are lots of interesting details that probably go over the head of the majority of viewers. Oh well. 'BRAIN CLOUD'! It's like the movie exists in it's own particular space of understanding, and you have to be within that same sphere to 'get it'. Apparently, not many people are, as it appears this movie was a big flop at the box office and was universally panned by the critics. In my opinion, that alone makes it worth going out of your way to see!

One of my favorite scenes is in the openning scenes with Mr. Waturi. "I know he can get the job, but can he DO the job?" Haven't we all had a moronic boss like that, repeating himself ad nauseum, talking incessantly on the phone to make himself feel important? He's absolutely perfect in that role. "I'm not arguing that with you!!!", he screams repeatedly. He's actually an archetype of a very real phenomena in the everyday workplace. There really are people just like him out there! In fact, most all the characters in this movie are unabashed character exagerrations. The humor in it is such that it is the kind you either 'get' or you don't 'get'. One time, at a family gathering I brought a video of the movie over, excited to share it with all of them after dinner. Well, before it got 30 minutes into the film, one by one they all excused themselves from the room! Nobody else laughed! Not even once! (Except for me of course, who was rolling on the floor). Go figure!

The film has has a great cast: Meg Ryan plays (very convincingly) the parts of the three main female roles wonderfully. Tom Hanks plays his usual lovable self as 'Joe Banks' who has a pragmatic death wish. Lloyd Bridges plays the billionaire Greyamore, with his duck headed walking stick as he smashes it into walls. Just beautiful! Mr. Waturi is an absolute piece of work, and that demented luggage salesman, whoever he is, is a classic among all movie characters! The look in this guy's beady, slightly cross-eyed face as he say's, "Ah, a real.... Journey!" (hands rubbing in anticipation of the outrageous commission) is worth the price of admission alone.

Quirky details: 'Jump' orange soda! Gotta love it! "I've forgotten how 'BIG'!" Throughout the movie, there are repeated symbols popping up. Like the logo of the disgusting 'Acme' company Joe works for. ("50 years of petrolium jelly"). The movie opens with Joe and his coworkers trudging along this crooked walkway (to the tune of Tennessee Ernie Ford's 'I owe my soul to the company store') shaped in the symbol of a lightening bolt which we later notice is the company logo. Of course, this ill-conceived pathway makes the workers walk about 5 times more distance than would otherwise be necessary if it were an efficient design, but that's the corporate world for you! Interestingly, we see this same symbol repeated in other scenes and contexts throughout the film, like the march up the volcano with tourches at night. Clever! Not only is movie funny, but there are lots of layers to it. It's revealing of human nature, of the dichotomy of the 'artificial' and the 'real' and also has moments that are quite serious and touching in the depth of the underlying message. One such moment is at one point when Joe is close to death after the shipwreck on the ocean, in his weakness he is awakened to a spiritual realization of the preciousness and enormity of life. There is alot of very profound meaning that underscores the quirky comedy in this film. Therein lies it's real brilliance.

This really is an 'odd duck' of a movie, as it doesn't really know if it's a satire, a comedy, an offbeat drama, or what. But that's precisely why I think it's great and why it works. Highly recommended for repeat viewings.