Amazon.com video review:
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 John Patrick Shanley's (the Oscar-winning
writer of Moonstruck) only directorial effort, 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 stark fluorescent
lighting, Joe dreams of being brave again. A visit to the doctor
reveals that he has a "brain cloud." It's fatal, but he'll be fine for
a few more months. An eccentric millionaire, Samuel Harvey Graynamore
(Lloyd Bridges), hears of Joe's predicament and comes to him with a
proposal: The people of the Pacific island of Waponi Woo need a human
sacrifice to appease their gods. Why not live like a king for a few
weeks, then throw yourself into a volcano? (Graynamore needs a
sacrificial victim to offer in exchange for permission to mine the
island for a rare mineral.) Joe accepts Graynamore's lavish proposal
and on his journey meets three romantic possibilities (all played by
Ryan).
Joe embraces life; so does the movie. It's packed with smile-inducing
supporting performances by Bridges, Ossie Davis, Robert Stack, and Dan
Hedaya, playful songs ("Sixteen Tons," "Ol' Man River," Presley's
version of "Blue Moon"), and amusing scenes (such as Joe buying
luggage). Add Bo Welch's (Edward Scissorhands) daring,
imaginative production design, Hanks and Ryan's chemistry, and Georges
Delerue's romantic music and you have a film to fall for. --Doug
Thomas
