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Joe Versus the Volcano

Joe Versus the Volcano

Comedy · Romance · Adventure · 1990

Hypochondriac Joe Banks finds out he has six months to live, quits his dead end job, musters the courage to ask his co-worker out on a date, and is then hired to jump into a volcano by a mysterious visitor.

Movie details

Joe Versus the Volcano

“An average Joe. An adventurous comedy.”

1990 Comedy · Romance · Adventure 1h 42m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

5.8 / 10

Community rating

Hypochondriac Joe Banks finds out he has six months to live, quits his dead end job, musters the courage to ask his co-worker out on a date, and is then hired to jump into a volcano by a mysterious visitor.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Joe Versus the Volcano?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

John Patrick Shanley

Written by

John Patrick Shanley

Tom Hanks

Tom Hanks

Joe Banks

Meg Ryan

Meg Ryan

DeDe / Angelica / Patricia Graynamore

Lloyd Bridges

Lloyd Bridges

Samuel Harvey Graynamore

Dan Hedaya

Dan Hedaya

Frank Waturi

Ossie Davis

Ossie Davis

Marshall

Barry McGovern

Barry McGovern

Luggage Salesman

Robert Stack

Robert Stack

Dr. Ellison

Court is in session

Put Joe Versus the Volcano on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Popcorn Loyalist

“Sincerity is not manipulation.”

The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.

The prosecution The Cool Ironist

“The strings are showing.”

Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.