Joe Versus the Volcano

Directed by John Patrick Shanley, Joe Versus the Volcano follows Tom Hanks’ title character as he agrees to fling himself into a volcano after receiving a terminal prognosis from his doctor (Robert Stack’s Dr. Ellison). Filmmaker Shanley, working from his own screenplay, delivers a heavily-stylized fantasy that’s generally far more interesting and involving than one might’ve initially anticipated, although it’s equally clear that the picture fares best in its oddball yet engrossing first half – with the general emphasis on Joe’s encounters with a wide variety of off-kilter figures elevating the proceedings considerably. (It’s impossible, for example, not to get a kick out of Lloyd Bridges’ one-scene turn as a larger-than-life businessman.) There’s little doubt, as well, that Joe Versus the Volcano benefits from the predictably palpable chemistry between Hanks and onscreen love interest Meg Ryan, and while the movie’s island-based final stretch is perhaps not as affecting (or compelling) as Shanley has intended, it’s hard to deny that the picture’s final few minutes manage to pack an impactful punch – with the final result a memorable endeavor that’s never as painfully quirky as one might’ve feared.

*** out of ****