Joe Versus the Volcano

"An average Joe. An adventurous comedy."

Mar 9 1990 PG 1h 42m
Comedy, Romance

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.

Plot

Joe versus the Volcano is a fable which opens with somewhat surrealistic scenes of the dehumanization of Joe Bank's job and work environment (at a company whose product rather literally screws people) with imagery that seems to have been inspired by the classic film Metropolis. Joe is diagnosed with an incurable disease, quits his dehumanizing job, and accepts an offer to briefly "live like a king, die like a man" - but to fulfill his agreement he must willingly jump into a live volcano on the island of Waponi Woo in order to appease the volcano god. En route to the island, Joe meets a series of interesting characters in NYC and LA, then boards a yacht, captained by Patricia Graynamore. During the voyage Joe and Patricia survive disaster, fall in love, and finally arrive at the island where they face their destiny.

Written by

John Patrick Shanley

Directed by

John Patrick Shanley

Production Countries

United States of America

Production Companies

Warner Bros. Pictures, Amblin Entertainment

Languages

English

Awards

1 nomination total

Scores
# of Votes
41,872
Average Rating
5.9 out of 10
Metascore
45
Popularity
NA