25 - Wednesday, March 14, 1990 - Narth Shore News

Joe Versus the Volcano sputters once or twice

Joe Versus the Volcano ** % (Warner Bros.) Rateu Mature (at the Cap-
itol 6, Richpert, Station Square, Eagle Ridge and Willowbrook

cinemas)

sually when someone tells you to take a flying leap,

ils Hyurative,
For Joe Banks (Tom

Hanks), however, it's a chance to
live like a king and die like a man.

After eight years of slaving at
American Panascope (home of the
rectal probe), Joe can abandon the
bad air, the flickering fluorescents
and the stomach-churning coffee.
That's the good news.

The bad news is that he has six

film review

months to live. His doctor (Robert
Stack) tells Joe that he has a brain
cloud, a terminal disease without

symptoms.

For the first time, Joe wants to
relish life but all his money was
spent on doctor's fees.

Enter wealthy Samuel Harvey
Graynamore (Lloyd Bridges) with a
startling proposition. He offers Joe
a platinum Visa, a ticket to Los
Angeles and a yacht voyage to a
little-known tropical paradise. As
an added attraction, Graynamore’s
daughter Patricia (Meg Ryan) will
skipper the vessel.

Naturally there's a catch. Joe
must take a flying leap into the

whand’s active volcano.

John Patrick Shanley wrote one
of the best romantic comedies ol
the '8Os with Moonsteuck. Now he
has taken the director's chair with
mixed results.

fhe story starts with Joe tradging
with fellow zombie workers toa
depressing plant right out of such
futuristic nightmares as Metropolis
or Brazil. The outside world of
Stacen tsland is normal, however.
Joe’s spending spree is Clearly in
modern day Manhattan. Once he
gets to the island, the approach is
a wacky-Airplane humor. The
islanders are a mixture of
“Polynesian, Celtic, Hebrew and
Latin influences with a peculiar
love of orange soda and no sense
of direction.” All told in a fairy tale
manner.

While this jumbled mixture of
styles is disorienting, Tom Hanks
holds it together with his wry per-
formance as a man who finds his
courage. He also finds romance
with Meg Ryan playing three very
different roles with the same
charm that won her acclaim in
When Harry Met Sally.

In addition to the acting, the film
has a great soundtrack of kits in-
cluding “‘Sixteen Tons’ and
some dazzling special effects.

However, the film's parts are
better than their total. While it’s
not Mount St. Helen’s, it’s not
dormant either.

A DIVISION OF

Breakfast at Titfany’s “°° %
(Paramount Hame Video)
Unrated

The ‘60s sere ofe with romantic
comedies, but this adaption ot
Truman Capote’s story ts one ot
the most charming. Director Blake

fi

* 20 titles to choose from
° Great for birthday gifts

IVERWAITER FOODS... Owned and Operated by. Bonin Coldmmans >

Edwards adds a sophisticated
polish to the story of a smailtown
gurl, Holly Golightly (Audrey Hep-
burn) finding love in New York
with Georme Peppard.

NORTH SHORE VIEWS
West Van Odeon: Born on the

pom

Fass

Fourth of July, The Fabulous Baker
Boys, Revenge

Park Royal: Driving Miss Dausy.
Loose Cannons, Hard to Kill, The
tittle Mermaid (matinee)

Park & Tilford: Madhouse, The
Handmaid's Tate, Bad Influence

¢ Great for Easter presents
* Approximately “2 hr. of entertainment :

North Vancouver Stores Only!

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