Volunteers

Starring: Tom Hanks, John Candy, Rita Wilson
Directed by: Nicholas Meyer
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy
1985

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A rich, snobby man (Tom Hanks) reluctantly finds himself in the Peace Corps flying to Southeast Asia. There, he joins a pretty American (Rita Wilson) and a naive idealist (John Candy) trying to help the natives build a bridge.

Review:

Tim: Yeah, this is a stupid movie. It is silly and dumb, but it is so much fun watching Hanks run around Thailand getting himself in and out of dangerous predicaments. This is an example of a mediocre movie that is saved by the high spirited energy of its cast.

Hanks suffers through the movie with an absolutely absurd accent. This is bad, but he manages to be likeable by his character and his charisma. Rita Wilson has obvious chemistry with Hanks, and their interactions throughout the movie are enjoyable. John Candy brings some excitement and energy, but personally, I find him more annoying than anything else.

The film is silly and crazy, and the storyline vastly crosses the line of ridiculousness, but somehow it works. The zany events keep us entertained, and if you can manage to get past the parts that just don't make sense, you will find yourself enjoying these characters and the situations they find themselves in.

Volunteers is not a great movie, but the slapstick comedy works, and despite my better judgment, I find myself laughing and enjoying this movie when I watch.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Nothing in Common, Big, Joe v. the Volcano, Bachelor Party