Volcano

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Volcano

PG-13

1997

1h 42m

Action

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

49%

Tomatometer

43 Reviews

32%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

When a massive earthquake rocks the city of Los Angeles, Emergency Management department head Mike Roark (Tommy Lee Jones) returns from his vacation to help with the city's response. After geologist Dr. Amy Barnes (Anne Heche) warns that a volcano may be forming in sewer tunnels, another severe earthquake unleashes the lava flowing underfoot, threatening to destroy the whole city. As the fiery molten rock runs through the streets, Roark and Barnes must figure out how to divert it.

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Critics Consensus

Volcano's prodigious pyrotechnics and Tommy Lee Jones' crotchety sneers at lava aren't quite enough to save this routine disaster film.

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Bill Stamets

Chicago Reader

Jun 15, 2022

Unfortunately, Volcano is also faithful to Hollywood’s legendary lack of originality...

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William Thomas

Empire Magazine

Jan 8, 2019

3/5

None of it makes a hell of a lot of sense and the supporting cast are wallpaper thin, but Volcano is at least hot on entertainment.

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David Ansen

Newsweek

Feb 28, 2018

Volcano, busily and cheerfully hysterical, always has some new fish to fry, new truck to melt, new skyscraper to tumble or new manhole to pop with a radiant gusher of movie magma.

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Don Shanahan

Cinephile Hissy Fit Podcast

Sep 20, 2024

Tommy Lee Jones might be trapped in this movie while Anne Heche steals the show.

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Danielle Solzman

Solzy at the Movies

Apr 25, 2022

4/5

The more I watch Volcano, the film holds up as the best volcano movie from 1997 with never-ending action.

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Louis Peitzman

io9.com

Jan 8, 2019

There's a glorious faux-plausibility to the proceedings that makes movies like Volcano all the more entertaining.

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RogerThatStudios T

@RT35761212 2 days ago

volcano my movie cool

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Farah R

@Farah 5 days ago

Typical 90s hullabaloo with a natural disaster treating a major US city and a man who saves the day.

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Michael J

@mjimenez7874 Nov 2, 2026

I wasn’t expecting to be on a city but it was OK. I enjoyed it.

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Jeff D

@Username99999 Sep 9, 2026

It’s hard to watch. If you don’t care how bad the script is, you don’t care about needlessly dumb characters and mediocre acting doesn’t bother you.. you might like the special effects. Might. If an absolutely senseless script is what you’re looking for, this is the movie for you. No iq required.

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Ian R

@RT23899272 Aug 12, 2026

I wouldn't say the science behind this volcanic eruption in Los Angeles is accurate. Tommy Lee Jones plods through it like the cowboy he often plays. Anne Heche is better than she is credited with being. It's an entertaining film, full of action and energy. Worth watching with your children on a weekend.

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Garry A

@heavyg Jun 14, 2026

If you liked disaster films, you'll like this one. I don't know why people expect them to be something out of the ordinary. It's predictable but still good.

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Mick Jackson

Director

Tommy Lee Jones

Mike Roark

Anne Heche

Dr. Amy Barnes

Gaby Hoffmann

Kelly Roark

Don Cheadle

Emmit Reese

Jacqueline Kim

Dr. Jaye Calder

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Synopsis

When a massive earthquake rocks the city of Los Angeles, Emergency Management department head Mike Roark (Tommy Lee Jones) returns from his vacation to help with the city's response. After geologist Dr. Amy Barnes (Anne Heche) warns that a volcano may be forming in sewer tunnels, another severe earthquake unleashes the lava flowing underfoot, threatening to destroy the whole city. As the fiery molten rock runs through the streets, Roark and Barnes must figure out how to divert it.

Director: Mick Jackson
Producer: Neal H. Moritz, Andrew Z. Davis
Screenwriter: Jerome Armstrong, Billy Ray
Distributor: Fox, 20th Century Fox
Production Co: 20th Century Fox, Fox 2000 Pictures
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Action
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 25, 1997, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 1, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA): $47.5M
Runtime: 1h 42m
Sound Mix: SDDS, DTS, Surround, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: 35mm, Flat (1.85:1)

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