1997·Science Fiction·1h 44m
6.5
★
An earthquake shatters a peaceful Los Angeles morning and opens a fissure deep into the earth, causing lava to start bubbling up. As a volcano begins forming in the La Brea Tar Pits, the director of the city's emergency management service, working with a geologist, must then use every resource in the city to try and stop the volcano from consuming LA.
Directed by Mick Jackson
lava
subway
volcano
volcanology
burned alive
disaster
los angeles, california
disaster movie
firemen
absurd
ambiguous
audacious
awestruck
defiant
embarrassed
vibrant
Rank
#76 in 1997·#5162 overall
Trailer
IMDB
N/A
Where to Watch
Cast
Tommy Lee Jones
Mike Roark
Anne Heche
Dr. Amy Barnes
Gaby Hoffmann
Kelly Roark
Don Cheadle
Emmit Reese
Jacqueline Kim
Dr. Jaye Calder
Keith David
Lt. Ed Fox
John Corbett
Norman Calder
Michael Rispoli
Gator Harris
John Carroll Lynch
Stan Olber
Marcello Thedford
Kevin
Bert Kramer
L.A. Fire Chief
James MacDonald
Terry Jasper
Crew
Mick Jackson
Director
Billy Ray
Screenplay
Alan Silvestri
Original Music Composer
Michael Tronick
Editor
Theo van de Sande
Director of Photography
Neal H. Moritz
Producer
Lauren Shuler Donner
Executive Producer
Christopher Boyes
Sound Designer
Alan Silvestri
Conductor
Michele Panelli-Venetis
First Assistant Director
Scott Stuber
Associate Producer
Mic Rodgers
Second Unit Director
Popular Reviews
219 reviews
annauhidk
8.2★ · 05/20/26
thought it was just some "oh its a volcano run!!!" ahh movie but it was way more meaningful and peak than i had thought.
thought it was just some "oh its a volcano run!!!" ahh movie but it was way more meaningful and peak than i had thought.
Maison Lee
7.0★ · 04/16/26
This movie solved racism
This movie solved racism
Crabwise
Double-featured this with Dante's Peak tonight. Pretty cheesy but that scene of the guy melting still hits like it did when I was a kid and it was fun to notice the wildcat sounds in the fireballs
Double-featured this with Dante's Peak tonight. Pretty cheesy but that scene of the guy melting still hits like it did when I was a kid and it was fun to notice the wildcat sounds in the fireballs
Marcelo Inostroza
6.0★ · 01/31/26
Volcano is a balls-to-the-wall 90s action film. Tommy Lee Jones plays a disaster expert who finds himself battling a volcano in downtown Los Angeles.
While the acting in this movie isn't Shakespearean, it more than makes up for it with its over-the-top action sequences and engaging plot. The film features brave first responders who leap into action amidst lava flows, and there are some delightfully absurd moments, like when a character tries to reason with the volcano as if it were a pet gone rogue. The blend of life-saving heroics and the occasional comic relief keeps the tone light, making the outrageous premise all the more entertaining.
The third and final act is particularly thrilling, as they defeat the menacing volcano with an ingenious plan. The hero, played by Tommy Lee Jones, manages to save his family in a last-ditch effort, leaving the audience on the edge of their seats.
What more can you ask for from a late 90s disaster movie? Is this film better than the other volcano movie? I choose to plead the fifth on that one and will just say that your disaster movie mileage may vary.
While the acting in this movie isn't Shakespearean, it more than makes up for it with its over-the-top action sequences and engaging plot. The film features brave first responders who leap into action amidst lava flows, and there are some delightfully absurd moments, like when a character tries to reason with the volcano as if it were a pet gone rogue. The blend of life-saving heroics and the occasional comic relief keeps the tone light, making the outrageous premise all the more entertaining.
The third and final act is particularly thrilling, as they defeat the menacing volcano with an ingenious plan. The hero, played by Tommy Lee Jones, manages to save his family in a last-ditch effort, leaving the audience on the edge of their seats.
What more can you ask for from a late 90s disaster movie? Is this film better than the other volcano movie? I choose to plead the fifth on that one and will just say that your disaster movie mileage may vary.
Volcano is a balls-to-the-wall 90s action film. Tommy Lee Jones plays a disaster expert who finds himself battling a volcano in downtown Los Angeles.
While the acting in this movie isn't Shakespearean, it more than makes up for it with its over-the-top action sequences and engaging plot. The film features brave first responders who leap into action amidst lava flows, and there are some delightfully absurd moments, like when a character tries to reason with the volcano as if it were a pet gone rogue. The blend of life-saving heroics and the occasional comic relief keeps the tone light, making the outrageous premise all the more entertaining.
The third and final act is particularly thrilling, as they defeat the menacing volcano with an ingenious plan. The hero, played by Tommy Lee Jones, manages to save his family in a last-ditch effort, leaving the audience on the edge of their seats.
What more can you ask for from a late 90s disaster movie? Is this film better than the other volcano movie? I choose to plead the fifth on that one and will just say that your disaster movie mileage may vary.
While the acting in this movie isn't Shakespearean, it more than makes up for it with its over-the-top action sequences and engaging plot. The film features brave first responders who leap into action amidst lava flows, and there are some delightfully absurd moments, like when a character tries to reason with the volcano as if it were a pet gone rogue. The blend of life-saving heroics and the occasional comic relief keeps the tone light, making the outrageous premise all the more entertaining.
The third and final act is particularly thrilling, as they defeat the menacing volcano with an ingenious plan. The hero, played by Tommy Lee Jones, manages to save his family in a last-ditch effort, leaving the audience on the edge of their seats.
What more can you ask for from a late 90s disaster movie? Is this film better than the other volcano movie? I choose to plead the fifth on that one and will just say that your disaster movie mileage may vary.
Neon Napalm
3.0★ · 01/18/26
Really made me appreciate how good Dante's Peak was. Also, after being pretty solidly racist the whole time, it has the absolutely unbelievable gall to have a scene about how race disappears when everyone is under volcanic ash, then cuts right to "I love LA" and the credits. This movie is exhausting.
Really made me appreciate how good Dante's Peak was. Also, after being pretty solidly racist the whole time, it has the absolutely unbelievable gall to have a scene about how race disappears when everyone is under volcanic ash, then cuts right to "I love LA" and the credits. This movie is exhausting.