Volunteers
A spoiled debtor hides in the Peace Corps and discovers that building a village bridge is far more dangerous than escaping his creditors.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- irreverent
- frantic
- witty
- lazy weekend
- 1980s movie night
What critics said
Critics generally found the premise promising and Tom Hanks engaging, but viewed the broad comedy as uneven and increasingly tedious.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Lawrence flees his debtors by joining a Peace Corps flight and must function in rural Southeast Asia despite his spoiled background and bad accent.
The bridge becomes contested by the U.S. Army, a local Communist force, and a drug lord, turning geopolitical conflict into farce.
The bridge Lawrence, Tom, Beth, and At Toon build for villagers is coveted by three opposing forces.
The protagonists face armed opposing forces and a powerful drug lord while the film maintains a frantic, irreverent comic register.
Films like Volunteers, and why
The Man Who Knew Too Little
broad fish-out-of-water comedy with an affluent protagonist forced into unfamiliar circumstances and comic danger
The Year of the Dragon
irreverent ensemble comedy combining cultural misunderstanding, political intrigue, and Southeast Asian adventure
The Money Pit
1980s comedy built around an immature American protagonist, escalating misadventures, and a strong comic supporting cast
The Jewel of the Nile
adventure comedy with a reluctant protagonist, competing factions, and farcical peril in an exotic setting
Movie Details
- Director
- Nicholas Meyer
- Release Date
- 1985-08-16
- Runtime
- 107 min
- Rating
- 5.5 / 10 (188)
Cast
- Tom Hanks
- John Candy
- Rita Wilson
- Tim Thomerson
- Gedde Watanabe
- George Plimpton
- Ernest Harada
- Allan Arbus
- Xander Berkeley
- Ji-Tu Cumbuka
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Cinemax Amazon Channel, Cinemax Apple TV channel
- Buy
- Google Play Movies, YouTube
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Volunteers about?
- A spoiled debtor hides in the Peace Corps and discovers that building a village bridge is far more dangerous than escaping his creditors.
- What is Volunteers like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Volunteers as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Volunteers violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Volunteers as moderate.
- What did critics think of Volunteers?
- Critics generally found the premise promising and Tom Hanks engaging, but viewed the broad comedy as uneven and increasingly tedious.
- Which films are like Volunteers?
- Films with a similar feel include The Man Who Knew Too Little, The Year of the Dragon, The Money Pit, and The Jewel of the Nile.
- How long is Volunteers?
- Volunteers runs 107 minutes.
- Where can I watch Volunteers?
- In United States, Volunteers streams on Cinemax Amazon Channel, Cinemax Apple TV channel.
