Twister

Solid follow up film for former cinematographer (it shows) Jan DeBont who's previous film 'Speed' redefined the action genre and added, well, speed, to the mix. He has a talent for making films that are extremely kinetic and seem to actually MOVE and Twister is no different.

The story is simple, we follow a group of storm chasers around tornado alley for 48hrs during the most active otbreak of tornao activity on record (not unlike what actually occured this past month in Oklahoma) all the while watching an estranged couple played by Hunt and Paxton fall in love again amongst the windswept action.

The tornados are awe inspiring works of digital wonder created by ILM and really come across as powerful. They're not so much portrayed as ordinary storms, but rather angry demons from above who wreak havoc on the landscape, they even roar like lions at times! Great film. And to those that think this film doesn't translate well to the home, you obviously don't have a Home Theater set up with Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1! The film RIVALS what I got at the theater in my home!

I thoroughly enjoyed TWISTER! I saw it in theaters and was completely blown away! (No pun intended.) I loved the big, loud, thrilling action sequences and the fun characters. Although most people criticize the writing as being poor, I actually thought most of it was quite clever. Unlike worse action movies, you actually understand the characters' personality.

The cast is great! Helen Hunt, Bill Paxton, Cary Elwes, Jami Gertz, Lois Smith, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Alan Ruck, Anthony Rapp, and the rest of the cast (as well as Jan De Bont, Steven Spielberg, and Michael Crichton) make this an entertaining and educational movie!

I get a lot of stick from friends for saying this, but: I really like Twister. I enjoy a good thoughtful film as much as the next stuck-up film snob, but I also love damned good action flicks.

Twister is a big dumb summer blockbuster with no pretensions whatsoever. I *like* the fact that the money is all up there on the screen - lots of tornadoes ripping apart farmhouses and throwing trucks around. I *like* that it's one long chase movie. I *like* looking at Helen Hunt's beautiful face. I saw Twister twice at the cinema, and at least three times since - and I've enjoyed it every single time. Can you get a better recommendation than that?

Twister will never satisfy some people... in particular, those who watch it, for some strange reason, expecting a cerebral masterpiece. Enjoy it for what it is: One of the best summer blockbusters ever.

This film is not high cinematic art. It was intended to be a summer blockbuster "put your brain on hold" action film when it was released in 1996, and that is what it was and still is. Its competition at the time was "Independence Day", which is an unwatchable hokey movie, and this movie is better than that film in that it is a watchable hokey movie. Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton play recently divorced storm chasers Jo and Bill Harding whose relationship was pulled apart by Jo's obsession with chasing tornadoes to the exclusion of wanting any kind of "normal family life" by Bill's definition. Bill has moved on and found a more conventional girl that he plans to marry (Jami Gertz). However, before he can move on, Bill needs Jo to sign some papers. He meets her "in the field" as she and her team from the university plan a day of chasing tornadoes through Oklahoma. Before they can conclude their business a storm calls the team to the chase, and Bill is drawn into the chase by necessity but kept there by his latent passion - for storm-chasing and maybe even for the marriage he left behind. The film features some great special effects, fast-paced action, and cringingly obvious dialog with the subtlety of a sledgehammer. However if you're just in the mood for an action-packed film with a feel-good after effect, this movie fits the bill.

The current rating of 6/10 is probably correct if you are comparing Twister with Casablanca. If you judge it as an action film against other action films, I'd say it's probably more of a 7 out of 10.

I like disaster movies when they are done right, and while Twister is no masterpiece it is a sort of guilty pleasure for me. I agree the script has its weak spots, the pace is rather pedestrian and the plot on the clichéd and unrealistic side of things. But Twister is nostalgic fun, with some decent direction and acting, complete with some pretty incredible special effects. The cinematography and scenery are also pretty good, and the score is effective.

Overall, Twister is no masterpiece in any shape or form, but to me it was fun and a guilty pleasure in some ways. While it could have been better it could have been much worse as well. 7/10 Bethany Cox