Tornado a Fúria

Well, there was nothing else on TV and having read and enjoyed the book of the same title, and having a fascination with tornadoes, we figured, what the heck. The names of the characters were the same and tornadoes happened, but that was about it. The book by Ivy Ruckman (based on a real tornado event in Grand Island, Nebraska) featured true suspense, with some of the lesser known effects of tornadoes such as sucking drains and popping ears adding an eeriness to the story, without resorting to a lot of special effects and overdone drama. I guess every such movie needs a family conflict of sorts, thus the completely fabricated tension between Dan and his father. The dialog featured many comedic moments from "Where are the chickens?" (as a family stands, completely oblivious to the howling winds (until someone warns them -- almost unheard over the tempest) -- they live here, right and have seen such weather before?) to "Is he hurt?" about a man trapped under a truck. We howled right along with the storm.

As I prepared to watch this film, I expected a cheap spin-off of that "OTHER" block-buster tornado movie. But I was pleasantly suprised and proven wrong. GRANTED, this made-for-television doesn't have the same budget as the Hollywood feature, but it does a GREAT job of story-telling and creating likeable characters. It even has cool special effects considering it was a television film. It was good to see John Schneider (Dukes of Hazzard's) again, even though his acting hasn't improved much. It is the break-out performance of Devon Sawa which carries this family-thriller, he has a natural talent that could bring him to greater things, keep watching for him in future projects. I was also impressed with it's ability to remain a FAMILY film without dipping into profanity and sex, yet still have it's fair share of thrills and tense moments. This is a good movie that is worth your time and rental fee. You can invite you parents over and let the kids stay up for this one. Good Job FAMILY CHANNEL, we salute you!

This film (which is based off the book of the same name) is a great film for the family when it comes to the subject matter of tornadoes. Some people may think this film is a ripoff of Twister due to the timing of the release, but I can assure you it's not, that honor goes to Tornado! starring Bruce Campbell.

Overall, Night of the Twisters keeps you entertained since the characters and disaster aspect has a happy balance and that the film can be enjoyed by both young and old audiences.

My kids and I have almost memorized the lines to "Night of the Twisters", we've seen it so many times! We have so many favorite scenes and lines that it's difficult to compile them all here! One thing for sure: You can watch this with your mother and not be embarrassed. It's about a family facing a natural disaster and its aftermath with courage and compassion. The filmmakers didn't succumb to any sexual innuendoes or "bad attitude" dialogue either. Some parts are kinda corny, but all in all, it's a refreshing change from the usual TV movie fare. I really enjoy watching Dan and Arthur "jamming" up in Dan's room before the storm hits; plus, how Dan so nonchalantly checks on his baby brother in the storm's beginning stages. Watch it when you can.

... And in my humble opinion does a better job of it! Okay, so NIGHT OF THE TWISTERS is a family movie, and it does gloss over the realities a bit. Also, because it's set at night, you don't get to see that much of the tornadoes.

But, for all this, I still like it better than TWISTER. At least the tornadoes in this film are comprised of real footage!