Twister (1996) Reviews

• I like Twister

  motor892001-11-12

  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.

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• The darker side of writing a script for a disaster movie

  Smells_Like_Cheese2003-11-22

  Twister, one of the most successful movies of the 90's, mainly due to it's special effects and a lot of people's want for a natural disaster movie that is fun to watch, this was an extremely popular movie. I was only 11 when the movie was released and I was absolutely in love with it, in fact right after the movie was done, I wanted to become a storm chaser. That's how much I loved this movie; I grew up and forgot about the movie and decided on a new career. But I saw the DVD on sale and thought about how much I enjoyed the movie when I was younger, I'm sure it would be just as much fun to see it again. I have to say this wasn't as awesome as I remembered, in the theater it was like "Oh, my God! Look at that flying cow! A house just flew across the road! That is so cool!", now on my TV screen I was like "Oh, wow, look at that cow. How the heck does a house fly across the road? Why isn't this as cool as I remembered it?" Not to mention that the story wasn't as good as I remembered, granted I know that they had to fit in some kind of story with the whole plot of the twisters, but a lot of this movie is just plain unrealistic. In June 1969 on an Oklahoma farm a tornado warning is issued, the family seeks shelter in a storm cellar as an F5 tornado strikes. However, the storm is so strong that the locks on the cellar door fail and the father is caught up in the storm and killed as his daughter struggles to catch a glimpse of the powerful storm. Years later, Dr. Jo Harding, the father's daughter, is reunited with her estranged husband; Bill Harding. Bill is a former weather researcher and storm chaser who has taken a job as a weather reporter. He is planning to marry his new girlfriend, Dr. Melissa Reeves, and arrives at Jo's research lab seeking Jo's signature for the final divorce papers. Bill discovers that Jo has built a tornado research device called DOROTHY based upon his own design; the device is designed to release hundreds of sensors into the center of a tornado to study its structure. The team later meets up with Dr. Jonas Miller, a smug and unscrupulous fellow meteorologist and storm chaser. When Bill discovers that Jonas has "invented" a device almost identical to DOROTHY; he vows to help Jo deploy DOROTHY before Miller can claim credit for the idea. Bill and Melissa join Jo and her eccentric team of storm chasers. Tensions rise between Jo and Bill when they have several close calls with dangerous tornadoes as they try unsuccessfully to deploy the new device. So how does Twister hold up over these years? Not so well, the effects are still amazing, but that's about it. I do have to admit, even though it's a bad movie, I still enjoy it like crazy. I think because if you let go of how unrealistic it is, you can just have fun with that want of destruction and chaos. Granted I know this movie is a bit stupid: our two leads, Bill and Jo, survive the impossible facing an F5 twister, the twisters always disappear as our "hero's" are in danger, Bill's fiancé puts up with quit a bit before realizing that he is a jerk for putting her through all the danger with him, Jo, a scientist, thinks that tornado's are serial killers, and not to mention that this was a record breaking day with numerous twisters. But still as bad as the acting, as bad as the story, as stupid as some of these situations may be, it's still a fun movie to watch and I think I wanna be fair with the rating just because it is mindless entertainment. It's a classic 90's disaster movie and besides, it has flying cows, what other film will give you that kind of situation? But it's all good I think they were taking the cows to McDonald's anyways. 7/10

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• I Have No Idea Why People Are Bashing This Movie

  Workin_Man2006-04-07

  Twister, in my opinion, is a really good action thriller. Personally, I don't know how people can bash this movie. I thought it was an amazing film!! The acting is great, the special effects are excellent, the action is intense, and this film actually has a great storyline to it. To me, a 5.9/10 rating for this film is atrocious. I think this film deserves so much better!! I was thinking of somewhere in between a 7 and an 8/10. But I have my opinion and other people have their own right?? I just find it hard to believe that people don't like this movie. Twister has everything I like in an action movie. It has amazing special effects, heart-stopping action, and a reasonably well written storyline. It even has some heartbreaking parts which almost brought tears to my eyes and I don't usually cry during movies. However I almost cried during Twister. Jan De Bont has created a very enjoyable that maybe doesn't come up to masterpiece material, but still is a memorable action movie that won't be forgotten for a long long time.

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• WHAT THE HELL IS EVERYONE'S PROBLEM WITH THIS FILM

  Gavintheman2003-01-13

  Ever since this films release in 1996, its very title has become synonymous with Bad films. Its been labelled stupid, loud, dumb and every other thing you can think of. Whilst I admit that the script aint hot and there's no real story in the film, the action is great, the special effects are brilliant, the film moves fast and provides a slambang rocking good ride. Im sorry that more films like this are not made. I love this film. When i saw it at the theatre, i was blown away (no pun intended). Bill paxton does a good job in the lead (yeah people have said that he is dull and that they should have found someone with more charisma. PUHLLLEASSSEEE). I'll watch this film a thousand times between now and the day I die. And for all the geniuses out there who call this film Crap. I hope you all get swept up in a windstorm, I really do. GREAT JOB JAN DEBONT

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• Fun Movie

  movieguy810072008-05-07

  Twister is a fun movie to watch. I think Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt give excellent performances. This movie has a great soundtrack. I do not know why people hate this movie. This is one of Jan De Bont's best films. He also directed one of my other favorite movie Speed. Normally I think all of Van Halen's songs are trashy except for the songs for Twister. I like the sound and visual effects of this film. Not since The Wizard of Oz have I seen better tornadoes. The first time I saw this movie I was blown away. I actually like this better than Independence Day. I really like the end song "Respect the Wind" performed by Edward and Alex Van Halen. I wanna get the Twister Soundtrack.

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