Twister Reviews

• Disaster films can't get any better than this!

  
  By AATKF0HDBQL86 on 2002-12-11
  I remember seeing this film in the theater when it first came out, and I was totally blown away. Twister ranks among the best of the disaster films that I have ever seen. Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt turn in stellar performances as Jo and Bill, an estranged couple who are in the process of a divorce when they are suddenly thrown back together in pursuit of the most violent series of tornadoes to hit mid-America in 50 years. In working together both are forced to confront some of their own inner demons, especially the ones that drove them apart in the first place.

  Of course, no movie is any good without a strong supporting cast, and Twister has that in spades. From Philip Seymour Hoffman as Dusty on down to Lois Smith as Jo's Aunt Meg, these actors do a heck of a lot more than serve as backdrop to Jo and Bill. They help to enhance the story, each in their own way.

  What I liked best about Twister was the fact that I found it to be a very intellectual film, much like The Day After. Although to some it may seem to be mostly a Jo and Bill story on the surface, I found myself doing a lot of "what if" thinking in regards to any disaster, natural OR manmade, after seeing it. I couldn't help but ask myself just how I'd react in the face of oncoming disaster, what steps I'd take to avoid getting myself or others hurt or killed, things like that. This, I believe, is a key ingredient in any successful disaster film--the ability to make you think about how'd you react under the very same circumstances.

  All in all, I consider Twister to be among the most superior disaster films ever made. Loaded with awesome acting, superb special effects, and a great story, this is a film that is definitely worth owning!
  
  

• Hang on!

  
  By A11PTCZ2FM2547 on 2003-04-04
  If ever a film was made to perpetuate the stereotype of Oklahoma as a state mercilessly and relentlessly ravaged by tornadoes, TWISTER is it. As a resident of Oklahoma, I can assure the readers of this review of two things: 1) tornadoes do on occasion occur here; and 2) tornadoes do not come in endless waves, one after another, like some sort of demented assembly line.

  Having said this, TWISTER is a remarkably entertaining film. It's a fasten-your-seatbelt, get-ready-to-duck, leave-both-hands-inside-the-car rollercoaster ride, complete with eye-popping, hair-raising special effects. This movie is a vivid feast for the eyes: menacing, swirling tornadoes of various shapes and sizes; flying cows; and an endless assortment of storm debris to block the path of our protagonists, from tractors to tanker trucks--even houses.

  The plot plays second fiddle to the action and special effects. Thank goodness: if the plot had to carry this film, the movie would have collapsed into a sappy and contrived love story. From the very beginning of the film, when meteorologist Bill Harding (Bill Paxton) locates his estranged stormchasing wife Dr. JoAnne Thornton-Harding (Helen Hunt) out on the northern Oklahoma plains and asks her to sign divorce papers, the viewer instantly realizes: the couple, eventually, will get back together. Thankfully, Mother Nature takes over and the film takes off. Paxton and Hunt are solid in their performances, yet Philip Seymour Hoffman steals the show, as techno-goofy, slightly off-center Dusty Davis, a member of JoAnne's stormchasing team. If anyone can have a good time in the face of oncoming disaster, it's Dusty (who refers to a tornado's swath of destruction as "the suck zone").

  Director Jan de Bont delivers nonstop action like a swirling wall cloud; TWISTER is nervous energy unleashed, a cacophony of sights and sounds that keeps the adrenaline flowing.
  
  

• Home Theater Demonstration DVD!

  
  By A13NZZR8IA5782 on 2000-07-13
  This is the first disc I bought since I got the home theater set up and this one you won't believe! Ok, I'll admit the story here is a little weak, but this isn't supposed to be a "Raging Bull" type of character study. This is a very entertaining, state of the arts effects, fun film. The sound from this DTS version is extraordinary. The separation of the 5.1 is incredible. The twister sequences will blow you away. You feel the sound and the fury! The only other disc that compares is the Saving Private Ryan one. For you home theater fanatics, this is your film.. you'll see it, hear it, and feel it. This disc also has some great extras like director commentary and a cool documentary of how it was made. All in all, it's not one of the finest 100 or 200 movies ever made, but you may find yourself watching it over and over for the experience of it! You'll love it! The movie itself is about a 3, but the DVD DTS is about a 5!
  
  

• Stunning Dolby 5.1 sound and Visual Effects

  
  By A1ISFPL57W69GB on 1999-11-01
  This is the best sounding 5.1 channel DVD that I have heard so far! The thunderstorms sound like the real thing and the dialog is always crisp and clear. This disc includes both widescreen and full screen versions of the movie. Unfortunately, there aren't any good special features on this disc (thats why only 4 stars instead of 5). I would have liked to have seen some behind the scenes info. This film has stunning visual effects and it would be nice to watch the computer art gurus in action! Even without special features, this disc is worth the money. It will squeeze every drop of performance out of your home theater!
  
  

• The DTS version rocks the home theater!

  
  By A13NZZR8IA5782 on 2000-06-28
  This is the first disc I bought since I got the home theater set up and this one you won't believe! Ok, I'll admit the story here is a little weak, but this isn't supposed to be a "Raging Bull" type of character study. This is a very entertaining, state of the arts effects, fun film. The sound from this DTS version is extraordinary. The separation of the 5.1 is incredible. The twister sequences will blow you away. You feel the sound and the fury! The only other disc that compares is the Saving Private Ryan one. For you home theater fanatics, this is your film.. you'll see it, hear it, and feel it. This disc also has some great extras like director commentary and a cool documentary of how it was made. All in all, it's not one of the finest 100 or 200 movies ever made, but you may find yourself watching it over and over for the experience of it! You'll love it! The movie itself is about a 3, but the DVD DTS is about a 5!
  
  
• Worst movie... ever?
  By A3PAMMMH9F56K9 on 2004-09-20
  Some films have meaning and purpose.... others have none whatsoever and should never have been made. This plotless wonder is definetly in the running for worst film ever...
  What sort of underdeveloped troglodite thinks that watching a cg tornado for two hours is enough premise for a feature film? Did I mention that this film has no plot to speak of? Some tacked on failed romance between two 2 dimensional characters (ironic in a film that exits for its 3d elements.. ha) does not constitute a plot...
  
  Now that CG has advanced far beyond what was possible at the time of making, this film's always tenuous hold to the world of the living is irreparably broken - so down into the abyss of oblivion it goes.
  
  
• Twister
  By A1OGPR0AKZ4K7D on 2008-03-11
  Probably the best disaster movie made about tornadoes/twisters. The special effects were really exciting if you can overlook the inaccurate scenes enhanced for dramatic effect. It was a good balance between the story and the action. Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton were really good - actually the whole cast was wonderful.
  
  
  
• Don't expect "Gone With the Wind"
  By A2E3F04ZK7FG66 on 2008-01-18
  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 unwatchably hokey movie, and this movie is better than that film in that it is a watchably 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 dialogue 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.
  
  A popular internet film database ranks this film as 5.9 out of 10. That is probably correct if you are comparing it 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. The following are the special features:
  
  Disc 1
  * Commentary by Jan DeBont and Stefan Fangmeier
  * Theatrical Trailers
  
  Disc 2
  * Chasing the Storm: Twister Revisited
  * The Making of Twister [HBO First Look Special]
  * Anatomy of a Twister
  * Nature Tech: Tornadoes [2003 History Channel special]
  * Van Halen Humans Being Music Video
  
  
• I like it anyway...
  By A12X2J7AVZ04IQ on 2003-11-27
  OK, I've read the other reviews...I think "Twister" is entertaining, with great CGI effects. The plot is intense, and most sub-plots are silly. Helen Hunt is beautiful, and quite a good actress. Bill Paxton is customarily hammy. Still I enjoy this film as entertainment. It's interesting to note that a lot of our current best actors today got a start in this film. Philip Seymour Hoffman, in particular, shows great flair, as well as Jeremy Davies, playing the wimp. Director Jan de Bont seems to use Alan Ruck a lot, and for good reason: He's talented. I was disappointed when Jamie Gertz won the Razz Award as "Worst Supporting Actress" in '96. I thought she gave a fine performance...her character was written to be reactionary, and I thought her every nuance was touching and sincere. As far as writing, well, some of the soap opera stuff could've been cut short. Jan de Bont, with all the films he could've chosen, showed scenes from Kubrick's "The Shining" (at the drive-in), and Cukor's "A Star is Born" (before Aunt Meg's house is blown away). If these are homages, he has good taste. And Lois Smith was solid as the aunt; I've liked her since she played Nicholson's sister in "Five Easy Pieces". A fine character actress. With this stuff in mind, I watch "Twister" often, and enjoy it each time. Why be so analytical? It was made as mass-marketed entertainment and, on that level, it succeeds. Doesn't seem to matter that it was also on quite a few "10 Best" lists in '96. I like it a lot; if you don't, maybe you should get out more...
  
  
• Forget the plot and wait for the special effect twisters
  By A2NJO6YE954DBH on 2004-05-02
  Some movies are made as excused to play with special effects, which is a pretty good explanation for "Twister." This film was basically sold to the American public on the basis of two special effects shots in the trailer: a tornado demolishing a barn plank by plank and a tire heading right through a windshield at the camera. The latter was not in the film, but that was beside the point. In 1939 Arnold Gillespe used a stocking to terrify children for the rest of the century with the tornado in "The Wizard of Oz." In 1996 "Twister" intended to up the ante with computerized effects (of course there are lots of homages to the previous film, with "Dorothy" being the name of the tornado device that measures the wind speeds of the tornado and the cow blowing around in the air just like what Dorothy saw out her window when her twister lifted up the house).

  Director Jan de Bont was making his second film after the smash hit "Speed," so basically he needed some action. But the script by Michael Crichton and Anne-Marie Martin decides to overload the script with melodramatic elements. Helen Hunt plays Dr. JoAnne "Jo" Thorton-Harding, who has been chasing tornadoes ever since the night one of them took her daddy away. Her scientific purpose is to study them so that meterologists can make more accurate predictions and warn people in time to save lives, but obviously she has deep psychological demons driving her as well. This is one of the reasons that her husband, William Harding (Bill Paxton) is trying to get her to sign divorce papers. He is hoping to build a new life with Dr. Melissa Reeves (Jamie Gertz), but being able to study tornadoes in peace without Jo going crazy would be nice too. But if Helen Hunt wants to see what the inside of a tornado looks like, then that is what she should get to do. Besides, even Melissa knows that Jo and Bill still love each other.

  If this was not enough to give a whole new dimension to what is already an exciting proposition (these people want to chase tornadoes; what more do you need to get excited about in a movie?), the script sets up the "good" tornado chasers, including Philip Seymour Hoffman as Dustin Davis and Alan Ruck as Robert "Rabbit" Nurick, and the "bad" tornado chasers, led by Dr. Jonas Miller (Cary Elwes), who is more interested in corporate sponsorship and television specials than in the holy grail of pure scientific research. The "bad" guys even drive black vehicles in precision formations, while the "good" guys drive vehicles that each have to have at least 100,000 miles on them.

  Consequently we have personal and professional circumstances that drive these people to put themselves in the path of oncoming hurricanes, which is, ultimately, the whole point of the movie. "Twister" is not about a single hurricane, but several, all apparently different, with the biggest and baddest of them all, the Level 5 "Finger of God," coming at the end. You have to be impressed that not only our hero and heroine survive these tornadoes, but that the script manages to make it reasonable that their lives are imperiled repeatedly in this film. That is what makes this a fun film, because even if the plot is on the level of a theme park ride, the special effects come fast and furious. Just think Tornadoes 5 (three levels of meaning there, people), Plot 3, and "Twister" grades out at a 4.

  Final Note: At some point in the past the ratings board decided that saying a movie was PG-13 was not enough information for warning parents. The PG-13 rating for "Twister" is "for intense depiction of very bad weather." I leave you to ponder what a film would have to show in terms of bad weather to warrant an R rating (or higher).
  
  

• "Twister" doesn't just suck. It blows.
  By A1GQQFTPA23Z1O on 2004-08-24
  To begin with, the plot is really lame. Two competing teams of "stormchasers" go around hunting tornados. WOW. Add the amazingly stone-faced Bill Paxton to the works & you've got this poor excuse for a movie. Very bad script, pretty bad acting, & very dull except for tornado sequences, which are completely unrealistic but still captivating. Cars & houses & even a freakin' cow may be flying through the air at any moment, but these heroic "stormchasers" always remain safely on the ground somehow. Hmm...The only reason I'm giving this flop two stars, which is very generous, is because of the special effects, although I wanted nothing more than to see the whole cast sucked up by a tornado & blown to another planet. Oh well, you might want to see it once, but just know what you're getting, or should I say "stepping" into.
  
  
• What it could have been...
  By A3PZR5NI1EGMP1 on 2004-09-11
  I think I was so disappointed in this movie precisely because I was SO looking forward to it when it first came out! I love movies and documentaries about tornadoes, but they really screwed this up bad.
  
  First, the storyline was idiotic. The bad guys drove around in big black trucks and hunted tornadoes for a "corporation" (gasp! heavens!) The colorful young assistants I wouldn't trust to change engine oil, let alone be the ones to warn people of impending danger. Then the psychology was all wrong. One of the reasons Jaws worked was because the hero was terrified of water and sharks. Hunt is all over the place; sometimes she's scared, other times she acts like she's at a water theme park ("that was fun! let's do it again!") Meanwhile, Bill's poor fiance spends the whole movie gasping in horror. SHE should have been the naive girl who thought tornadoes would be fun, until she came up upon the really bad one at the drive-in... and then she could understand where Hunt's fear/obsession came from. Unfortunately, the writers didn't get that, or (more likely) they didn't really care.
  
  Second, the special effects stunk. Sorry, but when they say a tornado makes a roaring sound, they mean it roars like a train - not a dinsoaur. The most effective scene is the one at the drive-in, and that's because you don't see the tornado - like the opening scene of Jaws where all you see is the terror of the girl swimmer, as opposed to the fake shark opening and closing its mouth later on.
  
  It is fun, however, to count the editing mistakes. First it's a dirt road, then it's a busy highway; first the windshield is broken, the next second it's miraculously fixed. By the way, I want that guy's truck; talk about taking a licking and keeping on ticking! It goes through a house, but still looks like it came off the showroom floor. And after actually having a F-5 go RIGHT OVER THEM, they just sit there, like "cool". No awe, no wonder.
  And by the way, why was she raised by her aunt, if her mother survived the tornado? That made no sense. But since nothing much else in this movie did, that's okay.
  
  See Twister for the drive-in scene, and the last scenes in the barn/cornfield. Sorry to say, the rest was pretty bad.
  
  By the way, the second star is for the scene where Hunt asks "Where's my truck?" and when it is hurled out of the tornado and smashes down yards from her, she deadpans "oh, there it is."
  
  Darn, what could have been...
  
  
  
  
• 3 Stars for Effects - Too much Hollywood Cliche overall
  By A3TNM3C9ENUCFW on 2004-09-23
  I was interested to read another viewers comments about Helen Hunts character in this movie, being interested in Tornadoes, because she witnessed her father being sucked away by one as a child. This is the biggest flaw in this otherwise fairly good escapist flick. I wonder why the Hollywood moguls think we have to have these back stories and then a dreary romance effort, in the midst of carnage, much like the more recent Day After Tomorrow. Was every weatherman inspired by a lightning bolt that killed his dog? Are Lumberjacks so inspired because a tree fell on their brother? the list of possibilities is endless. This could have, and SHOULD have been a great movie. The script and story in general aren't bad, and the special effects are of course impressive. This is a movie remember, so those who want to be disparaging about the lack of similarities to "real" storm chasers should wake up. I for one don't want to see a movie about someone sitting in a field all day waiting for weather. That said, the movies penchant for trying to walk a middle line here (not quite disaster movie, not quite love drama) leaves BOTH areas unfulfilled. Will Helen Hunt get back with Bill Paxton? will his new fiance run away? Will they beat the much better equipped and funded competition to the punch? Will they find a "Finger 5" tornado? - Frankly I stopped caring. I wanted to see a movie about a Twister, and although I was expecting something predictable, this was just too much, and that's a real shame. Getting a DVD makeover means of course clearer picture and sound, and those with a 5:1 system at home will doubtless get a lot from the reproduction here. trouble is however, it won't matter how you watch it, it's still a let down - I wanted to give more but 3 Stars is a stretch, and that's mainly for the CGI.
  
  
• Some people will watch anything
  By A1G0RWUE33DTF on 1999-09-22
  Just goes to show how utterly vapid a movie can be. Bunch of tornado chasing mental midgets led by the otherwise marvelous Helen Hunt traipse about the countryside (in chase scenes that smacked of a b-version of "Smokey and the Bandit II") trying to get themselves killed as often as possible. Sadly, they fail. Scene where Hunt's character's father gets sucked up by a tornado is eerily... no, EXACTLY like the opening scene in The Wizard of Oz. If you're the kind of yahoo that says things like, "The special effects were EXCELLENT!" buy this video.
  
  
• These twisters ...
  By A342G4DJQQICDB on 2002-07-08
  I had probably forgotten the story line of this movie before reaching the parking lot of the theater where I watched it. What I can still recall are the Hollywood-ized, utterly fake encounters with the "tornadoes". Absolutely everything about the storms themselves and the science of storm chasing was grossly inaccurate. From the Kenmore ice cube tray hailstorm to the "green sky" nowhere near an active thunderstorm, to the individual plucking of fence posts (how does wind impinge such an upward force on a paralell-aligned object fixed to the ground?) to the moment-by-moment predictions that the tornado is going to turn left or right, to the chasers riding alongside a tornado in an effort to have intercourse with it, etc., etc., etc., etc., etc. Nothing was even close to reality.

  Tornadoes are a fascinating subject. There are plenty of videos featuring REAL storm chases. Start (and end) your search with those types of videos.
  
  

• Great action, including the tornado FX
  By A3CSRP3P4U9HI on 2000-07-14
  Was this a 5 star movie, all in all? Some think not, but the worthy parts are extremely worthy, and bear watching over and over again -- one of my top criteria for a 5-star flick.

  The acting is good, and occasionally excellent. I have to say that while Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton are good, the most memorable characters in the show are members of Hunt's support team. You may be wondering, do people like them actually exist in the world? You bet they do!

  I spent long enough in graduate school to know that individuals like those portrayed in Twister do exist -- maybe not exactly like the ones in the movie, but the American graduate student crowd includes extremely intelligent, creative, driven, talented, and sometimes eccentric individuals.

  The story line was not totally original, but it is timely, especially if you happen to live in the tornado belt (I grew up in Kansas and now live in Indiana -- both prime tornado habitats). While the basic storyline may have left something to be desired, the character development was great (again, especially among the supporting cast).

  Finally, the special effects are awesome! The FX gurus who worked this film did a super job of recreating tornados. Just watch this movie and see for yourselves.

  I have watched this video several times, and I know that I will come back to it again and again.

  5 stars in my book -- for fun, FX, and interesting characters.

  Alan Holyoak
  
  

• Bogus! Sorry Plot, Thin Acting...
  By A16FUU8WW76QFY on 2004-02-25
  With the advent of advanced CGI, films like 'Twister' were bound to happen. This is a prime example of effects dominating a movie; the actors and plot are mere appendages. I didn't care for DeBont's previous film, 'Speed' either-substitute stunts for decent plot in that one. The whole premise of 'Twister' is bogus: stormchasers run around after tornadoes, with the leader's (Bill Paxton) difficulties with his wife (Helen Hunt) as a sorry subplot. The chasers conveniently manage to run into several tornadoes in a very short period of time, which is pretty farfetched. Real stormchasers will tell you it is very difficult indeed to get close to a single funnel cloud, let alone a bunch of them as portrayed in this film. This movie is evidence that filmgoer objectivity is deteriorating along with the product; if audiences consider this a 'great' movie, it means they don't think of plot and acting as really important-only trees, cows, etc. flying around via CGI effects. If you want to see a really good movie about a natural disaster, try 'The River' with Mel Gibson and Sissy Spacek-it has decent acting along with the destruction.
  
  
• Air Out Your TV Room After This One
  By on 2004-05-30
  Lord love you, what a lousy film! This must be on the short list of the worst American films of the 1990's; and the more money and special effects they threw at the moronic script the worse it got. Helen Hunt was so great in her TV show "Mad About You" that the public was apparently ready to cut her a lot of slack, and she used it all in this stinker. A production of Steven Spielberg's dim-witted associates, it's basically "Jaws," only with a tornado instead of a shark. Not a single believable scene, word of dialogue, or point of contact with the real world of meteorology. Beware.
  
  
• the suck zone
  By AIFNOZKR9WTYI on 2004-07-12
  I rented this movie thinking it was going to be a remake of The Wizard of Oz. Boy what a letdown. Come to think of it I had the same experience watching Zardoz.
  While watching this movie, it became clear to me that "actors" are people who have been randomly selected to get in front of a camera and pretend to do things. The characters say things like, "these satellite readings have increased in the last ten minutes" "Keep monitoring this pattern" "Ok" Then there is a tossing aside of sodas and a melee of excited, riot-like running toward vehicles. Then there is more dialog, like "We're not going to be able to intercept!" "No, we will. Hang on!" "Are you out of your mind?"
  "We gotta get outta here!" "I know!" This last dialog is screamed over the sound of lots of wind. The movie appears to be about a weather phenomenon wherein lots of wind causes a general sucking effect: the script sucks, the acting sucks, the effects even pretty much suck.
  
  
• ...
  By on 2002-01-11
  There are movies that can be carried by special effects or star power in the absence of good direction/script/SUBSTANCE. Twister wasn't one of them. Star Wars Episode 1 and Final Fantasy at least had great eye candy to distract you from the fact that the movie itself was really weak. Twister had... CG flying dirt. That combined with one of the most obstinately dumb scripts I've seen outside of MST3K adds up to a movie that I'd sooner drink sour milk than see again.

  Unless Mike/Joel and the 'bots were sitting in the front row.
  
  

• Suspenseful & Entertaining, but....
  By AYMPVLWFKTAYE on 2002-10-20
  Ok, I'll tell you that this is a movie that's full of suspense and terrifying special effects of giant tornados wreaking mass havoc through middle America. That right there is pretty entertaining, and is about all you should expect from this movie - but you'll notice I gave it 4 stars.

  I'm a *huge* tornado buff; I'm fascinated with and utterly terrified of them, so the special effects were enough to keep me gripping the theatre armrests the first time I saw it, and the couch the next several times. The plot...well, it's a love story/good v. evil/scientific competition/buddy movie...sort of. Phillip Seymour Hoffman probably has the most interesting role in the film, and pulls it off exceptionally well, The rest of the characters are largely forgettable, with lines of dialogue that, by and large, range from the bland to the outright annoying. Still, there are some genuinely funny moments, and a line here or there that made me laugh out loud.

  Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton are two storm chasers in the midst of a divorce. They have gone their separate scientific ways, after almost completing a special set of instruments that will gather large amounts of data from inside the tornado itself. The movie is the story of how they get the instrument to work, their relationship as it develops again throughout the course of their travails, their sidekicks, and the "bad" scientist (Cary Elwes) trying to beat them to the punch with the device. The supporting cast are all able actors, and do a fine job with what's given to them.

  The thing that really, *REALLY* bugs me, though, is the horrible science! This is, after all, a movie *about* *tornadoes* - it seems that they could have easily done a bit more research and gotten the majority of the details right. Ah well, c'est la vie, c'est la guerre.

  The effects, though, are fantastic! ILM has once again worked their particular brand of wizardry, and for most of the time, the twisters look absolutely genuine. Fabulous. The suspense and the effects pretty much make the lack of plot and horrible science forgiveable, and we're left at the end with the satisfaction that comes from having sat through a horrifying vicarious experience.

  Good stuff, overall.

  The DVD extras aren't exceptional, but there's a good bit about "the making of," and some commentary tracks.
  
  

• Great movie
  By ATY15XG5022PT on 2004-06-17
  For the people who don't like the plot or the acting, I must imagine you have never been a storm chaser, or anything remotely like it. Been there, done that, these actors got the personalities down to a T.

  If you like special effects, a little adventure, camaraderie, and a feeling of pursuing what you believe in, and can overlook some of the stupidity (that real life people have) of walking into a tornado, it's a great movie.
  
  

• It Sucks and It Blows But That's About It
  By A1QQPIUXWD4G0Z on 2004-08-03
  An utterly pathetic movie with about 5 minutes of by now out-of-date CGI effects and another hour and thirty minutes of fluff. Watch a documentary on tornadoes: I assure you, it's a lot more interesting than this garbage film.
  
  Other than some brief moments of special effects, this movie has absolutely no creativity or imagination whatsoever. The script and story line formulas are so generic that they were probably taken out of a textbook. Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton play two white trash tornado chasers engaged in a shouting contest of stupid one-liners such as "Now!", "Let's go!", "Move!", "Yeah!" to the point you'd actually think you're with a drunken crowd at a football game.
  
  As for the suspension of disbelief in this film, the other reviews have already described it ad nauseam. Save your money and don't pay Hollywood to see such garbage: they may eventually produce more good movies worth watching.
  
  
  
  
• Three and 1/2 stars...
  By ATS1HA5M3EPZ4 on 2004-09-23
  Are you looking for original plotlines? Don't bother.
  Are you looking for oscar winning dialogue? Forget it.
  Are you looking for compelling characters and interactions between them? Not here.
  
  Are you looking for a screen presence bigger then Arnold Schwarzenegger in Conan or The Terminator? Well may I introduce The Twister as it works it's way up the category ladder to a 'Finger of God' barn trashing, combine throwing, house thrashing level five. I like almost all the actors in this movie, with Jamie Gertz being the only exception. They try very hard to pull something out of this movie, especially Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton, but nothing can over shadow the brutality of the movies main celebrity, the tornadoes. Of which the effects are incredible.
  
  In true Hollywood popcorn movie fashion we are treated to a by the numbers, good storm chasers vs. bad storm chasers, 'I don't do this anymore because I'm a weatherman', female lead still in love with the male lead and he's still in love with her but denys it...oh heck with it, it's a fun movie to watch so just shut your brain down, break out the extra butter, artery clogging Reddenbachers and have a blast.
  
  
• Tornado loses again
  By A1T3BA0I3X6SS8 on 2004-10-02
  I love this movie. Yup, it's lame and you find yourself wishing the tornado would win. It is just plain silly - supposed to take place in Oklahoma but you would find such great cornfields in Iowa maybe instead. The cow is just plain fun and we find ourselves looking forward to "Cow." The lines are weak and the characters pretty dorky but all in all, the movie, while it has absolutely no redeeming value, is fun to watch for its silliness. No person can run through a cornfield such as our heroes do and not get sliced to pieces by the sharp edges of the corn leaves. Every farm kid knows that. And the final scene in the barn with all those sharp edges hanging from the rafters... sigh. I can't imagine any farmer taking the time to hang stuff when there are all those blank walls... However, enough said, pop some corn and start the movie, suspend your disbelief and just enjoy the fun. Twenty years from now, "Twister" will be camp.
  
  
• Helen Hunter starring in Twister
  By A3P3FWGGDQPL7C on 2006-03-13
  This is a rather interesting movie about two stormchasers, chasing twisters in America. The plot was weak and the story-line was weak. I didn't really enjoy watching the movie. But if you have some spare time on a really, really boring day, it might not be so bad a watch.
  
  
• A better disaster movie than you would think
  By A1AISPOIIHTHXX on 2006-05-18
  A lot of disaster movies tend to be sold around one thing: who's going to bite it and how grisly is it going to be? You don't go see Independence Day or Dante's Peak for compelling storylines and interesting characters, you go for carnage and mayhem and big action pieces. It's rough to say but it's kind of true, so it's odd that Twister doesn't have many onscreen deaths. It does have a lot of destruction and that's probably the main reason to see it. There is a lot of more development than most films but still, it's cool to watch.
  
  Tornado warning systems aren't very effective, especially since tornadoes can hit with little warning time so we have stormchasers who try to take more accurate scientific measurements and hopefully design a more advanced warning system. Only we are dealing with a tornado, an incredibly destructive weather phenomena. And it doesn't help when you have your ex-wife, your soon-to-be wife plus your archrival is around.
  
  It's always funny when you look back on effect shots and notice how much advancements have been made. Yes the effects are most impressive but also at times it looked a bit too CGI-y such as a huge tornado near the end or the debris that they pick up, such as trailers, tractors and barn roofs. But granted this is 10 years ago and it's certainly impressive to watch in action. It's also good that we don't get a whole lot of tornado stuff since it would become very boring and too same-y.
  
  The casting is quite spot-on and I never saw a weak link in the cast, although some people might have a couple. There's a bit of plotholes now and then(or else there's a whole bunch that I never caught since I'm not a science geek). The film does need a bigger special edition than we have since there's so much that documentaries can explain yet we get commentaries and a making-of, nothing too big. It's understandable since Twister is actually the first movie ever released on DVD but it has been 10 years.
  
  It's not dumb fun like Armageddon but it's at least likable and quite entertaining. Plus it's got flying cows and come on: how can you resist "I gotta go, we got cows!".
  
  
• Awesome!
  By A10I28F2543N8H on 2007-01-03
  I saw this movie in the theater twice... I saw it many many more times now that I have it on DVD. The special effects are incredible, and it has an overall more than excellent plot.
  
  
• My Favorite movie coming to HD DVD!!!!
  By A2E4G7RJD9R8GY on 2007-10-05
  What a great movie for the high def experience!!! this will be a fully remaster video and sound upgraded to true dobly digital hidef and 1080p tornadoes...oh don't forget the flying cows. this is on top of my list aready pre ordered!!!
  
  
• twister is great on blu ray
  By A2VNLBMJK7DH5T on 2008-05-26
  i have the standard copy of twister and the the blu ray copy
  and definitely notice a difference
  the bonus features are phenomenal
  many added to the original release
  a history channel 45 minute doc on tornadoes
  and many more feautrettes
  i really enjoyed it
  one of my favorite movies if not my fave movie of 1996 when it came out
  
  

• National Treasure 2 - Book of Secrets (Widescreen)
• Independence Day (Single Disc Widescreen Edition)
• I Am Legend (Widescreen Two-Disc Special Edition with Digital Copy)
• Men in Black (Collector's Series)
• Batman Begins (Widescreen Edition)